Jackie and Maria
Historical Fiction
William Morrow
August 18, 2020
Paperback
480
Free from publisher
The President's Wife; a Glamorous Superstar; the rivalry that shook the world...
Jackie Kennedy was beautiful, sophisticated, and contemplating leaving her ambitious young senator husband. Life in the public eye with an overly ambitious--and unfaithful―man who could hardly be coaxed to return from a vacation after the birth of a stillborn child was breaking her spirit. So when she's offered a holiday on the luxurious yacht owned by billionaire Ari Onassis, she says yes...to a meeting that will ultimately change her life.
Maria Callas is at the height of her operatic career and widely considered to be the finest soprano in the world. And then she's introduced to Aristotle Onassis, the world’s richest man and her fellow Greek. Stuck in a childless, sexless marriage, and with pressures on all sides from opera house managers and a hostile press, she finds her life being turned upside down by this hyper-intelligent and impeccably charming man...
Little by little, Maria’s and Jackie’s lives begin to overlap, and they come closer and closer until everything they know about the world changes on a dime.
My review:
Going into this book, I had a rudimentary knowledge of Jackie Kennedy, both before and after her marriage to Aristotle Onassis, but knew little to nothing about the famous opera singer Maria Callas. This book was an enlightening account of both women; their lives, their rise to fame, and their heartbreak. I definitely learned a lot, even about Jackie, although with this being historical fiction I would take it with a grain of salt (and the authors notes at the end are a must read to understand the factual context). I thought it was also imperative that you keep in mind the era when this book takes place, because if it was today, I would have thrown it across the room if either of these women didn't put that cad Ari in his place (and JFK too while we are at it!). It also sheds an interesting light on Jackie's sister Lee, who spent her whole life feeling second best to her high profile sister, and leaves us to decide how much of what she does can be excused by that? While I knew much of the political parts of Jackie's life, I loved the exploration of Maria's opera life, and all that entails. Of all the characters in the story, I think I felt the most for Maria, although the same could not be said if she was living in today's world (kick that creep to the curb girl, you can do so much better 🙂 ). As far as readability, it was well done, and the historical afterword and what happened next at the end were the perfect finish.
An enjoyable look at two women famous in their own right, who end up involved with the same man (who, did I mention, is a cad?). Their stories are fascinating and make for good reading, especially for historical fiction fans or those with an interest in either of these women.
