Synopses & Reviews
The untold story of how one womans life was changed forever in a matter of seconds by a horrific trauma.
For almost six decades, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has fascinated people worldwide. The subject of numerous books and thousands of articles, her life has probably been documented in millions of words. And yet, there has always remained something mysterious, something private about this very public woman.
With extraordinary skill and great sensitivity, Barbara Leaming explores the seemingly magical world of Jackies youth, her fairy-tale marriage to a wealthy and handsome Senator and Presidential candidate and her astonishing transformation into a deft political wife and unique First Lady. This spirited young womans rejection of the idea of a "safe marriage" as the wife of some socially prominent but utterly predictable man led her to JFK and international fame. But the trauma of her husbands murder, which left her literally soaked in blood and brains, would damage her far more than has been known. Until now.
This is the first book to document Jackies brutal, lonely and valiant thirty-one-year struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In heartrending detail, we witness a struggle that unfolded at times before our own eyes, but which we failed to understand. While the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis has been examined and scrutinized countless times, it is only now that we can truly discover the woman behind the facade, the untold story of this iconic woman.
Review
Praise for
Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis"An intimate and revealing look at one of the 20th century's most remarkable—and misunderstood—women." —Kirkus Reviews
"Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis provides suggestive evidence that her subject suffered from the clinical symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD, including flashbacks, insomnia, numbness, avoidance, fear, depression, and anger. … Her documentation — which includes Jackies remarks to intimates, as well as her behavior — is compelling. Interpreting the post-assassination life through the lens of PTSD turns out to be a fruitful way of making sense of Jackies sometimes odd-seeming choices." —The Boston Globe "Barbara Leaming offers a startling and fascinating look at Jackies life. … Sensitive and stylish, intimate and insightful…. At once harrowing and humane, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis stands as a deeply moving narrative." —Richmond Times-Dispatch"Both refreshing and uniquely insightful."—Macleans"Successfully provides a fresh perspective on the widow of assassinated U.S. president John F. Kennedy. Award-winning biographer Barbara Leamings take on Kennedy Onassis is well-written and thoroughly researched. … Leamings new biography brings her back to life in an important new light." —Winnipeg Free Press"Barbara Leaming makes a strong argument, based on original research, that Jackie suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at a time before the condition had been diagnosed." —BookpagePraise for Barbara Leaming"The depth and drama of her storytelling deserves especially high praise." —The New York Times Book Review on Katharine Hepburn"Leaming's narrative soars.... Masterful." —Washington Post Book World on Jack Kennedy"Engrossing...Restores Marilyn's humanity...A gripping and corrective book." —The New York Times on Marilyn Monroe"A fascinating work." —The New York Post on Mrs. Kennedy"Bona fide new material ... meticulous research ... achingly moving." —The Washington Post on Mrs. Kennedy"Leaming paints a moving portrait of Jackie as she tried valiantly to make her marriage work and find a place for herself and her gifts." —USA Today on Mrs. Kennedy"It makes both Kennedys seem utterly human, flawed, and some of it will break your heart." —Liz Smith, New York Post on Mrs. Kennedy"A fabulous success… the first book to plumb Jackies marital horrors in such heart-stopping detail." —The Philadelphia Inquirer on Mrs. Kennedy"An absorbing and enjoyable book." —New York Times Book Review on Jack Kennedy"History improves on itself! I never thought I'd want to read a book about JFK again.... reads like a high-society thriller." —The New York Post on Jack Kennedy"A fine biography of John F. Kennedy." —Jon Meacham on Jack Kennedy"The great merit of Barbara Leamings new book is to demonstrate how dependent the young Kennedy became upon a charmed circle of British noblemen, and also how obsessed he became with the need to match himself with that greatest of Anglo-American aristocrats, Winston Churchill." —Christopher Hitchens on Jack Kennedy"I am astounded at Barbara Leamings almost uncanny perception of the workings of his mind." —John Julius Norwich on Churchill Defiant
Synopsis
The instant New York Times and USA Today bestseller
The untold story of how one woman's life was changed forever in a matter of seconds by a horrific trauma.
Barbara Leaming's extraordinary and deeply sensitive biography is the first book to document Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis' brutal, lonely and valiant thirty-one year struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that followed JFK's assassination.
Here is the woman as she has never been seen before. In heartrending detail, we witness a struggle that unfolded at times before our own eyes, but which we failed to understand.
Leaming's biography also makes clear the pattern of Jackie's life as a whole. We see how a spirited young woman's rejection of a predictable life led her to John F. Kennedy and the White House, how she sought to reconcile the conflicts of her marriage and the role she was to play, and how the trauma of her husband's murder which left her soaked in his blood and brains led her to seek a very different kind of life from the one she'd previously sought.
A life story that has been scrutinized countless times, seen here for the first time as the serious and important story that it is. A story for our times at a moment when we as a nation need more than ever to understand the impact of trauma.
Synopsis
The untold story of how one womans life was changed forever in a matter of seconds by a horrific trauma.Barbara Leamings extraordinary and deeply sensitive biography is the first book to document Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis brutal, lonely and valiant thirty-one year struggle with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that followed JFKs assassination.
Here is the woman as she has never been seen before. In heartrending detail, we witness a struggle that unfolded at times before our own eyes, but which we failed to understand.
Leamings biography also makes clear the pattern of Jackies life as a whole. We see how a spirited young womans rejection of a predictable life led her to John F. Kennedy and the White House, how she sought to reconcile the conflicts of her marriage and the role she was to play, and how the trauma of her husbands murder which left her soaked in his blood and brains led her to seek a very different kind of life from the one shed previously sought.
A life story that has been scrutinized countless times, seen here for the first time as the serious and important story that it is. A story for our times at a moment when we as a nation need more than ever to understand the impact of trauma.
About the Author
BARBARA LEAMING is the author of acclaimed biographies of Katharine Hepburn, Rita Hayworth, Marilyn Monroe, Orson Welles, and many others. Two of Leamings books have been New York Times bestsellers and three have been New York Times Notable Books of the Year. Her articles have appeared in many publications in the United States and Europe, including the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, and the Times of London.