Comments on: Book Review: Dear Mrs. Kennedy

By: Paul De Angelis

Paul De Angelis — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 02:20:36 +0000

I'm Paul De Angelis, co-author of DEAR MRS. KENNEDY, and I want to register a gentle protest about the idea that the country as a whole would not react with unified horror if President G.W. Bush had been or President Obama were to be assassinated . . . In fact some of the vitriol being spilled about the Kennedys in the days before November 22, especially among many white folk in southern states who felt threatened by the rising tide of the Civil Rights Movement and the Kennedy Brothers' support for it, was just as vicious as anything you'll hear today. But it faded away completely the afternoon of November 22 . . . for awhile.

By: Chandler

Chandler — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 20:59:52 +0000

My mom has told me stories of where she was when JFK was assassinated—it left a huge mark on her, especially since she was a child at the time. I'm definitely adding the book to my to-read list; Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a fascinating person.

By: Relyn Lawson

Relyn Lawson — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:57:15 +0000

I was not alive when President Kennedy was shot. But, when the towers fell, I was at the beginning of my eightth day of my teaching career.

By: LisaMM

LisaMM — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 16:52:45 +0000

Fantastic review! I'm sad you didn't have better history teachers. My daughter has a teacher this year in 8th grade that is really making it come alive for her, and I'm so grateful for that.

Thank you so much for being on the tour.

By: LisAway

LisAway — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 17:16:27 +0000

On September 11 I was in our little apartment standing and rocking my four-day-old baby when we turned on CNN and saw that an airplane had crashed into one of the towers. How strange that was! How weird. Why? How did you miss those (or rather not miss them)? We watched it all unfold and I can clearly remember all the thoughts and questions that came into my mind. Talk about tension. Shallow breathing, knots in both stomach and throat. Over the course of that hour I feared so greatly for my country and was both grateful (because I thought it was unsafe) and sorrowful that I was so far away at such a time.

By: charrette

charrette — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 17:39:19 +0000

I was 11 months old. I was having my portrait taken. A portrait I still have, and always associate with the assassination, because my mother told me the story over and over and over again.

Ah, I suffered a dearth of stellar history teachers as well, and my background knowledge in history is sadly deficient. There is hope though — my daughter has had two outstanding history teachers at key points in her educational journey and LOVES history! Yay!

By: Christibear

Christibear — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 16:29:34 +0000

The Challenger Accident.
We were watching the lift-off on a small TV in my sixth grade class. My teacher at the time had applied but my favorite teacher (Mrs. Balderamma – Spanish) had actually made the semi-finals of selection. One second it was there, and the next gone. I felt happy and guilty that I was happy it wasn't my favorite teacher up there.
9-11
I was dropping off my baby girl at my mom's house because she was taking care of her while I worked. There were the towers, one with smoke trailing out of it. We were thinking it was just some inexperienced pilot who made a wrong turn or lost control. I remember with horror the sight of the second plane hitting the towers and then the collapse. It all seemed to happen so quickly and yet so slowly at the same time. I went to work and we kept the radio on. I remember thinking "what was happening to our world" when reports of planes going down and striking the pentagon kept coming on. The bank was errily quiet, no one came in. I was worried because I couldn't get in touch with my Army husband whom I had left because of abuse. I still loved him and I was worried because no calls were reaching his base. There was no information anywhere. It almost made me change my mind about leaving him. My entire world and how I felt about it changed.

By: Kazzy

Kazzy — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 06:45:43 +0000

Sounds like a good book. My mom was pregnant with me when Kennedy was killed, so I always feel an historic connection at the least.

By: Erin

Erin — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 04:23:20 +0000

I was at work on 9/11. I turned the little radio on and heard what had happened. I was transfixed and couldn't tear my eyes away from my little radio.

That afternoon I taught 7 piano students. It was hard knowing what to say because each child wanted to talk about it. My husband served his mission in NYC so it was especially frightening for him.

By: Unknown

Unknown — Fri, 12 Nov 2010 02:55:00 +0000

It was my freshman year in college on 9-11. I remember I went to my first class and no one said anything, it was early.

But my second class of the day, which started at 9:30 mtn time, the professor walked in and said "I'm sure you all know why. Class in canceled."

Thanks for the book review!