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An Unfinished Love Story  By  cover art

An Unfinished Love Story

By: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Narrated by: Doris Kearns Goodwin, Bryan Cranston
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Publisher's summary

Narrated by Doris Kearns Goodwin with the star of Breaking Bad, Bryan Cranston! The audio edition also includes archival recordings of John F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, and Robert F. Kennedy.

The #1 New York Times bestseller from “America’s historian-in-chief” (New York magazine)

An Unfinished Love Story: A Personal History of the 1960s by Doris Kearns Goodwin, one of America’s most beloved historians, artfully weaves together biography, memoir, and history. She takes you along on the emotional journey she and her husband, Richard (Dick) Goodwin embarked upon in the last years of his life.

Dick and Doris Goodwin were married for forty-two years and married to American history even longer. In his twenties, Dick was one of the brilliant young men of John F. Kennedy’s New Frontier. In his thirties he both named and helped design Lyndon Johnson’s Great Society and was a speechwriter and close advisor to Robert Kennedy. Doris Kearns was a twenty-four-year-old graduate student when selected as a White House Fellow. She worked directly for Lyndon Johnson and later assisted on his memoir.

Over the years, with humor, anger, frustration, and in the end, a growing understanding, Dick and Doris had argued over the achievements and failings of the leaders they served and observed, debating the progress and unfinished promises of the country they both loved.

The Goodwins’ last great adventure involved finally opening the more than three hundred boxes of letters, diaries, documents, and memorabilia that Dick had saved for more than fifty years. They soon realized they had before them an unparalleled personal time capsule of the 1960s, illuminating public and private moments of a decade when individuals were powered by the conviction they could make a difference; a time, like today, marked by struggles for racial and economic justice, a time when lines were drawn and loyalties tested.

Their expedition gave Dick’s last years renewed purpose and determination. It gave Doris the opportunity to connect and reconnect with participants and witnesses of pivotal moments of the 1960s. And it gave them both an opportunity to make fresh assessments of the central figures of the time—John F. Kennedy, Jacqueline Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr., Robert Kennedy, Eugene McCarthy, and especially Lyndon Johnson, who greatly impacted both their lives. The voyage of remembrance brought unexpected discoveries, forgiveness, and the renewal of old dreams, reviving the hope that the youth of today will carry forward this unfinished love story with America.

©2024 Doris Kearns Goodwin (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

Interview: "An Unfinished Love Story" is Doris Kearns Goodwin’s most personal history yet

'But more importantly, I really began to realize that all my life as an historian, it's to keep people alive...'
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  • An Unfinished Love Story
  • 'But more importantly, I really began to realize that all my life as an historian, it's to keep people alive...'

Editorial Review

Doris Kearns Goodwin like we’ve never seen before
Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin is always an immediate add-to-Library, and An Unfinished Love Story is by far her most personal work to date. Simultaneously a reflection of the final years spent with her late husband, Richard, and a look back at the history of the 1960s, Goodwin’s latest offers an intimate take on the Kennedy and Johnson administrations. Based on more than 300 boxes of personal documents and memorabilia, it’s also incredible in audio—with a performance led by Goodwin herself, intertwined with passages from actor Bryan Cranston and archival audio excerpts. It’s the perfect blend of history, biography, and memoir, and offers a totally new side to Goodwin that I am so grateful she’s chosen to share with her listeners. —Michael C., Audible Editor

What listeners say about An Unfinished Love Story

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All the detail we never knew

I liked all the information and feelings exhibited. I did get confused at times with the going back and forth in time periods.

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Great history of the 60s - wonderful love story

As a history buff I have to say Kearns Goodwin provides in this effectively a biography of her husband Dick Goodwin incredible insight into the 60s - rise of the phenomenon JFK, assassination, LBJ's push of the Great Society legislations, the looming quagmire of Viet Nam, killings of MLK and Bobby Kennedy. If you think our politics is tumultuous now, look back at the 60s! And Dick Goodwin was in the middle of all of it. As a lifetime Republican I came out of this with particularly a much better understanding, even admiration of Lyndon Johnson - if only he had kept himself out of Viet Nam. Great history - great love story!

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1960s Love story

Great book. I grew up in the 1960s. Great job by the author in reading her book. More authors should do it

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Touching review of the 1960s

Brought the 1960’s alive through the eyes of the Goodwins. Doris Kerns Goodwin’s narration was perfect.

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Love shows through

The story rekindled much of my youth from the 60s as well as refreshing my memory of the things I had forgotten. Beautifully done by DKG.

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Great story; great job of reading

I have listened to three of Doris’ books on audible. They are all great. She is a wonderful author who makes the words flow off the page.

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Great story id the ‘60’s & true love

Great story! Well read. Good perspective on history. Gives me hope for the future. Phew!

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Indeed an “unfinished love story”

I enjoyed this book immensely. DKG has done an impressive job honoring her late husband and honoring a historical decade of changes in the USA. The protagonists are vividly passing through our eyes remind us that the Great Society still a work in progress.

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Respect and love for their country and each other.

Beautifully written about their lives together personally and professionally during the time of the Kennedy and Johnson administrations.
A history lesson for ALL.

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An additional view of history

I am usually afraid of authors reading their own works, but DKG warm and familiar voice alleviates that concern. Another hit for DKG

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