by Gill Paul
Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy was a lively socialite who spent part of the war years working for the Red Cross in London, where she married a British aristocrat. Her husband was killed on active service, and she subsequently died in a plane crash in 1948, while flying to the South of France for a vacation. I recommend Kerri Maher’s novel about her, The Kennedy Debutante (2018).
Eunice, Pat, and Jean Kennedy lived into old age (Jean is still alive at the time of writing), but not all their children were so lucky. Ethel and Bobby’s son David died of a drug overdose in 1984, and another son, Michael, died in a skiing accident in 1997.
Both Jack and Bobby were assassinated in the 1960s, five years apart.
Ted Kennedy followed his brothers into politics, but his career was blighted by an incident in 1969 on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, when the car that he was driving crashed over a bridge into the sea and he left the scene of the accident without rescuing his female passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne. He served as a senator from Massachusetts from 1962 until his death in 2009 but failed to win the Democratic nomination for president when he ran in 1980.
Joe Kennedy died in 1969, but Rose outlived Jackie, her famous daughter-in-law, passing away in 1995 at the age of 104. The dynasty that she and Joe created included a president, an attorney general, a U.S. senator, four members of the House of Representatives, and two ambassadors, all of them Democrats. Some of their great-grandchildren are involved in politics today.
Reading Group Questions
Maria and Jackie were quite different characters, with a few things in common: they both lost babies, and they both fell for Aristotle Onassis. What do you think were the main differences and similarities between them?
Did you feel more sympathetic toward Jackie or Maria, or did your sympathies change throughout the novel? How did the women themselves change during the years covered?
Did switching from Maria’s to Jackie’s story and back again every couple of chapters work for you? Or would you have preferred to stay longer with each?
Jackie and Jack had an unconventional marriage by the standards of their era. Do you understand her decision not to challenge him about his infidelities? Was he a good husband in other ways?
Maria had to fight all her life: with her mother, with opera house directors, with the press, with her husband, and then with Onassis. Is that why she got the reputation for being a “diva”? Critics still consider her one of the greatest sopranos of all time. Is it necessary to be “difficult” to be the best? Would she have attracted the same criticism if she were a man?
Can you see why women fell for Onassis? Was it just about his money? What other qualities did he possess that might have been attractive?
Why do you think Onassis did not marry Maria, yet married Jackie so precipitously?
Did you sympathize with Lee, the competitive younger sister? If not, why not? Should Jackie have checked whether Lee was still in love in Onassis before she considered marrying him herself, or is all fair in love and war?
Do you think Jackie might have had an affair with Bobby after Jack’s death, as some biographers suggest?
Which of the novel’s locations stick most strongly in your memory, and why?
Why do you think the author arranged the book into five “acts”? Does the story follow the structure of traditional five-act tragedies written for theater?
Was there enough explanation of the historical background? Or was there anything you would have liked to be more fully spelled out?
Apart from new technology, such as cell phones and computers, what was different about life in the 1960s compared with life today?
Readers will have known from the start that JFK was assassinated, and that Jackie subsequently married Onassis. How does knowing what is going to happen affect the reading experience?
Have you changed your opinion of either Jackie or Maria after reading this book?
Praise for Gill Paul and Jackie and Maria
“Absolutely delicious! Gill Paul’s wonderfully seductive novel vividly captures the triumphs and tragedies of two remarkable and complicated women whose lives interconnect in surprising and devastating ways. Jackie and Maria is perfect historical fiction. I adored it.”
—Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home
“For those of us who thought we knew all about these public and private scandals, and for others just coming to this modern tell-all Greek tragedy, Jackie and Maria is a deep dive into glitz, glamour, and heartbreak. Gill Paul’s emotionally turbulent, amazing novels never disappoint.”
—Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The Queen’s Secret
“Jackie and Maria is an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the rivalry between two of the world’s most glamorous women, both of whom snared the attention of Aristotle Onassis, one of the world’s richest and most mesmerizing men. Fans of the Kennedys will love this introduction to Maria Callas!”
—Stephanie Marie Thornton, USA Today bestselling author of And They Called It Camelot
“A stunning novel about two beautiful, famous women in love with one of the world’s wealthiest and most powerful men. The psychology and ultimate heartache that drives this story is pitch-perfect. Gill Paul’s depth of research is exceptional down to the last detail. Readers will surely encounter a new side of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. I simply adored this novel!”
—Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer
“Gill Paul weaves together the competing and complementary lives of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas into a rich tapestry in this absorbing, romantic novel. Impossibly chic and fiercely independent, both women commanded my attention from the first page, and I applauded them both to the last.”
—Kerri Maher, author of The Kennedy Debutante
“I can’t rave highly enough about this book—it’s my favorite Gill Paul novel to date. A dazzling yet moving portrait of two very different iconic women, it’s brilliantly researched, compellingly told, and completely fascinating. I just loved it.”
—Tracy Rees, author of The House at Silvermoor and Amy Snow
“Two of the most famous and glamorous women of the mid-twentieth century fall in love with one of the world’s richest men: the scene is set for a drama of vicious rivalry and broken hearts. . . . A truly compelling story that keeps you gripped from (fairly) innocent beginnings to tragic endings. This is the best of historical fiction—leaving you wanting to learn more.”
—Liz Trenow, author of The Hidden Thread
“A brilliant read stretching from the 1950s to the 1970s with terrific settings in the exclusive playgrounds of the rich and famous. Glamorous and highly seductive, this compelling story explores the lives of two complex, powerful women complete with all their talents and flaws. Jackie and Maria is not just about their story; this novel also brings the twentieth century to life in vivid, colorful detail. I loved it.”
—Dinah Jefferies, author of The Missing Sister and The Tea Planter’s Wife
“Brilliantly evokes the world of the jet-setting rich and famous of the 1960s so well I felt I was living it all alongside them. I found it hard to put down once I’d started.”
—Kathleen McGurl, author of The Drowned Village and The Stationmaster’s Daughter
“What a terrific achievement! Gill Paul has cleverly tapped into the zeitgeist for reframing women’s history. In reimagining the personal lives of two of the twentieth century’s most iconic yet scrutinized and defamed women, she has restored their dignity. This is beautiful, tender, and humane storytelling.”
—Kate Thompson, author of Secrets of the Homefront Girls
“This is about two HUGE stars of [the ’60s], two women I knew little about until now, Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. This novel is simply stunning. I lived and breathed it for days, looking forward to being transported to their luxurious yet tragic lives. I really can’t stop thinking about these two women now. This will be HUGE!”
�
�Louise Beech, author of Call Me Star Girl
“Such a juicy page-turner!”
—Kris Waldherr, author of The Lost History of Dreams
“Gill Paul brings to vivid life two iconic women of the twentieth century and their intertwined destinies. Sumptuous and spellbinding.”
—Louisa Treger, author of The Dragon Lady
“I loved Gill’s brilliant Jackie and Maria. I was completely enthralled, wholly swept up in the characters, the glamour, and the fascinating story of these iconic women. For me, it was an utter treat from beginning to end—I’m sure it’s going to be a huge success and that readers far and wide will fall under its spell.”
—Jenny Ashcroft, author of Island in the East
“I just loved being swept into the lives and loves—and steamy affairs—of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. A fabulous book. Bravo, Gill!”
—Eve Chase, author of The Daughters of Foxcote Manor and Black Rabbit Hall
Also by Gill Paul
The Lost Daughter
The Secret Wife
Another Woman’s Husband
Women and Children First
The Affair
No Place for a Lady
Copyright
This book is a work of fiction. References to real people, events, establishments, organizations, or locales are intended only to provide a sense of authenticity, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, and all incidents and dialogue, are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.
JACKIE AND MARIA. Copyright © 2020 by Gill Paul. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the nonexclusive, nontransferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse-engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereafter inveted, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Cover design by Yeon Kim
Cover photographs © Art Rickerby/Getty Images (Jackie Kennedy); © Chris Reeve/Trevillion Images (woman); © Westend61/Getty Images (background, boat)
FIRST EDITION
Digital Edition AUGUST 2020 ISBN: 978-0-06-295250-9
Version 06182020
Print ISBN: 978-0-06-295249-3
About the Publisher
Australia
HarperCollins Publishers Australia Pty. Ltd.
Level 13, 201 Elizabeth Street
Sydney, NSW 2000, Australia
www.harpercollins.com.au
Canada
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Bay Adelaide Centre, East Tower
22 Adelaide Street West, 41st Floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5H 4E3
www.harpercollins.ca
India
HarperCollins India
A 75, Sector 57
Noida
Uttar Pradesh 201 301
www.harpercollins.co.in
New Zealand
HarperCollins Publishers New Zealand
Unit D1, 63 Apollo Drive
Rosedale 0632
Auckland, New Zealand
www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
1 London Bridge Street
London SE1 9GF, UK
www.harpercollins.co.uk
United States
HarperCollins Publishers Inc.
195 Broadway
New York, NY 10007
www.harpercollins.com
