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Men Like Us

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What to expect

The surprising, poignant Kennedy story you don't know, with the enigmatic Bobby Kennedy at its heart

Bobby Kennedy was never meant to matter.
 
The seventh of nine children, he’s long been overlooked by his father, Joseph P. Kennedy, Sr., who governs his children with the same firm hand that earned him a fortune, an ambassadorship, and enough clout to plant the seeds of an American political dynasty. 
 
But when Bobby’s eldest brother, the anointed heir, dies in a wartime mission, the burden to become the first Kennedy in Congress shifts to Jack, the next in line. Bobby—long ignored and underestimated—is forced to step up, especially as debilitating chronic pain threatens Jack’s Senate seat and aspirations to higher office. With their sights eventually set on the White House, Bobby evolves into the ruthless operative behind the scenes—yet at what personal cost?
 
Throughout the chaos of campaign after campaign, Bobby finds an unexpected ally in his brother’s wife, Jacqueline Bouvier. While Jackie smiles and waves for the cameras, in private, she leans on Bobby for understanding. Their friendship serves as a refuge from the public spotlight and private intrigue of the Kennedy family, but Jack’s ongoing infidelity tests the boundaries of their loyalty, forcing Bobby and Jackie to each decide just how much they’re willing to sacrifice for the dynasty’s image. 
 
Centering on one of the most significant political families of our time, Carson Markland’s riveting, hopeful debut is about brothers, fathers and sons, winners and losers, loyalty and sacrifice, and the true cost of power. 

Critics Review

“With Men Like Us, Markland debuts fully-formed, a master storyteller who takes as her subject a place we used to know and hope to know again, that complex land we called America. Her Bobby is one of the great literary characters—part Hamlet, part Nick Carraway, part Wizard of Oz, yet wholly individual—and her understanding of the dynamic bonds between siblings places her among the finest writers of her generation. The Kennedys are looked at here with such honesty that the reader may feel they never knew the family at all. And yet with every pitch-perfect sentence, it is ever more clear that the author knows them and knows us as well. A masterpiece for our times.” —Brian Castleberry, author of Nine Shiny Objects and The Californians
"Carson Markland’s debut novel, Men Like Us, is on its surface a book about the Kennedys. But more than anything, it’s about big, messy families and what happens when too many siblings are vying for their parents’ love and approval; it’s about ambition and the trade-offs that come with that ambition; and it’s about grief and regret and the loyalty we feel toward the people we grew up with. In prose that reads like a prayer, Markland tenderly portrays the relationship between two brothers, and the sacrifices they make for each other. The fact that we know how the story ends does nothing to lessen the impact of the quiet moments when these two men dream of what could be. I loved this book.”—Rachel Beanland, author of The Half Life and Florence Adler Swims Forever
"Men Like Us is riveting from the opening page. Tracing the years before that 'brief shining moment,’ it is at once a propulsive political tale and a deeply sensitive, thoughtful story of family ties."—Phil Melanson, author of Florenzer

"The paradox of young Camelot comes alive in Markland’s hands—the Kennedys are ruthless yet inspiring, power-hungry yet called to serve, glamorous and doomed. Written with immediacy and grace, the story leaves off just at the moment when their tragic fates will become woven into the story of the nation."

—Mark Cecil, author of Bunyan and Henry, and host of The Thoughtful Bro
Author Carson Markland
Narrator Chris Ciulla
Duration 10 hours and 3 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781668657362
Format Audiobook
Publisher Hachette Audio
Genre Biographical fiction, Narrative theme: Politics
Availability US

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