The Summer I Met Jack by Michelle Gable and John Kennedy’s White House Fettuccine
I am not sure if this was an actual recipe from the White House but it was a really good recipe. I did not have fettuccine at home so used thin spaghetti instead. Also, I substituted shallots with one medium onion and a sprinkle of garlic powder (apparently a substitution for shallots).
This book is definitely one that you should not start unless you have time to read. I am not sure why it was a page turner unless it is the mystery behind a theory. The author states that this is biographical fiction that was born out of a newspaper headline questioning if JFK had a love child with Alicia Corning Clark. She read hundreds of books and newspaper articles to create what she says is her hypothesis to this newspaper headline. Although the details are from her imagination, the people (movie stars, Kennedys) are not. Supposedly, Alicia Corning Clark was engaged to JFK before Jackie O but engagement broke off due to family pressure (this is not a spoiler since it is on the book jacket). The entire book explores the possibility of a child she had with JFK.
Her description of the Kennedy family is very similar to what I have read in other books. I am always astounded at how corrupt the Kennedy family was (Joe/dad and Bobby especially). What also amazes me is how Rose Kennedy and Jackie knew of their husbands multiple affairs but pretended as if it was “par for the course.” You sort of get this from this book, but if you really want to understand more about Jackie, read Clint Hill’s Mrs. Kennedy and Me. He was her Secret Service guy who protected her…and the one who jumped on the back of the car the day of the assassination. He talks about all the women JFK snuck into the White House and how his wife knew about this, which is why she purposely stayed away at certain times. Also, if you would like to know more about the “conspiracies” around the JFK assassination, read Killing Kennedy by Bill O’Reilly.
There is one part of this book that many people do not know about – how Nixon was going to challenge the 1960 election because of fraud. Many believe Nixon truly won that election. Also, Kennedy won Texas which was unheard of. Kennedy and LBJ hated each other, too. Just prior to the his re-election campaign, JFK was debating if he wanted LBJ as his running mate but he needed Texas to win. I digress… should you read this book? I think so. I think it is a fascinating story (although fiction) to what could be an apparent true account. Do note there are some raunchy parts (not very long so can easily skip).
