“A riveting reimagining of a true tale of forbidden love.”—People The captivating novel following the exploits of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, the forgotten and rebellious daughter of one of America’s greatest political dynasties. London, 1938. The effervescent “It girl” of London society since her father was named the ambassador, Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy moves in rarefied circles, rubbing … Kennedy moves in rarefied circles, rubbing satin-covered elbows with some of the twentieth century’s most powerful figures. Eager to escape the watchful eye of her strict mother, Rose; the antics of her older brothers, Jack and Joe; and the erratic behavior of her sister Rosemary, Kick is ready to strike out on her own and is soon swept off her feet by Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire.
But their love is forbidden, as Kick’s devout Catholic family and Billy’s staunchly Protestant one would never approve their match. And when war breaks like a tidal wave across her world, Billy is ripped from her arms as the Kennedys are forced to return to the States. Kick finds work as a journalist and joins the Red Cross to get back to England, where she will have to decide where her true loyalties lie—with family or with love….
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Excellent and yet tragic.
Too predictable.
I never knew of Kick Kennedy. She led a short, but very busy life. A very brave and forward thinking young woman especially for her time.
Enjoyed reading s about this young woman’s life.
This biographical historical fiction novel, by debut author Kerri Maher, focuses on the life of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, later known as Kathleen Cavendish, the Marchioness of Hartington. Before she became a Marchioness, Kick was the fourth child and second daughter, of Joseph and Rose Kennedy, who were also the parents to President John F. Kennedy, and his brother Robert F. Kennedy. While these two Kennedys later were in the spotlight across the world for their political activities (and subsequent assassinations), much less about Kick is remembered today. In this book, Maher works to correct this oversight, and remind us of what this woman could have been, had her life not been cut so short. (Thanks for the free book, @PRHGlobal / @prhinternational)
Being old enough to remember JFK’s assassination, the Kennedy family was a large part of my political upbringing. I remember that even after he was killed how people still discussed what might have been, had this Catholic continued to stay in office for what probably would have been two full terms. With this in mind, I very much appreciated the way Maher included Kick’s catholic upbringing and her devotion to her church, without ever making it sound preachy. Being catholic was simply part of who Kick was, nor more or less than anything physical or intellectual about her. The fact that it proved to be an obstacle to her being with the man she fell in love with, was more to her credit than her detriment. Furthermore, William “Billy” Cavendish’s being a Protestant was equally as important to him and his family, but that never diminished Kick in his eyes – or at least that’s how Maher portrayed him. If this had been a work of total fiction, you could say that it was the classic “boy meets girl” plot, but with a whole lot of the “boy loses girl” in it, despite the fact that Maher focused solidly on it being a “girl meets boy” story.
Maher also impressed me with the writing style here. While I found a level of stiffness to the style, this came across mostly when Maher was talking about Kick being catholic, and with her relationship with her mother. In contrast to that, when Maher wasn’t describing those parts of Kick’s live, the style felt much livelier and more emboldened, which matched Kick’s rebellious side of her personality. When things were going well for Kick, there was a lightness to the language that contrasted with the grayer sections of sadder, more difficult times. However, even the descriptions of the dreary parts of living through war, came alive with Kick’s determined demeanor, which added to the three-dimensional portrait of Kick. From how Maher described her, it was no wonder Kick fell in love with England, the land of “stay calm, and carry on,” because Maher surely shows that this was something that Kick was unwilling to let go of, even in the face of adversity. It was also interesting to see how Maher modulated her prose to match the action of the book.
The action of this book covers when Kick “came out” to society, not in the US, but in the UK while her father was the US Ambassador there. This means that Kick was presented to the King and Queen, and came of age just prior to the outbreak of World War II. Maher then goes into detail about the ensuing years of the war’s outbreak in Europe, the family’s return to the US, the involvement of America in the war, and Kick’s return to England, and Billy, of course. Throughout this, Maher never loses sight of her protagonist, and despite all the (somewhat annoying) “name dropping” of the many well- and lesser-known people in Kick’s orbit, on both sides of the ocean. In this way, we get a fully intimate look at this woman, and that made her not only loveable, but ultimately admirable, which is a testament to Maher’s talent.
If I had to point to one thing that proved why I enjoyed this book, it would have to be the death of Joe Jr. in the war. I already knew full well that the beloved, first-born son of the Kennedys died in battle, so I was actually anticipating that part of the novel. What surprised me – in a good way – was how Maher had built up the relationship between Kick and Joe Jr. so carefully that when I read about how she found out about his death, I actually started crying, almost as if I wasn’t expecting this to happen! To evoke that kind of emotion from a reader in such a situation is truly a tribute to Maher’s ability, particularly with a debut novel. Moreover, I also admired how Maher didn’t stoop to obvious foreshadowing of the other tragedies in Kick’s life or the Kennedy family, and allowed us to see a woman who could envision a long and happy future for herself. As you can see, I can’t find much to fault with this novel (except for the “name dropping” bit), and I’m thrilled to have gotten to know this very impressive, but practically forgotten, Kennedy. That’s why I’m going to warmly recommend it and give it a full five stars, and I look forward to whatever Maher writes next.
The truth of what happened to Kathleen Kennedy, sister of John, Robert, and Edward.
A fascinating book on a woman from a very famous family about whom I knew nothing. Really enjoyed it .
Clunky narrative. Insults the reader with immature first-person account of a woman that seemingly never existed yet historically did. The truth would have been more appreciated than attempting to give the protagonist an actual voice.
A cardboard Kennedy.
Very good
I was expecting more. The history of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy is well known so I was expecting some unknowns.
A little slow but an excellently researched picture of the time and people of a certain class.
I really loved this book. It seemed real, truthful. About a new Kennedy whom I can really respect, while also giving a view to the rest we know so well. The issues and historical views were deftly handled, with devil’s advocates planted at just the right moments. I loved how the story progressed, the worlds that were shown to me, the brave young woman who did what she must in a world that had turned upside down. If only all women could be so brave; if only it hadn’t taken Kick so long. If you’ve missed this and want to read a book that matters and entertains, read this now.
This was an enlightening story of Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy. While a lot has been written about the Kennedy family, not much has been shared about Kathleen. This was a wonderful tale of her life as an adult that starts during Joe Sr.’s time as the U.S. ambassador in the United Kingdom. The author does a wonderful job of bringing you into Kathleen’s life and the struggles she experiences as a daughter of such a powerful family but also one who tries to walk the fine line between respecting her family and their religious beliefs and her need to follow her heart.
The supplemental information at the end of the book was very informative. I loved that this book would share a thought or fact and I would search on line to find out additional information.
I appreciate the author, publisher, and GoodReads for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. I would definitely recommend this to people who enjoy historical fiction. I am now anxious to read more about Rosemary Kennedy!
Interesting book, although much is fiction, it gives insight to the Kennedy Family in England when Joe Sr. was ambassador.
Historical
Story well told
The Kennedy Debutante is a historical fiction novel set during WW2 about a lesser known Kennedy, Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy, one of JFK’s younger sisters. I don’t know a lot about the Kennedy clan beyond the obvious, and I never heard of Kick Kennedy before so I found the setting of the novel and events described in the book interesting.
But I must say, overall, I found The Kennedy Debutante a little dry. There was a lot of conflict, drama, and heartbreak in Kick’s life that could’ve made the book truly engrossing. Unfortunately the writing lacked any emotional depth. All the elements: her complicated relationship with her parents, her struggle with Catholic faith, her love for the Protestant Marquess of Hartington, not to mention the setting of WW2 could have made for a great, emotionally charged read but left me entirely cold. None of her relationships and conflicts were explored in depth. I didn’t feel connection to any of the characters and wasn’t invested in their stories.
Also I made the mistake of googling Kick Kennedy before reading The Kennedy Debutante and spoiled myself for some major events in her life. I would highly recommend refraining from doing so before reading the book.
Not what I thought it would be at all.