Once Upon a Secret My Affair with President John F. Kennedy and Its Aftermath

In 1962, Mimi Alford was a nineteen-year-old summer intern in The White House press office in Washington, D.C. Just a year out of college, it was during this time that she began what became an eighteen-month intimate relationship with President John F. Kennedy.

Alford kept the secret with near-religious discipline for forty years, until Robert Dallek, a historian working on a biography of the president, learned of the relationship and referenced it in his 2003 book, An Unfinished Life. Once the media found out, Mimi's life drastically changed.

Once Upon a Secret goes beyond Mimi's account of her relationship with John F. Kennedy. It is the story of a 19-year-old growing up in the white-gloved, Miss Porter's School atmosphere 1960s, it is the story of a young, bright-eyed White House intern, but most of all, it is the story of the destructive force of a secret.

So many of life's decisions are made based on what is safe to reveal to loved ones, and what is not. While few have had relationships with presidents, almost every woman has had someone in her life who is a touchstone for all others. And almost every woman is holding on to something she does not want known. Partially a slice of history, partially a very personal memoir, this surprsing and moving work will be an inspiration to listeners who are afraid to let go.

Most of us have a secret. This was hers.