And They Called It Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis

· Sold by Penguin
3.0
1 review
Ebook
480
Pages
Eligible

About this ebook

An intimate portrait of the life of Jackie O…
 
Few of us can claim to be the authors of our fate. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy knows no other choice. With the eyes of the world watching, Jackie uses her effortless charm and keen intelligence to carve a place for herself among the men of history and weave a fairy tale for the American people, embodying a senator’s wife, a devoted mother, a First Lady—a queen in her own right.
 
But all reigns must come to an end. Once JFK travels to Dallas and the clock ticks down those thousand days of magic in Camelot, Jackie is forced to pick up the ruined fragments of her life and forge herself into a new identity that is all her own, that of an American legend.

Ratings and reviews

3.0
1 review
Toby A. Smith
November 29, 2021
Though I have read historical fiction throughout my life, this is the first time I’ve read a book detailing events I lived through. I think this makes me a bit more critical than I normally am of books with stories I did not witness. I also was fascinated by the Kennedys for many years, have read a lot about them, and likely know more about them than many reading AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT. So, that too influences my review. Overall, author Stephanie Marie Thornton gives a believable (first person) voice to the mythic Jacqueline (Jackie) Kennedy Onassis — particularly as the book relates to her relationship with the former President John F. Kennedy. His good looks, charisma, intelligence, energy, and appeal to women were portrayed well, which made Jackie’s love understandable. Her hurt and reaction to JFK’s serial infidelities also felt plausible. As did her experience witnessing his assasination. Obviously, these events are richly documented and there are many historical resources to draw on. It was the later relationships Jackie had where her character seemed more one-dimensional to me. Her devotion to and reliance on JFK’s brother Bobby felt mostly honest, but, according to the author, was deliberately ambiguous. But her marriage to Aristotle Onassis was only superficially handled. And her children, Caroline and John Jr. played only small roles in the telling of Jackie’s story, though her commitment to them was central to who she was. Her successful career as a book editor was barely touched upon. As was her multi-year relationship with Maurice Tempelsman. Of course, these are years that are less well-documented than Jackie’s years as First Lady. The book ends at the peak of her professional life in New York City, and I understand that decision (not to cover her illness and death) but it hit me as a bit abrupt when I was reading, probably because I knew what was coming. I certainly recommend the book, especially for those who share my interest in history and/or the Kennedys.
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About the author

Stephanie Marie Thornton is the USA Today bestselling author of American Princess and a high school history teacher. She lives in Alaska with her husband and daughter.

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