A Very Private Woman: The Life and Unsolved Murder of Presidential Mistress Mary Meyer

President Kennedy was not all we thought at the time. We reverd him, his family life and all that he did. This is an eye opening book and as such, necessary reading for the times we lived through with rose colored glasses.

Even if Mary Meyer had never crossed paths with JFK (and she certainly did in the most intimate of ways) there was enough about her upbringing and life that would have been ample material for an interesting book. What the author did with this book stimulated the imagination. This book is a rare glimpse at the nitty gritty substance of growing up as a member of the elite class of this country during the middle portion of this century. The people involved are brought out in detail enough to be believable and realistic. The reader vicariously experiences the uniqueness and excitement of Washington D.C. of the early 60's. From reading the book one comes away with intimate details about some of the main headline makers of that era. The research done to write this book looks to be quite extensive and complete. One reason why it might be a rare book that gives such a complete look into what life might have been like for someone growing up in the elite class of this country with connections into the political upper echilons. At least portions of the Wahington D.C. community of the early 1960's was far from the "Leave to Beaver" world most of the rest of America was thought to be living in. The author avoids thankfully suggesting that the Washington D.C. of the early 1960's with it's deception, intrigue, living on the edge kind of style was a good thing, but rather just lays it all it out in a stimulating way.

Mary Meyer's murder was one of the great post-JFK assassination mysteries. Nina Burleigh has entered a highly complex and frightening world to try to unravel the layers of lovers and spies. In doing so she has painted a picture of how the elite led bizarre lives from the 1920s to the 1960s. I found this book a great read about an intriguing, independent woman who cast her spell over friends in high places and haunted them long after her death.

Being an average "Jane", this book opened up many new worlds to me. Not only Mary Meyer's world, which I found truly interesting, but it also introduced me to and made me want to learn more about the Washington of that era, the CIA of that era, the other famous folks that were mentioned or discussed, Mary Meyer herself, her ex-husband, her family, the murder itself, etc., etc., etc. It has led me to my local library several times in search of answers to my new questions. This book entertained me, informed me, made me think again and left me wanting to learn more. What else can you ask from a book?