Super Short Summary

In Monica Wood’s memoir, When We Were the Kennedys, nine-year-old Monica and her family are devastated by the sudden death of her father in April 1963. In their small town of Mexico, Maine, where almost every father's life revolves around the Oxford Paper Mill, the Woods find themselves grappling with grief and isolation. As they navigate their new reality, Monica finds solace and strength in the diverse stories shared within her community and those told through literature. Topics involving sudden death and mental illness are addressed in the memoir.