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The Memoirs of John F. Kennedy

Donald James Lawn
Castlefin Press (2010)
ISBN 9780982906408
Reviewed by Kam Aures for Rebecca’s Reads (12/10)

“The Memoirs of John F. Kennedy” at first glance would appear to be a work of non-fiction, but if you turn the book over on the back you will see that the genres are listed as historical fiction and alternative history.  What author Donald James Lawn has done is created a “what if” book.  What if John F. Kennedy had survived the attempt on his life on November 22, 1963?

If you have ever pondered the question about what direction the country would have taken if Kennedy had remained president and had been elected for a second term then you will find Lawn’s work to be highly interesting.  In “The Memoirs of John F. Kennedy,” John F. Kennedy enlists the skills of memoirist Patrick Hennessey, whose previous work he admired, to write his memoirs for him.  Through these conversations the reader is enlightened as to which paths Kennedy would have chosen throughout the remainder of his presidency. 

Lawn’s writing seems very realistic and it is entirely plausible that most of the events and conversations in the book could have taken place.  I appreciated this intellectual work and found it to be a thought-provoking novel.  I found it especially interesting that in the Epilogue, Lawn states that “Many readers have asked just where the boundary between fact and fiction is drawn in this story.  That is a hard border to define precisely, as after the shooting fact and fiction are interwoven throughout.  But even so, the reader may be surprised to find that this story leans heavily upon fact.”  (p. 378) I recommend “The Memoirs of John F. Kennedy” to history buffs, Kennedy enthusiasts, and anyone who just wants to take a look at an alternate version of history and ponder “what if?”

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