Submitted by: Caro Mercado
Generally, what inspires you to read?
What generally inspires me to read is the quest for knowledge or sheer escapism. Reading is an avocation for me that allows me to decompress and retreat into another world whether it fictional or non-fictional. I also listen to audiobooks which allows one to truly immerse oneself into the material.
When did you first read Jacqueline Kennedy: A Biography?
1983
How did you come to read this book?
High school English assignment.
Why has this book inspired you the most?
Several books stand out for me as inspirational. The Autobiography of Malcom X was particularly in that it helped me to understand his life in a completely different manner than one would get from newsreels or other sources. I also am a huge fan of Jane Austen and love to get lost in her novels. If I had to choose one book, it would have to be a book I read on Jacqueline Kennedy. Her life story was fascinating and continues to inspire me as a woman, mother, and educator.
Reading about someone who in many ways set the standard for the American ideal - wealth, power, access, privilege, and beauty - yet whose life and legacy was marred by utter tragedy and sorrow still moved me. She was born to all the privilege in the world but that could not prevent the terrible things that befell her and her family. She rose above it and made a life for herself and her children and remains a woman of stature in our history.
In reading this book, how has your life been influenced or changed?
The book in and of itself was not the influential force but rather the subject of Jackie Kennedy's life helped me to see myself at that time in my life as a young woman of potential, and despite personal loss or circumstances beyond one's control, one can still achieve life goals and make a difference in the lives around us.
