Book Review: Letters to Jackie by Ellen Fitzpatrick

“This is something I will never forget. I am 11 years old. I wrote Mr. Kennedy a letter after the eletion to tell him how happy I was he had won. and when I was looking at the funeral on telivison I cryed through the whole thing It was so sad. I still have the letter that he sent me. I will show it to my children when I grow up. President Kennedy will never be forgotten in the United States of America.”

Quote from a letter shared in Letters to Jackie

Review:

I had no idea a book like this existed until I stumbled across it in a used bookstore. What a treasure trove it is! There is a lot of hearsay about John F. Kennedy’s assassination (and I am admittedly someone who is willing to listen to all of it), but this is not one of those books. Instead of discussing what did or did not happen, it is a collection of letters from the mourning citizens of America. It’s raw and unfiltered, written by people from every walk of life. 

The range of emotion expressed in these letters was both fascinating and devestating. Being the 1960s, all citizens were not treated equally. Some of these letters express these struggles, applauding President Kennedy for his efforts and vision for the future. There were letters from children, from people in their 90s, from people in the service to people on welfare, from Democrats to Republicans… What struck me the most was how many people told of people having heart attacks (most of them fatal) upon the news. The fact that I lost count is a frightening realization of the universal impact of this tragic moment in history. 

No matter what a person thinks about the logistics of the assassination, this collection of a nation’s grief cannot be altered by the ‘whodunit’ question. Aside from learning about how America received and grieved John F. Kennedy as president, it’s also a great look at the cultural and class differences of that time in America. Seeing the diversity of letter writers side by side painted an authentic image that could never be replicated by any other form of media. 

Likes & Dislikes:

What I liked:

• This book offers a unique history, allowing the voices of America to be recognized rather than the voice of the media.
• The letters were presented as written, meaning there were several spelling and grammatical errors. Though difficult to read in some extreme cases, I appreciate the authenticity.

What I didn’t like:

• Some of the commentary between letters ran a little long.

Afterthoughts:

I’d suggest this to be assigned reading in American History classes.

Where to buy the book: