\n
\nThe First Kennedys -- The Humble Roots Of An American Dynasty
**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Meeting via email.** \; \;
\n\nAuthor Neal Thompson will discuss his new book\, \;The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty\, on Zoom.
\n\nExplore the inspiring story of the poor Irish refugee couple who escaped famine\, created a life together in a city hostile to Irish\, immigrants\, and Catholics\, and launched the Kennedy dynasty in America. Their Irish ancestry was a hallmark of the Kennedys&rsquo\; initial political profile\, as JFK leveraged his working-class roots to connect with blue-collar voters. Today\, we remember this iconic American family as the vanguard of wealth\, power\, and style rather than as the descendants of poor immigrants. Meet the first American Kennedys -- Patrick and Bridget -- who arrived as many thousands of others did following the Great Famine -- penniless and hungry. Less than a decade after their marriage in Boston\, Patrick&rsquo\;s sudden death left Bridget to raise their children single-handedly. Her rise from housemaid to shop owner in the face of rampant poverty and discrimination kept her family intact\, allowing her only son P.J. to become a successful saloon owner and businessman. P.J. went on to become the first American Kennedy elected to public office -- the first of many.
\n\nNeal Thompson is a journalist and the author of five highly acclaimed books\, including \;A Curious Man\, \;Driving with the Devil\, and the memoir \;Kickflip Boys. A former newspaper reporter\, he has written for the \;New York Times\, the \;Washington Post\, \;Esquire\, \;Outside\, \;Men&rsquo\;s Health\, \;Vanity Fair\, the \;Wall Street Journal \;and more. Neal has appeared on NPR\, PBS\, The Daily Show\, CNN\, Fox\, TNT\, The History Channel\, and ESPN. He lives in Seattle with his family.
\n