Although Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis lived an extraordinary, privileged life, it was not one without intense amounts of heartache and strife, as evidenced in Stephanie Marie Thornton's new novel And They Called it Camelot. "Camelot" chronicles Jacqueline's life from the early days of her and John F. Kennedy's storied relationship through her marriage to shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis. Thornton's novel about the sensationalized life of Jackie O is compelling, well-researched, and heartfelt, and is a must-read for lovers of biographical and historical fiction. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis is the stuff of legend. Arguably the best known and most popular First Lady of all the time, Jacqueline's eventful life was both a dream and a nightmare. Married to the handsome JFK, 35th President of the United States, Jacqueline experienced both storybook romance and heartache throughout their time together. A known womanizer, Kennedy purportedly cheated on Jackie often, and combined with several miscarriages and a stillbirth, Jackie's life with the enigmatic JFK was anything but tranquil. But we all know there was something much worse waiting in the wings for this young couple - the assassination of JFK as he sat alongside Jacqueline in a Dallas motorcade. As Jacqueline feels her way through grief after the death of her husband, she eventually takes comfort in the arms of her brother-in-law Bobby Kennedy, who several years later would meet the same untimely fate as his older brother JFK. After suffering two great losses, Jacqueline eventually finds herself pursued by one of the wealthiest men in the world - Aristotle Onassis - although their relationship and her subsequent marriage to him was anything but a fairytale. Yes, Jacqueline Kennedy may have experienced more opportunity than most throughout her life, but she has also endured her share of grief. And They Called it Camelot, named for a comment made by Jacqueline after JFK's assassination in which she likened the Kennedy presidency to Camelot, is a revealing glimpse into the life of a woman that many may have believed to have known, but few actually did. Thornton pulls the curtain away from Jacqueline's life, showing us a side of her that was often not reported in the press. Thornton deftly writes on love and heartache, showing Jacqueline to be a complex woman who put the lives of those she loved before her own. For those who have ever been mystified by the life of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, And They Called it Camelot is not one to be missed.
Rating: ***** Stars (I loved it)
- Brooke, Public Relations Librarian
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GENRE: Biographical Fiction; Historical Fiction THEME: Rich and Famous (These books are saturated with celebrity culture.) WRITING STYLE: Engaging; Well-Researched LOCATION: United States SUBJECTS: Determination in Women; Fame; Married Women; Men/Women Relations; Politicians; Presidents' Spouses; Rich Families; Widows
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