Kerry Kennedy is writing ‘intimate’ book about her mother, Ethel Kennedy

By HILLEL ITALIE
AP National Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Kerry Kennedy is working on a book about her late mother, Ethel Kennedy. “Ethel: Faith, Hope, Family, and an Extraordinary American Life” is scheduled to come out in the fall of 2026.

“This intimate portrait of Ethel Skakel Kennedy offers a unique window into the life of a woman whose compassion, resilience, and dedication to justice have left an indelible mark on American history,” reads an announcement released Tuesday by HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Kerry Kennedy, 65, is one of 11 children born to Ethel Kennedy and Robert Kennedy, the attorney general, U.S. senator and presidential candidate who was assassinated in 1968. Ethel Kennedy, who died in 2024 at age 96, was an activist who founded the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights, now called Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights. Kerry Kennedy serves as its president.

“Ethel” was co-written by Kerry Kennedy and author Maryanne Vollers, who has worked on books by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Billie Jean King among others.

“Kerry Kennedy draws upon her personal experiences and deep admiration to tell the story of her mother’s life,” according to HarperOne. “From Ethel’s early years as a spirited young woman to her enduring influence as a matriarch of one of America’s most storied families, ‘Ethel’ is an exploration of courage, empathy, and the power of activism.”