by Edward Klein
First published 1999
John Kennedy first meets the striking young photographer at a Georgetown dinner party in 1951. She is Jacqueline Bouvier, ambitious and sharp, working for the Washington Times-Herald. He is already a congressman with his sights set higher. Their courtship unfolds against the backdrop of Washington society and his rising political career. Jackie watches John transform from bachelor politician to senator to presidential candidate, all while she grapples with his wandering eye and the demands of public life. She stands beside him through the 1960 campaign and into the White House, where she redefines what it means to be First Lady. But their years together carry the weight of his chronic health problems, political pressures, and personal betrayals. The story follows their relationship through private moments and public triumphs until that November day in Dallas changes everything. This is the portrait of a marriage that shaped American history, told through the intimate details of two people learning to love each other amid extraordinary circumstances.
Genres: biography, american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Dallas, Georgetown, Washington
Period: 1951, 1960
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