Kathleen's cameo in the Fitzwilliam family biography, Black Diamonds, inspired me to look up Lynne McTaggart's original account of 'Jack's favourite sister', but I actually needn't have bothered. Catherine Bailey neatly cribs the essence of Kathleen's life and character in Diamonds; McTaggart doesn't even add references! Another good book about Kathleen - albeit semi-fictional - is The Importance of Being Kennedy by Laurie Graham, which is livelier than this rather terse life story.

Kathleen herself is a sympathetic subject - sort of like the female version of Jack, which is probably why I like her so much. Joes Sr and Jr, who also naturally feature in any Kennedy biography, and matriarch Rose, are way down at the bottom of my list. Star son Joe comes across as a blockhead with a temper and his father's 'yes' man (although he can hardly be blamed for that, as all the Kennedy boys suffered the same fate), Papa Joe ruined all his children, both materially and mentally, and Rose had a lot to put up with but treated daughter Kathleen abysmally. Lively, likeable Kathleen just wanted to live her own life - in England, first with Billy Hartington, heir to Chatsworth, and then with Peter Fitzwilliam, the married Earl of Wentworth Woodhouse in Yorkshire. She was tragically killed in a plane crash with Peter, flying to the south of France through a thunderstorm, which the Kennedys tried to cover up ever after. I would say that she and Joe had a lucky escape - Joe from his father's machinations, Kathleen from her mother's religious fervour.

Although Lynne - and Catherine in summary - have said all there is to say about Kathleen's life and death, surely there is room for another biography? Sad that she only gets the one, with dubious sources and dry writing, while Jack and Bobby alone could fill a library (yes, I know why, but still). ( )

This is an excellent biography of a lady history has largely forgotten: Kathleen Kennedy. Sister of JFK, RFK, and Ted Kennedy, Kathleen led a fascinating life in England and in America. Her story is a tragic one. Her husband of several months and her eldest brother were killed tragically in the same year. At the end of her all too short life, Kathleen finally seemed to find the happiness she was searching for.

This book is a fast paced, exciting read. Recommended for anyone interested in the Kennedys, the Mitfords, or anyone just into reading a good biography. Fascinating! ( )