Mrs. Kennedy and Me by Clint Hill and Lisa McCubbin: A Review

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Mrs. Kennedy and Me recounts Clint Hill's Secret Service assignment to protect Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy from November 1960 until Lyndon Johnson was elected in 1964. Written with dignity and respect, the book describes the challenges and rewards attached to guarding Mrs. Kennedy.

The detail about Mrs. Kennedy's daily activities and overseas trips is extensive. Photos of her public and private life abound. Mr. Hill and co-author Lisa McCubbin write of her indomitable spirit, her coy humor and her grace. Hill clearly adored the whole Kennedy family and guarded them with diligence. He generously chronicles his time with Mrs. Kennedy. She was an expert equestrian, which forced him to find creative ways to protect her while riding. At one point, she mischievously bummed a cigarette off him while they were in a car out of the public eye. A lover of ballet, she teased him about his reaction to a performance she thought particularly moving.

He describes her beautiful outfits for various state functions. Clothing was an important part of her image. American's adored her sense of style. She wanted to purchase some outfits while in Italy. Advising her against it, Hill found himself dispatched to women's boutiques with the former First Lady's shopping list.

A Secret Service agent must problem-solve in situations we can't fathom:

? Determining on the spot whether or not it was safe for Mrs. Kennedy to touch a baby elephant during a trip to India.
? Safely transporting a horse gifted to Mrs. Kennedy by Pakistani President Ayub back to the United States.
? Keeping Presidential moments private while maintaining adequate protection for the family.

Mrs. Kennedy valued her privacy and wanted her children to have a normal life. Much of her time was spent away from the White House. Although this meant Mr. Hill would see his wife and children less, he never complained. It was simply part of the job.

If you are looking for rumors and bits of scandal supposedly tied to the Kennedy Administration, look elsewhere. Wanting to bring a balance to salacious gossip about that time and negative stories of the Secret Service's response to the President's assassination, Mr. Hill breaks his fifty-year silence. The memoir is a positive and honest assessment of the joys and tests he met as an agent. The memoir overflows with respect for the Kennedy family. Hill writes eloquently about the depression and guilt he suffered because he felt he didn't move quickly enough to take the bullets that struck President Kennedy on that fateful day in November of 1963.

The author of this memoir is a consummate gentleman who humbly went about his duties. He was at that time, perhaps, Mrs. Kennedy's closest friend. In Mr. Hill's own words, "What started out as uncertainty for both Mrs. Kennedy and me, had turned into a comfortable and enjoyable working relationship based on mutual trust and respect."

Readers, you will be moved by this personal tribute to an unforgettable First Lady. I highly recommend Mrs. Kennedy and Me.

Article originally published by Holly Weiss on http://www.blogcritics.org/.

Holly Weiss is the author of a historical fiction novel, Crestmont, writer and reviewer of newly-released books. http://www.hollyweiss.com/.

Free reprint of article if entire bio is intact.

Book Review: I Want to Help: My Story About Cancer, Depression, and God

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Non-fiction/Memoir

I Want to Help: My Story about Cancer, Depression, and God

T. Laresca

2009

Dorrance Publishing Co., Inc.

20 pages

I Want to Help is T. Laresca's testimony on how his belief in God saved his life. The author discusses how his faith helped him to survive cancer after being told that he would only have three months to live if the prescribed treatments did not work. In this slim book, Laresca shares with the reader the impact his illness and the subsequent treatments had on his body and mind. He also reveals an incident with police that could have resulted in the loss of his life, had it not been for his unwavering faith.

Pain drove Laresca to seek medical assistance after several hours of suffering at home. Surgery revealed testicular cancer that had spread to his stomach and lungs. Two months of chemotherapy followed. The treatment was grueling and took a heavy physical toll on Laresca. But through it all, the author relied on his faith in God and maintained a positive outlook: "The whole time I believed God would take care of me (2)."

Laresca's credits his remission to his faith and medical treatment. He has been cancer free for over eight years. The next phase of Laresca's journey was unexpectedly difficult. He fell into a deep depression after his treatments were finished. The cancer had stripped him of his independence: he was physically frail, jobless, broke and living with his parents. The author states that depression was a more difficult adversary than cancer because of the shame associated with mental illness and his unwillingness to seek treatment.

After sharing his story about surviving cancer and depression, Laresca discusses a violent encounter with police during which he was repeatedly maced. He writes that he died during the incident. "I remembered something that I hadn't done that I had always wanted to do. That was to help, so I fought my way back... (17)."

This is a short read with a powerful message about the role faith can play in sustaining a person through all types of adversity. The author uses his story as a tool for sharing not only his personal beliefs, but to inform the reader about the mind's impact on the body and how crucial it is to think positively when problems arise in life.

I Want to Help is a straight forward, inspiring piece about a man of faith who wishes to use his story to help others.

Melissa Brown Levine

for

Independent Professional Book Reviewers

Melissa Brown Levine is a writer, book reviewer and manuscript consultant. She is the author of "I Need to Make Promises: A Novella and Stories." Read an excerpt at http://www.melissabrownlevine.com/.