A treasure trove of letters Jacqueline Kennedy wrote to an Irish priest before and after she was first lady have been discovered by an auction house in Ireland. The letters, which span nearly 15 years, include revelations about her political ambitions, her worries that her husband John F. Kennedy was womanizing, and how his assassination made her "bitter against God."
Between 1950 and 1964, Kennedy wrote 30 letters to Father Joseph Leonard, a Vincentian priest who lived in Dublin and whom she only met twice. "It's so good in a way to write all this down and get it off your chest — because I never do really talk it with anyone," she said to him. In a letter following the assassination of her husband, she said: "I have to think there is a God — or I have no hope of finding Jack again," adding, "God will have a bit of explaining to do to me if I ever see Him."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The $100mn scandal undermining Volodymyr ZelenskyyIn the Spotlight As Russia continues to vent its military aggression on Ukraine, ‘corruption scandals are weakening the domestic front’
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 – 21 NovemberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news?
-
Can the UK do more on climate change?Today's Big Question Labour has shown leadership in the face of fraying international consensus, but must show the public their green mission is ‘a net benefit, not a net cost’
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstancesSpeed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governorSpeed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditionsSpeed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billionSpeed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on recordSpeed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homesSpeed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creatureSpeed Read
