Acclaimed biographer Kate Clifford Larson visits the Nashua Public Library on Wednesday, August 10 to discuss her New York Times bestselling book, Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter.
Joe and Rose Kennedy’s strikingly beautiful daughter Rosemary was intellectually disabled, a secret fiercely guarded by her powerful and glamorous family. In Rosemary, Kate Clifford Larson uses newly uncovered sources to bring Rosemary Kennedy’s story to light. Young Rosemary comes alive as a sweet, lively girl adored by her siblings. But Larson also reveals the often desperate and duplicitous arrangements the Kennedys made to keep her away from home as she became increasingly difficult in her early twenties, culminating in Joe’s decision to have Rosemary lobotomized at age twenty-three and the family’s complicity in keeping the secret.
Only years later did the Kennedy siblings begin to understand what had happened to Rosemary, which inspired them to direct government attention and resources to the plight of the developmentally and mentally disabled, transforming the lives of millions.
Books will be available for purchase and signing from our friends at Toadstool Bookshop.
About the author: Kate Clifford Larson is a best-selling author of critically acclaimed biographies including Rosemary: The Hidden Kennedy Daughter, and Bound for the Promised Land: Harriet Tubman, Portrait of an American Hero. Her latest book, Walk With Me: A Biography of Fannie Lou Hamer, was one of Kirkus Review’s Best of 2021. With two degrees from Simmons University, an MBA from Northeastern, and a doctorate in history from the University of New Hampshire, Dr. Larson is an award-winning consultant for feature films, documentaries, museums, and public history and heritage tourism initiatives. A frequent guest on local, national, and international media outlets, Larson is a Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center Scholar.
Sponsored by The Friends of the Nashua Public Library. No registration is required.
LOCATION: NPL Theater