"Ask Not" and Raven Wondering Why We Let Things Go So Quickly.

This past month I was absolutely captivated by a book titled "Ask Not: The Kennedys and the Women They Destroyed" by Maureen Callahan. You may remember from an earlier blog post this book in part inspired a long rant about the importance of non-fiction and how we as readers must interact with it. While I did show my hand a bit in that post I wanted to offer a proper review for "Ask Not" and share a few thoughts that are more suited to a discussion of this book and not the entirety of non-fiction.

"Ask Not" starts with Callahan's statement of intent. There are a lot of clarifications that must occur in these types of non-fiction. When writing about politics or political figures we often run into these issues, namely being accused of being political. In today's political landscape, it can sometimes be hard to navigate these discussions as we have grown as a nation to be much more partisan and view things in that scope in place of a broader political spectrum.

"Politics in my books?" It's more likely than you think.

We do often see these books take a hardline partisan stance, even if it is just a biography of a political figure. This is all compounded by the fact that mainstream American politics operates in a binary with very little acknowledgment of other positions or nauce. A book like this, which speaks on several major figures in the Democratic party in a not-so-charming light, can be seen by modern audiences in a less than generous frame. But "Ask Not" is a book mostly about history. Yes, there are references to the more recent shenanigans of RFK Jr., but we are centered in the idea of legacy and narrative. America has a heavily mythologized past. We still mythologize, to the point that in some ways we are mythologizing our present to suit political needs. We even see some of that happen over the course of these accounts. When we have facts that conflict with narratives it's worth examining those narratives in a new light. We have a right and a duty to ask questions.

Our book jumps around, each chapter starting off with the name of our "victim". I use the term in quotes to appeal to the critics. In my opinion, these are all cases of manipulation, abuse, or sometimes felonies. However, some would dismiss some of these cases as hearsay. It's my blog, so I will say, victim. They were all so much more than what they were put through, but these stories are snapshots of the moment(s) they were harmed. Some victims are revisited as their stories have many facets or many major incidents to talk about. The two that immediately come to mind are Carolyn Bessette-Kenndy and Jackie Kennedy (Bouvier, Onassis). Their stories have many complexities or angles to take so we revisit them a few times to highlight their life in the Kennedy family. No one in this book is the "perfect victim" because that just isn't how the real world works and we as readers and as empathetic people need to accept that.

It's important to note however that not every story is of a Kennedy woman. Many of the victims were not married to a Kennedy or had any family relations with them. Some worked for the Kennedys, some were in the same social circles, and some were just caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The scope is broad, but they are all connected by misfortune caused in some way by the Kennedys. It's almost a curse.

I would say most Americans have heard about the legend of the Kennedy Curse. Some take it to extreme forms of belief. Others just see it as a spooky coincidence or dismiss the idea entirely. The book takes a different approach. Implying that the alleged curse is actually the result of a wealthy powerful family constantly placing themselves in harm's way or risky situations. Of course, some cases like the assassinations were not because of some bizarre thrill-seeking. But cases like the death of JFK Jr certainly had an element of personal responsibility involved.

Yeah, there's a logical explanation. But curses are way cooler

Now we have a confession at the beginning of creative liberities. The phrase should not terrify readers but must be acknowledged. I won't harp on this for too long as there is a whole other blog post linked below for you if you want to hear more on this specific subject but the tl:dr is this. Our author has stated that she fills in the gaps on what certain conversations might have been or how someone may have been feeling in that situation. We need to keep that in mind when we are reading those parts, but doing that does not in any way diminish the facts that the author is presenting so long as the creative aspects do not conflict with the facts.

If you are looking for a quick or easy non-fiction read, this isn't it. There are parts of this book that are gut-wrenching. There are parts of this book that made me angry. There were scenes that made me put the book down and walk away. Yet I kept coming back. There are plenty of content warnings for this book and it may not be your cup of tea. However, there is an importance to this work that should not be underestimated. We live with our mythologized past here in America and we need to start taking a better look at what has been hidden or obscured. Addressing these dark and grim parts of history is why I am such a passionate non-fiction reader.

Final Rating: 3.5/5 Stars. I did enjoy this book thoroughly. But I am doubtful I would revisit this for fun at any point, but I will recommend it. I believe the information is important and I would encourage everyone even vaguely curious about it to go pick it up. My rating is not a reflection of anything other than my enjoyment and how I feel compelled to rate it based on that. I do believe this is a high-quality work that i hope will continue to pick up in popularity.

-Sincerely, Raven