‘When they tell the story of a woman, they never get right up against what she might have felt and thought and seen and feared and wondered.’

Jackie by Dawn Tripp is a powerful book - to have boldly taken something that so many are so familiar with and present it in a new and highly engaging way is quite a feat. I think the above quote sums up beautifully what Dawn has tried to do here with the story of one of the most famous females of the twentieth century - what did Jackie feel? Think? See? Fear? Wonder? Through reading this book I now appreciate how Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis projected a myriad of selves to the world but was seemingly a very private person who saw, felt, feared and wondered about a great many things.

‘… the deeper sacrifice, I’ve come to realize, is about power and the accommodations a woman is called on to make. To shrink enough, to be small enough, to fit into the corners of a man’s world, to file down her own edges to be the kind of wife he’ll need, that he and others expect her to be.’

This book takes a look at the courtship, romance and marriage of Jackie to JFK (some time is dedicated to Onassis but only to highlight the impact of that relationship in adding to the incredible life and experiences she witnessed). Dawn Tripp takes everything you think you know about - not only Jackie and Jack, not only American politics of the day and not only that fateful day in Dallas - and reconstructs events in a way that dives deep and, for me, has certainly reshaped my own thoughts and understanding of how things seemingly played out.

‘Why marvel if a woman at a certain point tears off the veils that cover her like a monument - a thirty-nine-year-old monument, still beautiful, extremely alive, obligated to a role that does not belong to her?’

So well researched, this book reads more like a memoir as it takes you through the life that was Jackie. Written in her voice proved a most powerful tool in placing readers front and centre with all the feels of what Jackie experienced. I believe not only will the stunning sepia cover draw you in but the little snippets of Jack’s opinion on a few rare chapters and the overall incredible piece of history will deeply immerse you and make you a part of one woman’s extraordinary life.

‘We imagine time will clarify our intention. Who we were, how we lived, what we achieved. We want to believe we will be treated with integrity, with fairness and compassion. But history is not so forgiving, is it?’









This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

I've always been intrigued by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis's life, and Dawn Tripp's novel revealed much more than just JFK's tragic assassination. Tripp skillfully blends history with imagination, especially capturing Jackie's early years and her complex relationship with JFK. The book vividly portrays her independence, intelligence, and deep passions for books, art, and travel, offering a rich portrait beyond mere historical facts. Jackie's role as a devoted mother and her enduring love for literature are also powerfully depicted, making the book resonate with her emotional journey through life's challenges and losses. This read like a memoir, thank you very much to the publisher and Net Galley for an advanced copy, this is one I want to purchase for my shelves when published!

'I believe that fiction, when it hews to the historical record, can access a different kind of truth, an experiential truth that allows us to enter the emotional heart of a story...Fiction can be a means of cutting past the surface of what we think we know, to reshape our collective understanding of a person, an era, a life'.

Mrs John F Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy, or simply Jackie O, we all might think we know something of her, however, her enigmatic character, sense of decorum, and innate restraint make it impossible to define her. Dawn Tripp's, 'Jackie', imagines the woman behind the facade. In four parts we get to know the Jackie who fell for JFK, the wife of the president, and the woman after the assassination. Her hopes, fears, thoughts, losses, and resilience all emerge in short paragraphs that read like snippets of her memories. All in all, the story feels almost dream-like, haunting; what could have been but never really was, 'We all just stood there, without seeing. Watching our lives turn into history'.

'Jackie' is a well-researched, emotionally deep, thought-provoking read. To be honest, I nearly didn't pick it up as I thought I knew all I needed to know about this First Lady, style-icon, adjunct to the Kennedy family, but really I didn't know much more than what headlines sought to portray. Although this is fiction, it remains a great starting point to really think about the person, and not the name.

'When they tell the story of a woman, they never get right up against what she might have felt and thought and seen and feared and wondered. Rather, they tell the story of what happened to her, and in the world's eyes, usually what happens to a woman is men'.

A highly engaging fictional take on the life of Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Told over seven parts from 1951 until her death, the novel depicts the three main parts for her life - with JFK, Ari Onassis and ‘where I chose to work because I could’. This novel is so beautifully written and you get so caught up in the story you have to remind yourself that it is fiction and not actually Jackie’s diaries! I really enjoyed seeing so many parts of history through her eyes. From moon landings, the Cold War and The Vietnam war to the Cuban Missle Crisis and Civil Rights Mocement. It really helped set the background for the political events to come.

Life with JFK covered it all from the affairs to the assassination. I felt for Jackie as she was treated like a commodity and asset by his family. I did enjoy the more vulnerable moments between the couple with Jack’s health issues and the few chapters with his point of view. The start and the part after JFK’s death really kicked up a notch and were so emotional.

Life with Ari really illustrated her need to escape after a lot of grief and sadly ended up being an unhappy time for them both. It was interesting to see the change in how she was viewed by the public. First with the American public for daring to marry him and then world wide as a black widow and curse. I would have liked to have seen how Tripp addressed Ari’s ongoing relationship with Maria Calles and the fall out of his death and Jackie’s relationship with his daughter Christina. However, I can appreciate there’s only so much you can fit in.

Whilst you can’t have novel about Jackie and not cover her marriages, it was actually her relationships with others I enjoy more. The difficult one with her sister Lee and her friendship with Bobby were both fascinating to read about. However, my favourite part was just getting to know the real woman behind the famous husbands and the glamour and style. Jackie, the mother, the lover of all things French and art. The woman who enjoyed language, books, reading, riding and water skiing. Tripp did an amazing job bringing her to life. I was so immersed in her world it was a bit of a jolt to come back to reality. A must read if you’re interested in the life of Jackie O.

What a great concept! I love historical fiction that imagines details from a different perspective. This was a little slow to start, but once Jackie and JFK get married, it was difficult to stop reading. The history, that I know particularly well, was retold in an entertaining, engaging, and imaginative way. Jackie comes across as a more nuanced and empathetic person than as remembered to us by old, white men. A great read for anyone who is intrigued by famous historical figures but thinks non-fiction might be too boring. I love both!

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the opportunity to read this book.