by Kathy McKeon
Kathy and John playing with Shannon on the beach in Hyannis.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Jackie and John in Newport, Rhode Island.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Jackie, John, and Mike Nichols eating lunch in Newport, Rhode Island.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Jackie and John riding their show horses on the Cape.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Jackie and Aristotle Onassis on the island of Skorpios, Greece.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Jackie, Caroline, and Aristotle Onassis.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Kathy and another staff member being silly in the hallway.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
Kathy and a coworker in the governess’s room in Mrs. Kennedy’s apartment.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
All dressed up and ready to leave on a trip to Ireland.
Photo courtesy of author’s collection
The Kennedy family at Kathy and Seamus’s wedding.
Photo © John Twohig, courtesy of author’s collection
Jackie admiring Kathy’s ring at her wedding.
Photo © John Twohig, courtesy of author’s collection
Notes to Kathy from Mrs. Kennedy that are among Kathy’s most treasured possessions.
All photos on this page are courtesy of author’s collection
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
When I sit back and think of all the people I would like to thank for making this dream a reality, I realize how fortunate I am to have so many amazing people in my life. Where do I even begin?
First, my parents. I want to thank my dad for sending me and my sister to America for a better life. As a mother and grandmother, I realize now how hard a decision that must have been. Which leads me to my mom. I know what a major sacrifice it was for her to let us leave and how much it broke her heart, and I want to thank her for allowing us to go.
I want also to thank my siblings—to the memory of my beloved baby sister, Mary, and my brother, Michael, and to my sister Briege and brothers Packy, John, Jim, and Owney—and all those back home in Inniskeen. My family is the world to me; I can’t thank them enough for all they have done to shape the person I am today.
A huge thank-you to my husband, Seamus, for all the hard work and support he has put into this project. His belief in me and in my story kept me going, as did the encouragement and help from my immediate family: Clare, Merrill, Keira, Conlin, and Braden McIntire; Shane, Laura, and Quinn McKeon; and Heather, Ryan, Eamon, and Ronan O’Dell.
Speaking of family, I want to thank Pat and Rose for taking us into their home and caring for us like family right alongside their own children.
To Bridget, Patricia, John, and Kathleen for their kindness and patience.
To Jack Maloney and Mugsy for getting me the interview with Jackie.
And to my dear friends at our beautiful beach in Rocky Point, which we call the Irish Riviera!
My friends on the tennis court at Verona Walk, and my close friends and neighbors in our little paradise, the Isles of Capri.
Family and friends are the true treasures in life, and I feel fortunate to have so many of them.
Finally, I want to thank all the creative geniuses behind the scenes:
Christina Cush for helping me with the book proposal and for finding my amazing agents, Jeff Kleinman and Steve Troha at Folio Literary Management. Finding them was like finding family! They got me on the right track. Also, many thanks to Jamie Chambliss at Folio, for working her magic on the proposal.
And Tamara Jones, for her wonderful writing and ability to weave my stories together. She has an amazing talent for which I am eternally grateful.
I also want to thank the amazing team at Gallery Books, Simon and Schuster. When I first met Jen Bergstrom, Mitchell Ivers, and Jen Robinson, I felt an instant connection. I knew I had found my publishing dream team. I’m also incredibly blessed to have the editorial support of Jackie Cantor. My deepest thanks also to Louise Burke, Liz Psaltis, Natasha Simons, Marla Daniels, Sarah Wright, Shelly Perron, Lisa Litwack, and Ella Laytham. From Mrs. Kennedy I learned the value of teamwork and what it means to have trusted people by your side. What an incredible and talented group you all are!
And finally, thank you, the reader, for taking the time to read the story of my life.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The fourth of eight children, Kathy McKeon grew up in Ireland and came to America in 1964 when she was nineteen. She was then hired as Jackie Kennedy’s assistant and occasional nanny to her children from 1964 to 1976. She is now a mother of three and a grandmother and lives in Florida.
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Gallery Books
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Copyright © 2017 by Catherine McKeon
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information, address Gallery Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.
First Gallery Books hardcover edition May 2017
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Interior design by Davina Mock-Maniscalco
Front jacket photograph © John Twohig (Kathy & Jackie)
Back jacket photographs © Bettmann / Getty Images (Kennedy house); © John Twohig (wedding); All other photos courtesy of author’s collection
Author photograph by Clare Mckeon Mcintire
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.
ISBN 978-1-5011-5894-0
ISBN 978-1-5011-5896-4 (ebook)