And Loss - Fairy Tale Interrupted - A Memoir of Life

I enjoyed this "feel good" book about John F Kennedy, Jr. He was compassionate and caring of his assistant, the author, who presented a totally different view of the most famous man in the world during his short life. Caroline Bisset was definitely his soul mate. Enjoy & keep the tissues nearby!!!!

Fairy Tale Interrupted gave me a whole new perspective and respect for John Kennedy Jr. This was a read that easily openned the reader to what John Kennedy Jr. was truely like through the eyes, heart and soul of the one who worked so closely with him. Enjoyed the book more than I thought I would.

A fascinating look into the life of someone many of us would like to have known, as seen through the eyes of a down to earth girl. I loved her wonderment at her life and how she got there. Her descriptions of rubbing elbows with the high and mighty were very interesting. She made JFK Jr. a "real" person for those of us who've only seen him in pictures. It's hard to read the part when John and his wife are getting ready to attend his cousin's wedding...we all know how it ends. It's at once both a happy and sad story. And one of those books you can't put down.

This bio on John Kennedy truly was a life interrupted. I enjoyed reading about his adult life and his marriage.He had so much tragedy in his short life and then his life ended in such tragedy! It was an enjoyable read - it was hard for me to put this book down. I was a young lady when his father was assasinated and I remember little John and his sister Caroline . To see such tragedy befall such a young family was horrific. This truly was a life interrupted from his father to his son.

Great book. I enjoyed it very much. Good look inside the life of
a much loved young guy who might have at some point gone into the political arena. It showed how normal he could be. Liked this book for sure.

Great book. I enjoyed it very much. Good look inside the life of
a much loved young guy who might have at some point gone into the political arena. It showed how normal he could be. Liked this book for sure.

Glad I didn't pay attention to the naysayers about this Book. I found it fascinating. RoseMarie tells it like it is. She shares the ups and downs of her relationship/job with JFK and what he was like as a person and boss and she does it with taste and wit. What a great story...girl from the Bronx gets the opportunity of a lifetime! Indeed she did. Thanks RoseMarie for sharing your story. only one thing that could have made this book better...Pictures! But I still loved it.

Ms. Terenzio, definitely use the right title for the book.
She was the right person for the job; she is a "Secret Keeper"
I sense she open up with respect of privacy sharing certain things and keeping some for her to take to the grave.

Thank you for sharing some of your memories about the man we see as the perfect man.

John F. Kennedy Jr. had an extraordinary life. One that was forever in the public eye, until it was tragically cut short by a plane accident in the waters off Martha's Vineyard in July 1999.

Leading up to that fateful day, there was much speculation about his marriage to Carolyn Bessette, whom was also lost on that flight, along with her sister, Lauren. And whether the magazine founded by John F. Kennedy Jr., 'George', would survive the brutally competitive magazine industry.

It took more than 12 years for John and Carolyn's closest confidant and friend to write a book about their fairy tale, that was so heartbreakingly interrupted.

'Fairy Tale Interrupted' is a memoir by RoseMarie Terenzio, who first met John F. Kennedy Jr. when she was working at a boutique PR agency in New York City. Mr Kennedy started making frequent visits to meet her boss, secretly plotting a new venture. It wasn't long before John moved into their offices that the two of them struck up a mutually respectful and trusting relationship.

The blue-collar girl from the Bronx was ultimately offered the role of assistant to John who became the editor-in-chief and co-founder of the new socio-political magazine named after the first President of the United States, George Washington.

Ms Terenzio paints an intimate portrait of her relationship with not only John, but his wife, Carolyn Bessette. How they all became close friends and how often-times, RoseMarie acted as a go-between for the couple. Organizing appointments, arranging travel, and being the steadfast gatekeeper they both needed to cope with the demands of their professional and personal lives.

Contrary to media reports circulating at the time, especially after John and Carolyn were secretly wed in Georgia, the author describes Carolyn as a loving, caring and protective woman, who not only doted on John but also supported, inspired and confided in RoseMarie.

It's true this so-called 'royal couple' had arguments and fights; they were largely about the harsh public life Carolyn had to endure, which John had learned in his life to just shrug off and take in his stride.

A revelation in the book is how brutal the paparazzi were toward Carolyn. Suggesting she wasn't good enough for John F. Kennedy Jr. and often calling out curse words and names at her, just to get a reaction. The kind of behavior and attention Carolyn struggled with.

In the book, RoseMarie, explains that Carolyn was "exhausted" and didn't want to go to Hyannis to attend a family wedding with John. He desperately wanted her to be there, and solicited help from RoseMarie to talk Carolyn into making the trip. Now, in hindsight, the author regrets she had succeeded in convincing Carolyn to go on that fateful flight.

It was RoseMarie who was staying at their New York City apartment that weekend John's plane disappeared. She writes of how she first learned of the missing couple late that Friday night. A moving, memorable account of suspended disbelief and denial. They must have changed plans, the worst couldn't possibly be happening.

Asked why it took so long to write this book, RoseMarie explained although she had earlier been approached to tell her story, she wanted more time to pass. To write about 'her' fairy tale interrupted, to be true to John and Carolyn, and not write the kind of scandalous story that was expected at the time.

Reading through 'Fairy Tale Interrupted', I often thought of the tribute given by Senator Edward M. Kennedy, John's uncle, at the Church of St. Thomas More in New York City, July 23, 1999.

Senator Kennedy said that John had "found his shining star when he married Carolyn Bessette."

"His beautiful young wife -- the new pride of the Kennedys -- would cheer for John's team and delight her nieces and nephews with her somersaults."

"We dared to think, in that other Irish phrase, that this John Kennedy would live to comb gray hair, with his beloved Carolyn by his side. But like his father, he had every gift but length of years."

Like a true friend, RoseMarie Terenzio, in writing this book, has lived up to her responsibility of protecting a legacy and enlightening us.

This book is one that would have made both John and Carolyn proud. At times funny, loving, fascinating. But also, deeply moving and heart breaking.

Very good read! Well written. The only thing I missed was possible photos. The only photos are on jacket cover.
I lived through the fairy tale and found this most interesting. It is heart breaking that such gifted young people met such
a tragic ending. Kudos to the author for sharing her amazing journey!

Very enjoyable read. Very surprised that the author was not mentioned at all in the After Camelot book since according to her she played a prominent role in the life of John Kennedy at George and was a close friend of John and Carolyn.

Although the Kennedy family fascinates me, I always find most books about them to be very gossipy and full of speculations, non-facts and hearsay.
This book, however, changed my mind. I loved that RoseMarie told her story from her heart, a very honest place that you won't necessarily see from books written about this famous family. I appreciated that it wasn't salacious and didn't dive too much into the marriage of Mr. Kennedy and his wife Carolyn. She did paint a beautiful portrait of love and flaws that are abundant in each and every one of us. It humanized them and I loved that. Very honest, fair and heart wrenchingly painful that I felt lumps in my throat throughout. What a book! Thank you.

I always wondered if the old gypsy curse spouted to the head of the Kennedy clan was true. It was hard to say. But in my profession I was intrusted to be on the Coast Guard boat with Senator Kennedy at the time of removeal of the plane of his nephew. Working plane crashes was nothing new, but this family for me was special. I had begun a campaign for John Kennedy at my private school in California in fifth grade for his presidenial elecetion. But that day in Dallas was announced over the school intercom, I used the lunch time to climb the fence that lined the school, since our bikes were locked up, and walked home crying, my Mother made me tomato soup and a cheese sandwich and called the school. I carried the radio from the plane to the orginal eqipment manufaturer to determine the frequency the radio was on-we had one chance. What we determined was that it was spacial disorientation. And since JFK jr. didn't have training on instruments, he depended on all visual for all flying, and at night over the ocean or water the dark sky and dark water, both look the same. Then you've got a plane that's like a ferrari you'd best be able to handle the power. But a great book on Jfk jr and his new wife.

Once you start reading this book, it will be hard to put down. While you know the basics of the story, this is a personal account that is very touching and forthcoming. It normally takes me a while in my busy life to get through a book but this one was very engrossing and I finished it in a couple days.

Enjoyed hearing the other side of story from an assistant to JFK Jr. Very funny but heartfelt story down to his last day. Book told how caring the couple also was to everyone and how public opinion didn't matter always to them. I read this book in 2 days!

This was an
interesting and well written book. It gave me a whole new perspective into the lives of John, Jr. and Carolyn. They were a very thoughtful couple. I commend John's assistant for her loyalty and intelligence in handling the fairy tale type life she found herself in. It must have been a nightmare for her after their death.

I am always amused by those who read Kennedy related memoirs and either slam the Kennedys (why oh why are you reading this if you hate this family?) or are furious the person doesn't provide information outside the sphere of their connection with the family (seriously! It's a "memoir" - get a dictionary). So if you fall in camp A or Camp B like the other negative critics here you won't like this so move along and try something else.

BUT

For those of you who, like me, are interested in the Kennedy family AND are hoping to gain insight from another angle then this is the book for you.

RoseMarie writes candidly and openly about her relationship with not only John and Carolyn but her broader family and friends. She has a wonderful way of expressing herself and I quickly developed an emotional connection with her and found tears rolling down my face twice during the book. As you'd expect the book is peppered with information about the trivial incidents which make up everyday life that paint a strong picture of not only John and Carolyn's lives but RoseMarie's life as well - which is also very interesting!

This is an easy read by anyone's standards (it took me less than two hours start to finish) but is definitely well worthwhile. I thoroughly recommend it (and if you love this do try Carole Radziwill's "What Remains").

I really loved the details that Rosemarie Terenzio gave in her book. She lets everyone reading the book have inside information of the true life of John and Carolyn Kennedy. She did this with grace, loyalty, respect and great friendship. It was really hard for me to put the book down. I would recommend this book to anyone.

Fairy Tale Interrupted was a very honest and personal account of RoseMaries life with her special friends. She showed a side to JFK Jnr and Carolyn that was warm and giving, and her total loss and devastation after their deaths. A wonderful read.

Rosemarie Terenzio has written a very touching and interesting testament to her relationship with John Kennedy, Jr. It is incredibly funny and sad. I laughed at her admissions of admonishing one of the most admired young men of our time. I admired her ability to stay so grounded while working for him and keeping his trust and confidence. He was the lucky one to have such a person on his team. A Great Read.