Talking back to John F. Kennedy Jr. was not anything Rose-Marie Terenzio, a girl from the Bronx, ever imagined herself doing. Nevertheless, this is how her relationship with Kennedy began. And in this candid memoir, Terenzio discusses the professional and personal role she played in the lives of JFK Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy. Wanting relief from the economic stress of her childhood, Terenzio felt lucky when she landed a job as a junior-level publicist with an upscale Manhattan public relations firm; then Kennedy moved into the same office. When Kennedy left to start a magazine, Terenzio became his personal assistant. In September 1995, Kennedy launched the political magazine, George. Terenzio writes, "I hadn't even turned thirty yet, and I was working with JFK Jr. at the most intriguing magazine in the country, in what seemed like the absolute center of the universe." Terenzio deftly reconstructs the wonderfully addictive yet strange and high-pressure world in which she worked and that the young couple navigated daily. Terenzio's captivating story, told with style and grace, chronicles her time with Kennedy within the glorious but often brutal bubble that encircled his world, and what he taught her about living. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

George. The author soon discovered that assisting a Kennedy was no easy feat, but her story makes deliriously fun reading. Juggling last-minute responsibilities and thwarting the rapacious media and "annoying hangers-on" became commonplace duties in her job working for boss who could be callous and had little patience for mistakes on a schedule overflowing with business and social engagements. Terenzio characterizes herself as a hard worker with a direct demeanor and an Italian temper, a diehard Howard Stern fan who assumed the role of Kennedy's gatekeeper, constantly "controlling access to someone who everyone wanted a piece of." She also proves herself a model of loyalty, trustworthiness and discretion during her tenure on Kennedy's payroll, most notably during his courtship to Carolyn Bessette, whose friendship Terenzio also cherished. Kennedy's tragic accidental death in 1999 would end the author's association with the family, but the memory of her dedicated service is heretofore memorialized, with obvious admiration. A fitting personal tribute to a unique boss.]] Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.