So many things about this novel are admirable—the beauty of the language, the deep dive into personality, the delicacy and precision of the observations. Most of all, I admired the daring. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is someone who was widely written about during her lifetime, someone who many people have opinions about, and yet the author manages to paint a plausible and at same time fresh and fascinating portrait of the former first lady, I wasn't sure I always agreed with Ms, Tripp's interpretation of her subject's miotivations, but that didn't matter because I was always intrigued by them

I remember hearing the classroom phone ring. I remember the look on my teacher’s face, and her trying to compose herself enough to tell us that school was being let out for the day, and that our parents would be picking us up, as she shared the news as tears streamed down her face. I remember sitting in our kitchen soon after, my mother looking out the window at all the younger children playing outside who had no concept of what had just happened, and how it would come to affect, and change our country. I remember the newsreels showing Jackie reaching over Jack, and the horror of it all felt almost endless, the despair for those who had love, or at least respect for him, and for her loss.

The magic of that time, of Camelot, of the Kennedy family, may have faded somewhat over time, but there are stories to be told, as well. Dawn Tripp has written a beautiful and heartfelt story of the Kennedy family and that time. This story shares the beginning, the middle and the end of their stories, but this is essentially the story of life in the years that followed the death of JFK.

Dawn Tripp’s story shares how Jackie managed to navigate her marriage with Jack, his flirtations and infidelities, how he saw her, how she saw herself, as well as how the country saw her, and their marriage. As outgoing and friendly as Jack was, and as revered, or hated, Jackie wasn’t as interested in fame.

And then, Jackie’s life changed with his death, and Bobby was almost constantly by her side, helping her navigate Jack’s death, trying to imagine a life without Jack in the future, and what that future would look like.

Later on, as Onassis entered her life, her life changed once more. Their relationship begins well, but begins to unravel over time. Following his death, she enters another change, a career as a book editor in New York City. Following her career as a book editor, she leaves New York City and spends the remaining years of her life in New England, surrounded by friends and family.

Beautifully written, this is a story of American politics, fame, the good and bad that accompany fame, a love story of the men she loved & who often betrayed that love.

Pub Date: Jun 18 2024

Many thanks for the ARC provided by Random House Publishing Group - Random House

There was a time not long ago when there was a magical kingdom called "Camelot." We will not see that time again, nor will we see the woman who appeared in that kingdom. Her name was Jackie. This HF novel gave us, the readers, an insight into what her life was like. She was a daughter, a married woman, a mother, a First Lady, a widow, but most of all, Jackie was strong. We were fascinated by her, by her style, by her grace. This book brought back so vividly, excellently the essence of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. An exceptional read, wonderfully written by Dawn Tripp. My thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I hate this but I had to DNF. The story was very hard to understand. I feel like it switched between first person and third person. I really wanted to like this one 😭

There will never be another couple like John F. and Jackie Kennedy. There will never be another time that was called Camelot and Jackie beloved like royalty. Full of grace, kindness and beauty she was also tough as nails putting aside Jack's infidelities and personal grief to take on the massive pressure dumped on her by the job and the Kennedy clan. Through Dawn Tripp's emotional writing we see through Jackie's eyes to understand how she saw herself and through Jack's eyes to see how others saw her. Even though I knew how the events would unfold I was intrigued by this behind the scenes story told in three parts that didn't tell us what happened but instead made us feel like we were there. I grew up idolizing the public view of the Kennedys and am now in awe and respect the very private side of this remarkable woman. Readers of Clint Hill's memoir ( their security detail), JACQUELINE IN PARIS for the early years and AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT will appreciate this new look. I can't stop staring at the perfect cover photo. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

It was so beautifully written but I legitimately could not finish it because I was emotionally drained from Jackie's existence. I understand that probably is the point to this story, but I found it a hard pill to swallow.

*Thanks to NetGalley for providing this ARC!*

First thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publish for this advanced copy to read and review. I loved this book. I'm a big fan of historical fiction and this one sucked me right away. Who doesn't know details of the life and death of JFK and Jacki O? But what we don't always get insight into is their actual voices in adn thoughts. This book starts before Jackie and Jack have met and goes all of the way through to the last days of Jackie's life. I loved imagining the inside thoughts and movements of Jackie in their life before the presidency, during, and in the aftermath. It was heartbreaking moving through the assasination. The repetitive nature of telling the story of what happened again and again allowed me to feel like I was there, sad and broken with her. This book made me consider things I hadn't thought of before. Like their whole life was uprooted almost immediately after losing their central family member. Suddenly they had to evaluate what was important in their "home" and find a place to live. And then for the heartbreak to strike again with Bobby, almost felt too heavy. My only complaint I think would be that the end after Onassis felt rushed. I'm sure there were more details to Jackie's life after her husbands and love affairs. There is a little detail, but I could have used more. Even though I felt that segment lacked some details, I appreciated the speed that her life started to move as she aged. It feels so genuine. Like time skips around as we get older and our memories come at us in weird ways. Overall I highly recommend this book. I can't wait for this to be published and for the world to read it.

Truly, the rich are different: their upbringing, their day-to-day lives, their expectations, and their freedom to go and do whatever pleases them. But they're also bound by others' expectations, demands, and reactions, especially those of the rich who are also constantly in the public eye.

Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis was born to wealth and privilege. The product of a broken marriage, she grew up amid loud quarrels and infidelity. She loved art, literature, horses, travel. She fell in love with John F. Kennedy when she was barely out of her teens, and was quickly thrust into a public life very different from her own preference for privacy.

Dawn Tripp has written a truly gorgeous novel. Her portrayal of Jackie brings her vividly to life, telling her own story in an introspective voice that describes not only the people and events around her, but also her inner life, her thoughts and feelings and interpretations of those events and her responses to them. While fictional, the Jackie portrayed in this book feels very real, and very human, a woman who evokes both empathy and admiration for the choices she made and the authenticity of the life she tried to live.

I’m fascinated by Jackie Kennedy and this, while HF, took you right into her mind. It was very sympathetic towards Jackie and touched heavily on her grace, eloquence, and strength. It took me a while to get into and used to the writing style and artistic choices, but that was more because it was a mood read that I just wasn’t in the mindset for.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book for free in exchange for my review! All opinions are my own.

Jackie Kennedy is one of my icons. She was a truly classic lady. I loved the clothes she wore and I thought she was all around a remarkable ans interesting women. However, it was sad of all the losses she faced in her life. This was an interesting story to read as I have read both fiction and non fiction books about Jackie, as I have always been in awe of her. If you adore Jackie, I can imagine you will also adore this wonderful novel! I loved it!

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Beautifully written. I was drawn into the story immediately. This story really made me stop and think about how a tragic event changes your whole world and how we all think we can say things we mean tomorrow or how we will make amends tomorrow, but we are not promised tomorrow.
I was so grateful to be an ARC reader for this book. Thank you Dawn Tripp, Net Galley and Random House Publishing Group All opinions and thoughts are my own.

Jackie Kennedy is an iconic woman from my childhood. Her journey through life in the spotlight is well told in this latest book about her. It tells of her childhood, her notorious father, her relationship with her mother and sister, and the events that led up to her meeting with John Kennedy. It details many of the trials of her marriage to him, his womanizing, her insecurities, and her role in shaping his presidency. Many of the complicatins of her life with Onassis are recounted. The book is labeled, Historical Fiction as the dialogue of necessity to tell the story is used, but like many works of this kind, it only adds to the reader's understanding of Jackie, who survived unspeakable trauma when her husband was murdered,, and triumphed over it, raising her children and contributing in a career of her own. It is a piece of history for those who are fascinated with the era of the Kennedys and John and Jackie won't want to miss. Thanks to #NetGalley#Jackie#DawnTripp for the opportunity to do a fair and unbiased review of this book.

I had a hard time getting into this one. I’m relatively ignorant about Jackie’s life, and this book just didn’t grab me. I think that readers who know more about her will appreciate this book more than I did.

This was a great insight into Jackie's mind. Good writing, clearly well researched. I like how it felt like I was sitting there with her, Highly recommend this very nice, lyrical novel.

Wonderfully evocative and beautifully written!

There has always been a mystique about John and Jackie Kennedy and that led me to read quite a bit about JFK’s life, his family and his presidency. But in what I read, Jackie was not the focus and so I did not know a lot about her. So when I learned that there was a historical fiction novel about her, I knew that it was one I wanted to read. A perfect blend of a genre I enjoy and a personality I wanted to learn more about.

There is a great line in the book that says «When they tell the story of a woman…they tell the story of what happened to her, and in the world’s eyes, usually what happens to a woman is men. » JFK is of course a big part of this novel, but the story is about Jackie, told from her own perspective (as imagined by the author but based on meticulous research), about her life as it unfolded, her marriage to JFK, events that she lived through and how she recreated her life after her husband’s death. We see the 1960s unfold through her eyes, including the civil rights movement, desegregation efforts, the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK’s dream to send a man to the moon, and, of course, his assassination. We also see her navigate her path forward as a famous widow with two young children, her every move heavily scrutinized by the world.

The author’s effective use of the first person point of view makes this read feel like a memoir and allows the reader to become immersed in Jackie’s world. There are some chapters from Jack’s perspective which I found effective as they served to juxtapose his and Jackie’s reactions to the same events/circumstances.

In addition to being evocative of time and place, the story is beautifully written and it was a pleasure to read. I found this to be a fascinating look at the enigmatic, strong woman that Jackie was in her many roles as wife, mother, First Lady, widow and woman. Wonderfully done - I highly recommend it to lovers of historical fiction.

I will post this review on my IG, X and Threads social media book accounts, including my primary IG platform (https://instagram.com/stephanielikesbooks?igshid=i3a87j35o) a few days before the publication date.

I have already posted this review on my Goodreads account.

A huge thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read this early review copy.
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Jackie was an extremely well versed individual. She was knowledgeable in poetry , politics, art , book , languages ,travel , culture ,style and people . Her union with the Kennedy family allowed her more opportunities to pursue the things she loved to do. Life with Jack Kennedy certainly had challenges but Jackie was able to survive the good and bad. This book portrayed a Jackie that loved her husband and children unconditionally even when times were difficult. Her keen intellect and ability to read the room enable her to interact with world leaders in a dignified but down to earth way. Her time with Onassis allowed her to step back from her grief and reconnect with herself . Later years were happier for her and her children. The book had a little too many beach walks , and Jack and Jackie moments lwith their meandering thinking but all in all a decent historical read about an amazing woman.

This review has been posted on my Goodreads account along with the playlist.

Doris Kearns Goodwin, who knew Jackie, once said: “Culturally something happened between her and the decade that she lived in . . .”

Everyday I signed into NetGalley to see if I was approved for this book. One of my most anticipated reads this year…I was beyond excited when I finally got the approval.

”We are made of stars and I loved you from the first moment I saw you. I loved you even knowing it would break something in me.”

Brief Summary-
🗣️"Jackie is a novel, a work of fiction inspired by the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis"

You follow Jackie as she tells her story about her dreams and aspirations. You get an understanding of how she felt when she met JFK. You get lost in her world of dating John to marriage, and motherhood and becoming the First Lady. And the life she made for herself after the tragic event of 11/22/63.

”You were not my kind of adventure. Too American. Too good-looking. Too boy. Too much about politics and new money. Your life, I told myself, was not the life I was looking for.”

My Thoughts-
I loved this book so much. I immediately pre-ordered the physical book after finishing.🥹💖 This was so beautifully written. So intimate. This read like a personal diary of Jackie and I was absolutely immersed in her story. I highlighted so many quotes/moments. The author did mention in the beginning of the book that some quotes are from Jackie that can found in public records. The way the author painted Jackie was absolutely incredible. Such was such an elegant and strong lady. I fell in love with her all over again.

I loved reading about Jackie and who she was as a person before she was know as JFK wife. Like most people I didn’t know what her dreams and aspiration were. It was lovely read. Even durning her time with JFK you can tell she tried so hard to keep her separate identity; I think durning that time it was hard to do so.

As this is a historical fiction I loved reading about the problems that JKF was dealing with in his time before and durning his presidency. Definitely an added flare to this book that kept the pace going. The booked touched on some details with MLK and Rosa Parks. I was excited when Frank Sinatra was mentioned. It’s wild to think all those incredible people were around during the same time period.

The book did touch on JFK affairs with multiple women including Marilyn Monroe. It really showed you an added layer of Jackie’s personality and why she was the way she was. But at the end of it all you can see was how in love she was with JFK.

After the tragic death of JFK the mood of the booked changed and I was sobbing. But to see Jackie overcome that tragedy and make a life for herself was beautiful to read.

“The world is alive to me because of you.”

Overall-
This was a fantastic read. I felt all the emotions while reading this one. I really encourage all my friends that enjoy historian fiction to give this one a try. Even if historical fiction is not your thing the writing and storytelling was impeccable and I think most people would still enjoy this read.

This was my first book by the author and I’m excited to check out her other work as well.

“Thirty years this month. You come near me, as you do, every November. A momentary shudder and I feel you like a shadow cross my hands. Sometimes it strikes me that I have become an entirely different woman from the woman that you knew”

Playlist-
🎶I’ve Got The World On A String- Frank Sinatra
🎶Say A Little Prayer For You- Aretha Franklin
🎶You Can’t Hurry Love- The Supremes
🎶They Can’t Take That Away - Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong
🎶Then He Kissed Me- The Crystals
🎶Can’t Help Falling In Love- Elvis Presley
🎶When You’re Smiling- Frank Sinatra
🎶I’ll Be Seeing You- Billie Holiday
🎶At Last- Etta James
🎶Beyond The Sea- Bobby Darin
🎶Baby Love- The Supremes
🎶 Suspicious Mind- Elvis Presley
🎶Ain’t That A Kick In The Head- Dean Martin
🎶Days Of Wine & Roses- Frank Sinatra
🎶I’d Rather Go Blind- Etta James
🎶Sitting On the Dock Of The Bay- Otis Redding
🎶All I Could Do Was Cry- Etta James
🎶Honey- Dean Martin
🎶 Unforgettable- Nat King Cole

✨ Thanks to NetGalley, Dawn Tripp, and Random House Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review ✨

I LOVED this book. Some of her private musings were a bit out there for my very factual brain, but I can totally see Jackie thinking in the way the author portrays her here. I have such a love for Jackie and I know many others do, too. This is one for any Jackie lover.

I received a temporary digital copy of Jackie by Dawn Tripp from NetGalley, Rondom House and the author in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jackie is the story of Jackie Kennedy, intellect, wife, mother, friend, adventurer, world-traveler, to name a few. The story begins with Jackie as a young women beginning her journalism career and takes the reader through her life into her middle ages.

In Jackie, I found her character to be extremely complex and intelligent, moreso than any other work I have previously read, which I found fascinating and deeply appreciated. I found the entire tone of Jackie to be incredibly morose and wondered where she ever found joy, other than in her children. Overall, Jackie was a good read and I would recommend it to others.

2.5. I expected this book to be dramatic, but it didn’t need to be so dramatic. This Jackie seems to always be on the edge of simpering, which diminishes what could be a strongly poetic piece of writing. The single biggest annoyance is the info dumping throughout the book. Very dramatic, emotional moments followed by a few pages of dry recitation of political and historical facts. It became a pattern that broke up the narrative. Disappointing. Not something that I’d use, even excerpted In class, either.