Once Upon a Secret

My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath

By: Mimi Alford

Narrated by: Susan Denaker

In the summer of 1962, nineteen-year-old Mimi Beardsley arrived by train in Washington, D.C., to begin an internship in the White House press office. The Kennedy Administration had reinvigorated the capital and the country—and Mimi was eager to contribute. For a young woman from a privileged but sheltered upbringing, the job was the chance of a lifetime. Although she started as a lowly intern, Mimi made an impression on Kennedy’s inner circle and, after just three days at the White House, she was presented to the President himself.

Almost immediately, the two began an affair that would continue for the next eighteen months.

In an era when women in the workplace were still considered “girls,” Mimi was literally a girl herself—naïve, innocent, emotionally unprepared for the thrill that came when the President’s charisma and power were turned on her full-force. She was also unprepared for the feelings of isolation that would follow as she fell into the double life of a college student who was also the secret lover of the most powerful man in the world. Then, after the President’s tragic death in Dallas, she grieved in private, locked her secret away, and tried to start her life anew, only to find that her past would cast a long shadow—and ultimately destroy her relationship with the man she married.

In 2003, a Kennedy biographer mentioned “a tall, slender, beautiful nineteen-year-old college sophomore and White House intern, who worked in the press office” in reference to one of the President’s affairs. The disclosure set off a tabloid frenzy and soon exposed Mimi and the secret that she had kept for forty-one years. Because her past had been revealed in such a shocking, public way, she was forced, for the first time, to examine the choices she’d made. She came to understand that shutting down one part of her life so completely had closed her off from so much more.

No longer defined by silence or shame, Mimi Alford has finally unburdened herself with this searingly honest account of her life and her extremely private moments with a very public man. Once Upon a Secret offers a new and personal depiction of one of our most iconic leaders and a powerful, moving story of a woman coming to terms with her past and moving out of the shadows to reclaim the truth.

Critic reviews

“With the benefit of hindsight and good old-fashioned maturity, [Mimi Alford] writes not just about the secret, but the corrosive effect of keeping that secret. . . . You can’t help liking her, or her elegant and thoroughly good-natured book.”—The Spectator

“What [Alford] sacrificed in lucre she has more than recovered in credibility and dignity.”—The Washington Times

“Compelling . . . a polished voice telling a credible story you can take to the bank.”—Seattle Post-Intelligencer

“Explosive . . . searingly candid.”—New York Post

Dear God! The Scandal!

Mimi Alford kept her secret affair with JFK a secret for 40 some years which in a society where women are creating and "leaking" sex tapes to get attention is unheard of. Her story is engrossing and shocking at the same time. I am a huge fan of any book that deals with JFK, Marilyn Monroe, The Rat Pack etc. This book is clearly a story that would never have come out had she not been "outed". A very good listen.

How young Mimi was and how the president’s influence overwhelmed her

and how you can be swept up in the moment and be influenced by someone more powerful than you. I don’t blame her husband to be to be upset with her, and I doubted that their marriage would last because of her secret that she kept from him

Bravery!!

This was such an amazing read, thank you, sweet MiMi. Your life story was so incredible to me and so inspiring. So sorry you had to carry such heaviness for so many years, it’s amazing. Thank you for this book!

Beautifully written

Thank you for sharing your story! This memoir is beautifully written and compelling. I can see myself in this being passive and no voice in a relationship but no longer.

About half of this is interesting history

The book is more or less divided into three parts. The first concerns one of President Kennedy's dalliances. You learn how a woman less than half the president's age caught his eye and was steered into a situation where he could take advantage of her. The system for doing so was apparently put in place by the president and used many times. For those of us who thought well of President Kennedy this might be disappointing, but it is definitely an interesting bit of history. Ms. Alford makes it clear that she was not a victim, apart from having been cornered in the first encounter.

The second part of the book begins with the president's assassination and switches the focus to the author rather than the president. This was not really what I signed up for but I continued to listen for its references to historic events.

In a final section Ms. Alford's marriage falls apart and she finally discovers true love. I am glad her new relationship is happy, but I would not have bought a book about that.

I think anyone with an interest in American history will enjoy the part of this book about important national events. The rest of the book concerns a different topic, and history readers may not finish the book. The reader did an excellent job and I would certainly look forward to hearing her work again.