Wendy Leigh has accomplished a truly amazing feat with her most recent book! As a biographer, what better subjects could she find? And, how better could she have revealed the secret nature of two of the most mysterious women in American popular culture?

What could have been a strange fantasy became a living experience for me as I read the letters between Marilyn and Jackie. I kept reminding myself that these letters - though historically and accurately encapsulated in time - were in fact, a work of fiction.

The relationship between Jackie and Marilyn that develops in the course of the book via the age-old epistolary genre is highly plausible - if alarming to consider - and there is no doubt that the evolution of such a relationship could truly have occurred.

Both women come across as needing something from the other that no-one else could provide, and though we know from history that both women were polarities in background, appearance and status, their meeting place was in the relationship bound up with John Kennedy.

This book is a page-turner, it is impossible to put it down because the authenticity of the writing, and the dramatis personae are so realistic, that I "forgot" that this was a work of fiction.

However, by the end of the book, fiction becomes so enmeshed with facts that one is completely bound up in the last few pages, and left thinking - as usual - "what really did happen"?

The emotional denoument is critical to the book - it simply must be read in sequence. Chilling, sad and possibly too too true. . .one is simply compelled to read on. And, "hurrah" to Ms. Leigh for her bravery and creativity to have brought such challenging subjects together in this well researched and brilliantly written book.

Bought the book in New York before flying back to England this weekend, and read it non-stop during the flight. The moment I finished it, I started it all over again. Because, although it is an extremely easy read, the book - which tells the story of Marilyn's love affair with Jack Kennedy through her letters to Jackie Kennedy - works on so many different levels. Apart from the fact that you really feel that you are reading a true correspondence, this book gives more insight into Marilyn and Jackie than any biography of either of them I've ever read. The letters change from being letters between strangers, to letters between friends, and then, rivals. When I finished the book, I felt as if I had been in another world, another time, and had in the hearts and minds of both Marilyn and Jackie. Before I read the book, as someone who admires Jackie, I was afraid it might be disrespectful of her. But that is not the case. The letters reflect everything I've read about her in biographies - and much more. And made me care about her more than ever. The ending of the book made me cry - it seemed so real, so true, so very sad - and went to the heart of Marilyn and Jackie. As I said before, I am reading it again and can't recommend it enough. Reading The Secret Letters is as addictive as eating Godiva chocolate. Enjoy.

This back of the book cover led me to believe there would be interesting information on his wife, Carolyn. Ha! There was practically no information on his wife. I learned more about her in a single magazine article then from this book. It has the basic geographic info: born, lived, schooled. Boring. If you are a diehard JFK JR then go for it, otherwise there are much better books on him. If you are looking for Carolyn info, look elsewhere. Period.

As a generation "Xer" this book intrigued me for one shallow purpose at the forthright. John F. Kennedy, Jr. was and will always remain in the public's eye as a sex symbol. I was glad that the author started out with something familiar when introducing her book. Beginning with the how and why of John's appointment to the sexiest man alive was something that I remembered and could identify with. Without any knowledge of the Kennedy "clan" as she terms them, and even less historical knowledge, I could identify with the placement of John on the cover of People magazine. While I had heard of President Kennedy's alleged affairs it came as a shock to see other members of the Kennedy family hold such little esteem for marriage vows. The author really brings Jackie Kennedy down to earth and sure makes me long for her happiness and admire the strength of such a delicate looking woman. She certainly isn't short on male companionship and some of her relationships leave you wondering why she didn't just go it alone. The details behind John's relationships are intriguing and the relationship with Madonna was particularly surprising to this reader. The author paints the picture of John being less than the smartest Kennedy but far outshining with his personality, athletic abilities, and Kennedy charisma. The well-known ending is tragic and left me with the same sinking feeling as I did watching the T.V. hoping his plane would be found or by some chance to find out he hadn't been on board at all. A good read for anyone wanting more information on the Kennedy family and most importantly on John Jr.

This book had many good points, and I finished it fairly quickly. It made me laugh out loud, and at other poignant moments I cried. I enjoyed reading about John's college exploits, his years as an assistant D.A. and details of his relationships with the ladies. It was vividly written, capturing my imagination in a way that presented me with a good sense of his splendid personality, in turn giving me an evengreater admiration of the man. Too much time, I think was devoted to his early childhood days, and I was disappointed that missing was a major portion of his later life after the debut of GEORGE, and of his married life. I would recommend this book, though, to anyone wanting a keepsake to revisit the memory of our beloved John Jr.