That’s one “John” (aka “Don’t call me John-John”)

Fairy Tale Interrupted: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Loss by Rosemarie Terenzio

I’m sufficiently shameless that I’m not embarrassed for you to know I read this book and loved it.

(photo credit: John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum)

The Kennedy obsession, yes, includes The Children.

So a book by JFK Jr’s assistant was irresistible. Rosemarie Terenzio worked for John Kennedy, Jr., for 5 years, and she wasn’t afraid to mouth off to him. That’s kind of awesome, you know?

But it’s also clear that she adored him. (Not in that way. She also was a good friend of his wife Carolyn.)

She doesn’t completely sugarcoat his persona, though. Some of the stories show him acting entitled, short-tempered, and testy. So, yeah, the guy was human.

There are also some really nice things about him, though: He said some kind and wise things to her when she went through difficult times. And he lent her his house in Hyannis for her annual vacation. (And Provi, who had been Jacqueline Kennedy’s personal assistant, was there at the house! Making daiquiris! Seriously, how crazy is that?)

The thing I didn’t expect—and was happily surprised by—is that Rosemarie’s own story is interesting in itself. She describes her surprise at being a girl from the Bronx who somehow ended up working for one of the world’s most recognizable men—and the challenges (and perks) that involved. And she writes about the depression she experienced after Kennedy’s death, when her job ended and she felt aimless. Pretty horrible stuff.

I read this book immediately after finishing Concierge Confidential, which was a nice pairing. Both, books about people serving the rich and privileged.

Only with this book, there’s also a side of George, one of the best magazines ever. Doggone it that it folded.

A well-told story of a really unusual work life.