McNamara, who was granted access to Eunice’s private papers by her family, persuasively speculates that Eunice’s advocacy for the intellectually disabled sprang in part from her guilt about acceding to this silence ... Her vivid biography is neither a hagiography nor a hatchet job, but a frank and nuanced assessment of a complicated woman ... McNamara’s blunt depiction of Eunice’s flaws by no means diminishes her. Rather, it prompts admiration for her ability to channel anger and frustration into a life dedicated to the causes she believed in ... Famous for her indifference to such social niceties as good grooming and good manners, she would likely have appreciated Eileen McNamara’s forthright portrait.
McNamara reveals with meticulous detail and matter-of-fact prose Shriver's relentless drive, nervous energy and lifelong efforts to affirm the dignity and abilities of those with special needs ... McNamara relies on letters, family records and the observations of Shriver's acquaintances and family to sketch a nuanced portrait of a woman who was brusque yet charismatic, demanding and at times imperious, but also down-to-earth.
McNamara's groundbreakingly researched life of Eunice Kennedy ranks as a standout performance for the entire season of biography. The book succeeds in throwing a clear spotlight on this tremendously important pillar of the powerful Kennedy family ... It's a superb job of biography.
McNamara wields a deft touch as she recounts Shriver’s role in the Special Olympics and extending rights for the developmentally disabled, which was surely influenced by the tragic story of her older sister Rosemary, who was born with intellectual disabilities and sent out of public view after a botched lobotomy. Audaciously titled or not, Eunice leaves no doubt that its subject truly changed the world.
Along with providing insights into Eunice’s roles as wife, mother, sister, and daughter, McNamara uses her journalistic prowess to produce a complete and detailed portrait of this spirited and magnetic activist.
A brilliantly written chronicle of one of the dynasty's mightiest members ... Eileen McNamara writes with grace, elegance, and diplomacy, never making moral judgments on harsh facts.
[McNamara] makes a compelling case that Eunice Kennedy’s primary crusade, on behalf of millions of citizens with cognitive disabilities, succeeded greatly as a civil rights movement ... A clearly written biography crammed full of memorable anecdotes about each of the Kennedys through four generations, about Eunice’s influential husband, Sargent Shriver, and about dozens more characters from domestic politics, international diplomacy, and high society.
While the author clearly admires her subject, this is no hagiography; Shriver can come across as arrogant and entitled, among other flaws. McNamara’s book is an exemplary biography: thoroughly researched, beautifully written, and just the right length. It deserves a wide readership.
