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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I, like a lot of other people, am very enamored with the Kennedy’s, the idea of Camelot, and in particular, Jackie. And They Called It Camelot was an excellent account, albeit fictionalized, of the life of Jackie, Jack, and the rest of the Kennedy family.
I remember where I was and what I was doing when President Kennedy was shot. That event totally took over our lives and we obsessed to know everything about them, sitting glued to our TVs for days. This story took me back to that riveting time and let me take a step into Jackie’s life to better understand her, her relationships, her family, and her loves.
This is a very well written novel that delved into the life of Jackie O. I’m in awe of the research that the author had to have done to write such an interesting accounting of her life and the times. I highly recommend And They Called It Camelot.
Her Jackie steps out of the pages a convincing, three-dimensional character, complete with contradictions and self-doubt. It’s like reading her private diary — witty, warm and full of color. The shining heart of the novel is her love for (and frustration with) Jack, who is described as a golden figure, so sexy any of us would swoon at his feet. Their attraction is tangible and sizzling hot. All the way through, Stephanie’s writing is vivid, with lots of memorable images (like those lemon-lipped Rah-Rah Sisters!). I’m going to have to go back and read it all again in a few weeks.
And They Called It Camelot is a sumptuous, propulsive, scandal-filled peek behind the curtain of American royalty. Thornton gives the reader a fascinating look at the masks worn by those who live in the public life. One might not agree with all of Jackie’s choices, but the force of her instinct for survival cannot be denied.
This book grabbed me from page one and wouldn’t let me go. A multi-dimensional imagining of the trials and triumphs of Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy, And They Called It Camelot will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about this remarkable First Lady. Full of glamour, scandal, and heartache, this is a novel you will want to discuss with all of your friends.
Stephanie Thornton has compellingly and sympathetically humanized an American icon. Well researched and beautifully written, And They Called It Camelot is compulsively readable historical fiction!
I absolutely adore Thornton’s writing and was so excited to read her novel about the iconic Jackie O.
The very first chapter showed a spunky side of Jackie that I had never known. I was captivated by her and her need for a more exciting life.
Things took a more dramatic turn from there and my heart ached for Jackie as she struggled (seemingly alone) through several serious heartaches. Thornton wrote this with such startling emotion and depth. And the punches just kept coming from there. My emotions were truly all over the place and hard to contain.
I was completely fascinated with her strength and resilience through so many of life’s struggles and ups and downs. Jackie’s ability to survive and reinvent herself was conveyed brilliantly in this book by Thornton. I was able to feel like I was one with Jackie throughout much of the story.
This quote from the book really sums up how I felt upon finishing: “If a person produces one book, they will have done something wonderful in their life.” If this is the case, then Thornton has done many wonderful things, and has done it yet again with this novel. I can’t wait to see what she writes next.
I’d love to go back in time and live the world with Jackie Kennedy Onsassis. To see such an amazing woman navigate a life that wasn’t always easy, that had such a great love as she shared with Jack, and to see her love her children so entirely would be wonderful. She had style, grace, and a strong will that no one stood a chance when they pushed her against her morals.
They Called it Camelot is a rare look inside the life of the former First Lady’s life. It is a celebration of the life of Jackie while also sharing the heartbreak that came along with her life in the limelight. There were times I had to remember that this was not a biography of Jackie, it is a historical fiction telling of her life.
When I started the chapters of 1963, I slowed way down in my reading. I knew what happens in 1963 and was not ready to read Jackie’s perspective on her husband’s murder. The tears rolled down my cheeks as I read how she second-guessed what she could have done to save him, how she protected him even in death, and how different her life was going to be with Jack not in her life. The strength that she showed to the nation and for her kids while she mourned the love her of her life showed how truly strong she was.
They Called it Camelot is a top read for 2020.
Even though I knew the history, knew what was coming next, I was so caught up in this story written from Jackie’s perspective. Jackie’s charm and grace carried her through such emotional trauma. This book truly captures that charm and grace keeping me truly invested in the story and turning the pages!
I’ve always admired Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and after reading this book, I admire her even more. Even though this a fictionalized telling of her life before, during and after her marriage to John F. Kennedy, it was so very well done that I felt like the way events were written about in the book could have actually happened in that way. My heart ached for her so many times. This woman was a rock. She really did go though a lot and it blows my mind that she held herself together, especially while being in the public eye. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy.
Before reading this book I didn’t know a lot about Jackie other than the obvious. I thought this book was well researched and very well written. I felt Jackie’s joy of being the First Lady and also her sadness at loosing two children and then her husband. I learned many things I did not know about her. I’m most impressed at her dignity and her composure in many difficult times. Definitely recommend! I enjoyed it immensely! Thanks to Berkley for the early copy
Over the years, I have read a lot of books on Jackie Kennedy, this being my first historical fiction offering. But I am a fan of Stephanie Marie Thornton’s books so was eager to read it. I have to say that I absolutely loved this book. The story is told as Jackie might have told it and covers the time of her meeting Jack to the dedication of Jack’s presidential library. While most books I have read previously focused only on her relationship with the men in her life – her father and her husbands – this book also discusses Jackie’s relationship with her mother and her sister. I thought Thornton captured Jackie’s voice so well I felt like I was reading Jackie’s own personal memoir. Jackie has always been viewed as a cold, unemotional woman so I loved the expression of her thoughts and feelings throughout this book. Her struggles, her character, and her strength are beautifully expressed.
Since it is told from Jackie’s perspective there is a sense of intimacy throughout the book. I loved the magical moments between Jack and his children. My heart was torn as I read of how in spite of the affairs Jack came to understand the remarkable wife he had. I admired Jackie’s determination to protect her children. An example of just one of many charming moments with the children: at a dedication ceremony at Runnymede – “and laughing until my sides ached when a uniformed Beefeater had to fish John from inside a cannon at the Tower of London.”
I loved the sensitivity given to her relationship with Bobby after her husband’s death. Bobby was her strength, always there when she needed him. He really seemed to understand her. And I loved her relationship with the indomitable Joseph Kennedy, the patriarch of the family.
I enjoyed reading of her interest in history and design through the retelling of her renovation of the White House and her fight to save New York City’s Grand Central Station from demolition. And her love of books which seems to have never been addressed in any other book.
I was only in the second grade when President Kennedy was shot, but I remember the time vividly. This book took me back to that time and allowed me a glimpse into the adult world. I remember my concern for Caroline and John as Caroline was only a year younger than me. I remember how Jackie was praised for her grace and strength. But I also remember several years later when she was vilified for marrying Onassis. Through this book I got a better understanding of why Jackie made the decisions she did. I feel like I got to see the real Jackie – with her flaws, her doubts, her fears – and cheered her on as she managed to move on.
Thank you to Book Browse for an advance copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “And They Called it Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” by Stephanie Marie Thornton, Berkley Publishing, March 10, 2020
Stephanie Marie Thornton, Author of “And They Called it Camelot: A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis” has written a poignant, memorable, intriguing, intense, and captivating novel. The Genres for this novel are Fiction and Historical Fiction. I love the author’s style of writing and her way of vividly describing the life and events of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. I am grateful to Berkley Publishing, BookBrowse Books and Stephanie Marie Thornton for an Early Advanced Reading Edition.
I have always been interested in Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis’s history and legacy. The author describes Jacqueline and her relationship with her mother and sister. Also discussed is her marriage to Jack Kennedy and her relationship to the Kennedys. How many women are America’s First Lady? I especially enjoyed the way Jacqueline is described as a doting and devoted Mother. Also, Jacqueline’s intelligence, artistic creativity, and fashion statements are also discussed.
The author has used “poetic license” when it comes to actually mentioning some historical dates, and many of the situations are based on “What if…..?” There is no doubt that Jacqueline had a heartbreaking and tragic life, and was able to move on, and survive. I would highly recommend this memorable novel for those readers who enjoy Historical Fiction.