If all happy families are alike, the Kennedys of Hyannis Port, Massachusetts, are the exception.
Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr. governs his silver-spoon sons and daughters, all nine of them, with the same firm hand that earned him a fortune, an ambassadorship, and enough clout to plant the seeds of an American political dynasty. But heavy hangs the head that bears the weight of the patriarch's expectations, and after his anointed eldest son dies in a catastrophic wartime mission, the burden falls to Jack, next in line, to become the first Kennedy in Congress. The charming upstart rises through the Democratic Party ranks as planned, but when Jack's increasingly debilitating and ill-concealed chronic pain threatens his Senate seat and his life, Bobby-the third-born son, the campaign manager, the right-hand man hidden in the wings while the golden boy dazzles the crowd-is forced to help shoulder the weight. With their sights set on higher office, Bobby takes the role of the ruthless operative behind the scenes-a necessary figure in every White House hopeful's journey. But can Bobby secure his brother's success, and if so, at what personal cost?
Throughout the chaos of campaign after campaign, Bobby forges an unexpected kinship with Jacqueline Bouvier, queen of the Rhode Island debutante scene and the only woman who has, it seems, managed to tame Jack. When the cameras are on, Mrs. John F. Kennedy has no choice but to smile and wave; in private, she leans on Bobby for understanding-everyone always leans on Bobby. Their friendship is a bulwark, but when Jack's ongoing infidelity tests the boundaries of their loyalty, Bobby and Jackie must each decide for themselves what it really means to be family.
Carson Markland is a writer and filmmaker from South Carolina. Her work has been published in SmokeLong Quarterly, Breakwater Review, and Texlandia, and was featured in Best Microfiction Anthology and long-listed for the Disquiet International Literary Prize. She currently lives in New York City.
