An intimate portrait of the life of Jackie O… 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.
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And They Called It Camelot is the book club pick of the year. Stephanie Marie Thornton brings an American icon to life: Jackie the debutante, the First Lady, the survivor who at last becomes the heroine of her own story.
Addictive, dishy, and emotionally haunting, this novel paints an intimate portrait of a tumultuous marriage to one of the most charismatic and American presidents–and the mark tragedy left on Jaqueline Kennedy’s life ever after. Vivid, engrossing, and utterly unforgettable, AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT is Thornton’s best work yet!
Thornton’s Jackie Kennedy is intelligent, vibrant, conflicted, and very much alive. This tragic tale is an engrossing read.
On her author page, Stephanie Thornton says that she “retells the stories of history’s forgotten women”. Jacqueline Kennedy is not exactly a forgotten woman in American history but what Americans remember about her was often very different than the real person that she was. In this well-researched book, we are able to learn about the REAL Jackie – the one often hidden from the public, the person full of doubts and fears and full of love for her family.
For many younger readers, this book will be a history book. Because I was in high school when JFK was assassinated, this book brought back many sad memories. Like most Americans, I was glued to the TV for several days, watching the pageantry in DC and crying for days. At the time, it was impossible to have any feelings for the first lady other than profound respect for the way she handled the funeral, her children and herself. She later fell off the false pedestal that America had put her on when she married Onassis but was the pedestal ever really real or was she someone just like us with doubts and fears and sadness? After reading this book, I understand so much more about her – her love for her husband despite his philandering ways, her unconditional love for her children and her fear for their safety and her wish to make a mark on Washington and be a true respected partner with her husband. Even though this was fiction, I felt like I was reading Jackie’s memoir. The author did so much research and it felt like she had totally captured Jackie’s voice.
Thanks to Book Browse for a copy of this book to read and review. All opinions are my own.
Really loved this fascinating story of Jackie O! Those of us of a certain age think we know her, but she was so much more than her public persona. And They Called It Camelot takes into Jackie’s childhood, her romance and marriage with JFK, the aftermath of his assassination, all the way through her marriage to Onassis. Jackie was far more than a pretty face; she was instrumental in both JFK and RFK’s campaigns, an influence on the entire Kennedy clan and a great force for good in those challenging times. I highly recommend this book, its a wonderful read!
Interesting take on Jackie Kennedy-Onassis. Pure fiction!
I enjoyed this book. I grew up watching this happen in real time. It was interesting to read the author’s perspective about what was happening. To the outside world this family appeared to live glamorous lives, but things are not always as they seem.
This book gave me a different perspective on the person of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. The book made her appear very real and personal.
Easy reading about a complicated life of Jackie.
The fictionalizing of the dates/people/places that were made by author does simplify and move story along. No one wants to bog down in details but we do like to think the research has provided a true story. It dies bother me that it is fictionalized and so 4 and not 5.
I did enjoy reading this novel. It made me feel connected to Jackie’s life.
I knew the Kennedys and this was awful
Clearly, Stephanie Marie Thornton is not afraid of a challenge–I can’t imagine how intimidating it must have been to assume the voice of America’s First Lady, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis in Thornton’s novel AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT.
Tracing the history of Jacqueline’s relationship with Jack Kennedy and (to a lesser extent) Aristotle Onassis, through to her later years as she forges a new identity as an independent woman, AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT shows a woman of intelligence, style and dignity, who suffered more trouble and tragedy then anyone should have to bear.
Thornton inhabits Jacqueline so completely in this fictionalized version of her life that I lived through every one of Jacqueline’s joys and triumphs and wept over her many sorrows. By the time I closed the book, I felt I knew Jacqueline intimately.
AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT is an amazing achievement and testament to Thornton’s consummate skill in weaving historical fact into fiction, breathing life into her subjects the way non-fiction sources can never quite achieve. I cannot recommend this novel highly enough.
Absolutely captivating.
This book was about Jackie Kennedy Onassis and was so down to earth. I loved reading it. It was a trip to another time.
Quick read. Little new information. However, I don’t think it’s possible to write a boring book if you juzz the facts up a little!
Beautiful but tragic.
Might not stand up to strict fact checking, and the author shares where she moved off the exact truth. But it was a very entertaining read.
I enjoyed learning about President Kennedy and his wife because they were popular when I was born and I have heard a lot of bits and pieces about them. I researched some of the story lines from the book and they seemed to be very accurate with the original story.
Even knowing a lot about Jackie O, I got pulled in and really enjoyed his view of her life and the timeframe she lived in. She really influenced the American people and lived a tragic life. This is a good description of her tragic life !
I couldn’t put this book down. Excellent rebound of the untold story of Jackie..
Keep in mind that it is fiction.