Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter

by Barbara Leaming

From a New York Times bestselling author comes a mesmerizing story of love, loss, and war.

An unforgettable portrait of the Kennedy family’s favorite daughter, Kick Kennedy begins with Kick’s arrival in England in 1938 as her father became the U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St James’s. In the closed world of the British aristocracy, Kick was gloriously, exhilaratingly different, the girl whom all the boys fell in love with. But she was the star of a world in the midst of tumultuous social and political change, and as war came, she would have to confront crushing sadness and the consequences of forsaking much dear to her for love, before her heartbreaking death in 1948.

Bestselling and award-winning biographer Barbara Leaming draws on her unique access to firsthand accounts and candid conversations with many of the key players whose own lives were entwined with Kick’s, to transport us to a world of immense wealth, arcane rituals and rules, glamour and tragedy, that has now vanished forever.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, History, Politics, Biography Memoir, Audiobook, American History

320 pages, Paperback

First published April 12, 2016

About the author

Barbara Leaming is the author of “Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter” (Thomas Dunne Books, April 12, 2016). She has written three New York Times bestsellers, including her recent book “Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis”. Leaming’s book “Churchill Defiant” received The Emery Reves Award from the International Churchill Centre. Her groundbreaking biography of America's 35th President, “Jack Kennedy: The Education of a Statesman” was the first to detail the lifelong influence of British history and culture and especially of Winston Churchill on JFK. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, the Times of London and other periodicals. She lives in Connecticut.

www.facebook.com/barbara.leaming1

Reviews

[Myrn🩶 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This non-fiction book chronicles Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy’s life from 1938-1948. The author did an outstanding job researching Kick’s love of Britain, love life, religious conflicts, politics of the time, WWII, and other personal challenges. Ultimately, it’s a tragic coming of age tale. This is a sad, sad story. I wonder what could have been….should have been….we will never know. Highly recommended in hardcover for the pictures and for WWII and Kennedy aficionados.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Barbara Leaming tends to write good biographies, but this one, "Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter", is not particularly good. Leaming begins her bio in the late 1930's when Kick has moved to London with her family. Her father, Joseph Kennedy, had been appointed Ambassador to the Court of St James, and the family is moving en masse, but in stages, to take up life in London. But there is no preface, no explaining who Kathleen Kennedy was. Not a bit about her life before the move, besides some information about her brothers, Joe Jr and Jack. While I have read numerous biographies of the Kennedys and knew exactly who Kathleen Kennedy was, if you're don't know much about the family, Leaming's book will not be helpful. The rest of the book is basically a recitation of names and titles, with only cursory
info about those people. Leaming's writing is amateurish and I really can't recommend you waste time and money on it.

I was a bit amazed at the quality of this book as I've read most of Leaming's previous biographies and thought very highly of them. Oh, well...

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Kick" Kennedy is the often times forgotten daughter of "American royalty" Joseph Kennedy and Rose Kennedy. Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy Cavendish was, as you might expect, born in Massachusetts in 1920, the 4th child of the Kennedy clan. She was especially close to her favorite brother, John, who would one day be U.S. President.

However, this book focuses more on her time in England during WWII. Her father was appointed Ambassador to the United Kingdom, and there Kick came into her own. She was named "Debutante of 1938" there, and made many lifelong friends. It is quite sad that her lifetime was short as she was a brilliant, if little known, member of the Kennedy family.

In 1939, war was on the horizon and the Kennedys returned to the US, despite Kick's pleas to remain in the UK. Her father thought it was much too dangerous. In 1943, she found a way back, in service to the Red Cross. Having gained her independence from her family, she also began to pull away from their strict Catholic beliefs.

While in the UK, she met and married her first husband, Lord Hartington, in 1944. He was killed by a sniper while in service in Belgium only 4 months into their marriage. Eventually, she met and fell in love with the 8th Earl Fitzwilliam. As he was in the process of divorcing his wife, the Kennedy family was greatly distressed as this went against their Catholic beliefs. Her mother threatened to disown her and cut her off financially if she continued the relationship.

Upon learning that her father would be traveling to Paris, Kick decided to meet him there to plea for his support with regard to her desire to marry again. On May 13, 1948, she and Fitzwilliam were traveling to Paris when their plane encountered a storm and eventually crashed, killing them.

In a final act, Rose Kennedy refused to attend her daughter's funeral. Her father, however, attended.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been reading this book for the past few weeks now and have finally finished it. I found it interesting throughout and think it took so long for me to get through this relatively short (~300 page) biography because I knew it would have a tragic ending. Yes, it's exciting, and in its way romantic, to read about a young American woman cutting a swath through upper-crust British society, buoyed by optimism, spirit, and a real interest in others that in turn seemed to make them interested in her. It was like Evelyn Waugh, minus the acerbic, jaded (and okay, much more witty) people. So many parties! SO many.

Of course, in the back of your mind, you know that it's short-lived at best. Page by page things grew more bleak and I started to run through, in my head, all the terrible things I knew were coming. Hence my lackluster desire to finish.

Melissa, in the past, has had to hear me talk about my wish for a Kick Kennedy biography and I was very excited when I heard that one was being published! Kick Kennedy had a very short but interesting life and came of age amongst some of the most fascinating people of the 20th century, during what I consider the most interesting part of the 20th century--WWII. Her father, Joe Kennedy, was the ambassador to Britain in the late 1930's and early 1940's and she herself made a huge splash on the London debutante scene when she had her debut in society.

I think it was an interesting tack for the author to take--to focus mostly on Kick's decade or so in London. The book would have really benefitted, however, from a closer look at her earlier, more formative years. Also, I do think there's a lack of context in this book. So much of it was just a relating of events and excerpts from diary entries and letters. There was very little narrative and analysis, which was disappointing to me. Though everything cleaved together well enough and made sense, there wasn't always much meaning to extract from the book. Of course, a lack of meaning is something most of us can ascribe to our own lives. But it is the job of the biographer, in my opinion, to take the disparate threads of a person's life and tell a story of clarity and meaning.

I'm so indecisive though. A part of me is glad that the details about her life and times were sort of left for the reader to make of them what they would.

At the end of the day, I'm very glad that this book was written and I learned a lot more about Kick Kennedy than I already knew.

[Janice · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bunch of name dropping about someone who aspired to be British hierarchy and had a tragic death

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this is a good biography of Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy, the more interesting aspect, for me, was reading about daily life in England, during a time of so much change, historically, politically, and socially.

It shouldn’t be surprising to anyone that Kick was drawn into the world of the aristocracy, she was, after all, a Kennedy. Between her family connections and the dreams of an 18 year old girl involving dukes and duchesses, castles and a titles, an entitled life, a titled life in England became her new dream.

Torn between her family in the states, the object of her heart’s desire in England, her Catholic beliefs and his Protestant upbringing, Kick Kennedy’s story made for a quick and captivating read.

[Rarity Manor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting although tedious at times account of an ambitious social climber. If there was any depth to this young woman, the author failed to give examples. It appears that Kathleen Kennedy was determined to live in one of the great houses of Britian. After the Cavendish heir was killed, she moved on to a Fitzwilliam. Had she lived, she would've seen all the wasteful excess of that aristocracy she longed to dominate disappear before her eyes.

[Amy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have started and stopped with this book, more than a few times.

Yesterday, I decided that this book was at the "do or die" stage for me. I either had to continue on or not read it. I ended up skimming most of it and reading the details that I found really interesting.

I am not surprised that Rose and Joe did not approve about Kick's relationship / marriage to Billy Hartington. They were both very controlling and this was something they could not control, even though they tried their damnedest!

I also was not surprised when reading about Kick's relationship with Lord Fitzwilliam. All of the Kennedy's have always gone after and gotten what they wanted, no matter what.

Although this book is about Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, I do wish we would have learned more about what exactly became of her and Billy's friends (family) after Kick's death. We do know a little based on what was written at the beginning of the book and in the Acknowledgements.

For me, this was somewhat interesting information, but presented in an uninteresting way.

[Jennifer etheridge]

The book begins with an unnamed source whose identity isn’t revealed until the final pages. Leaming chronicles a changing Britain through World War II and its immediate aftermath, as the country’s mood changed from isolationism and appeasement—in line with the position favored by Ambassador Joseph Kennedy—to a patriotic engagement with the Nazis, which found many sons of the British aristocracy serving and dying in the war, to an aftermath that saw both Churchill and the aristocracy challenged by a populist surge. This book mainly examines the romance between a feisty debutante and Billy Cavendish, heir to a prestigious dukedom. Marrying Billy would give Kick an identity, wealth, and power independent of her family, but it would also mean crossing her family by marrying outside the Catholic Church. True love weathered those challenges, but the war ended Billy’s life a month after they wed, The young widow tried to figure out her life without becoming a duchess (a future she seemed to miss as much or more than her late husband), she made a surprising choice that would further alienate her family and result in her early death. The most beautiful, passionate and spontaneous of all the Kennedy children. Born to wealth and power in Boston, she defied her rigid, loveless and unforgiving mother to marry an English aristocrat -- only to lose him in the carnage of World War II. After the war, Kick drifted aimlessly for a time, sleep walking through elegant London parties until fate threw her in the path of a dark, divorced nobleman even more desirable than her late husband. Scandal resulted, and in the flight to freedom Kick lost her life. It was a tragic accident that hinted at years of heartbreak to come for the glamorous Kennedy clan. But Kick's story is fascinating, spell-binding and true!

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I read this book, I had no idea who Kathleen (Kick) Kennedy was, only that she was a sister of JFK who had died in her twenties. After reading the book, I found myself upset over what a loss she was to the world and what she could have done with her life.

Kick Kennedy died in a plane crash in France, months after the death of Joe Junior, whom the irredeemable Joe Senior had hoped to make president someday. These two deaths marked the first in what would be a melancholy string of them for the Kennedy family, and would give rise to the narrative of “The Kennedy Curse.”

Kick Kennedy, who became the Marchioness of Hartington upon her marriage to Billy, the Marquess of Hartington, originally came to the U.K. in a whirl of excitement and glamour and fell deeply in love with Billy Cavendish (later the marquess). She was the toast of London, and several of the men in the circles she traveled were in love with her. She was the only debutante in her circle that discussed politics with men. At this point I really admired her.

What follows may be a contrarian view, but after Billy was killed in the war, his considerable inheritance and lands fell to his younger brother, Andrew. At this point, Kick was naturally bereft with grief, but she also came to the realization that part of what she had liked about Billy had been the future glory of her inheriting the status of Duchess of Devonshire, along with the wealth and standing in English aristocratic society that came with it. “So much of her relationship with Billy had taken place in the imagination,” the author says. When Billy was killed and the system of primogeniture conferred what would have been his inheritance onto his brother, Kick was reduced to the Dowager Marchioness, with an empty title, no money, and no property. She had no chance anymore to become, in her words, “a woman of influence.” At this point I ceased to have sympathy with her.

She had saved her virginity for her wedding night with Billy (who unfortunately took several days of the honeymoon to “figure out how to do it,” in her words). But a few months after Billy had been killed, Kick, after doggedly giving speeches and holding a salon in her new apartment in London unthinkably started to have an affair with a married man (who DID have both title and property) named Peter Fitzwilliam. Fitzwilliam was a gambler, womanizer, heavy drinker and father of no small number of illegitimate children. He was also heir to a dukedom of considerably more wealth than that of Devonshire. He was still married when he and Kick started their affair.

I found the idea that Kick, who had truly been in love with Billy, could so rapidly become infatuated with Fitzwilliam, and eventually plan to marry him, to be an abhorrent turn of ambition and a purely opportunistic political move.

As it happened, just as she and Fitzwilliam were planning to reveal their wedding plans to old Joe Kennedy, they were both killed in the crash of Fitzwilliam’s plane in France. Even after that event, Billy’s brother, the new Marquess of Devonshire, rushed around to all the major newspapers in London with the ridiculous claim that Kick and Fitzwilliam had just happened to run into each other in France, of all things (who could have guessed such a coincidence?), and squelched public news of their affair.

The Kennedy family, either through paralysis or continuing disapproval, did not attend the funeral, except Joe Senior, who made a pass at Billy's 22-year-old sister.

In the end, I felt that the greatest loss to the world was Kick’s potential. It’s conceivable that she could have been the first female Kennedy to hold public office in the U.S. Ultimately, reading this book is a sad experience, probably akin to reading a book about Jim Croce, James Dean, or Buddy Holly.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unlike my other recent read about Kick Kennedy, this is her story told from her adult years just after she arrived in England. It was a worthwhile read but I’m glad it was not my first encounter with her story, as it did not provide much detail of her younger years.

[Randee · Rating 4 out of 5]

i don't know what happened because I read and reviewed this a couple of months ago. My guess is that I failed to hit save when I finished my review. I found this to be interesting and well researched by the author. She was JFK's closest sibling (the age difference with Bobby probably being a factor when they were kids.) So, JFK lost his older brother and sister, Joe and Kick, in plane crashes and his older sister, Rosemary, to a lobotomy all before he was even in his mid 20's. That is heavy duty and explains a bit to me why JFK seemed like an insensitive player as an adult. I did not know much about this sister, but even reading about her life makes me realize that there is definitely a pattern in the supposed 'Kennedy curse.' They brought a lot of it on themselves...no leanings towards safety and prudence for them. Still, it's a shame and Kick seems like she was a down to earth, courageous person who most likely would have had a lasting legacy if she had lived. Along with Kennedy information, there was a lot of interesting information about WWII from the English perspective.

[Andie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy was considered the fun loving, charmed sister of the Kennedy clan. The favorite child of her father Joe, Sr., she pretty well got her way in whatever she wanted to do, and when her father got posted to London as the Ambassador of the Court of St. James, she began to cut a wide swath through English society. She married Billy Hartington, the Duke of Devonshire's heir, only to lose him to World War II after barely a month of marriage. Then, after the war, she had an affair with the heir to the Earl of Fitzwilliam, only to die with him in a plane crash in 1948.

This book is a picture of an aristocratic life that was effectively destroyed in the political aftermath of World War II, but one that Kick Kennedy was inexorably drawn to. In her quest for this charmed life, and her disregard for the teachings of the Catholic Church, Kick alienated her mother (and many of her family) forever. Only her older brother, Joe, came to her wedding to Billy Hartington and none to her funeral. in fact, at the end of her life she was claimed by the Devonshires, not the Kennedys. In the end, this is a sad tale of a wasted life.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 1 out of 5]

Over the past 50 years I have read umpteen million words about the Kennedy's but I knew very little about Kick. This was in the new book section at my library so I picked it up. I was hoping for a Kitty Kelly type gossip read - not!! I was bogged down by English titles, English Castles (country homes etc). The debauchery of these young aristocrats (?) was overwhelming!! As if this wasn't mind-boggling enough you have to read a rehash of Hitler and World War II. I did want to know what happened to her so I skipped to Google!! A much more interesting read!! It's hard to feel empathy for these people - you fly high and when the plane comes down, you die!!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book tells about Kick's life in England starting when she went over with the Kennedy family when Joe was Ambassador to the Court of St. James. When she wanted something she really went after it, even if it meant defying the Catholic Church and her parents (especially Rose). It was interesting to read about her relationship with Billy Hartington and her all too brief marriage to him. So sad that no one in her family arranged to have her body sent home, so she was buried in England by her late husband's family and Joe was the only Kennedy who bothered to come to the memorial. Kick had apparently been his favorite of all the children.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and full of information. I appreciate Leaming's focus on a Kennedy that is often overlooked or a mere sentence or two. Kick died very young, but seems to have lived several lives in her few years.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read a bit about the Kennedys. When I've read about the family Kick Kennedy's name always comes up as Joe's favorite daughter. A fun loving charming girl who was shunned by Rose after first marrying a non-catholic and then having an affair with a married man. I've always been curious about her.

What I learned from this book is that Kick was a social climber. She first married a baron who was in line to inherit a grand house.



After his tragic death in World War II she finds a married man who has is an earl with even a grander house. In fact, the largest home in all of England!



This book describes how Kick connives to get back to England in order to marry her first husband and how she is a bit adrift until she lines up her second potential mate. It all ends in the most tragic way imaginable. I feel sad for Kick who was denied what she fought for twice in her short life.

The story is well researched but I felt like the author never explained what was the sparkle that Ms. Kennedy had that made her so attractive to the prewar class set in England. She says Kick had it and obviously she must have, but there is no further illumination. I don't feel I ever got a glimpse into the real Kick.

I do know that she liked really large houses.

(photo by the Daily Mail)

[Judy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a first-rate biography of a woman, her family, her times, and the untimely deaths of some she loved and herself. Kick was charmed and beloved, and Leaming takes us on the path to her marriage and independence from her parents.

This biography gave a detailed look at the social lives of the upper class in England and the U.S. as World War II loomed closer and closer. Against that backdrop, Kick struggled with her love for Billy, who was not Catholic and therefore not approved by her parents. By the same token, Billy came from a staunch Episcopal background, complicating matters even further.

Also portrayed in detail was the double standard of those times. Men were allowed much more freedom than women. It was interesting to read about a time when the military and political lines were barely blurred, and the world seemed a lot smaller. As an aside, I was fascinated to learn more about the relationship between Kick and her brother Jack.

[Simon · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is interesting about the charmed circle of British aristocrats that Kathleen Kennedy managed to penetrate before and during World War II. However, Kennedy's life was akin to her oldest brother Joe's: too short to bear the weight of an entire biography. Leaming writes well enough, but it is frustrating to be told time and again that Billy Hartington and Kick Kennedy are sitting by themselves at house parties locked in "serious" conversations, when she can only make an educated guess as to the topics under discussion. In the end, my best conclusion was that she wanted to be the Duchess of Devonshire because she wanted to be a duchess. It doesn't help that two other Duchesses of Devonshire form a backdrop: 18th century Whig hostess Georgiana and Deborah Mitford, who rescued Chatsworth from penury and remade it into one of the premier tourist attractions in the UK. It's hard to imagine Kick having Debo's stamina or dedication.

[Diane L · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don't buy the kindle edition

This book about Kathleen Kennedy--who died at the age of twenty-eight-- is further truncated by the author's omission of her childhood prior to her family's moving to London. No mention of her schooling or relationships with siblings (except that she was close to brother Jack), no childhood friends or classmates, no analysis of how she became the young woman she became. And, at least in the E book, not a single photo. This is not a good sign in a biography. The book is too short, offers no insight into anything, has no photos. Seriously, I knew as much just from reading about JFK's youth as I did upon finishing this. What's to recommend? If you're interested in Kick Kennedy, there has to be another biography that offers a little more.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Kennedy's have been a major interest of mine since JFK brought the family to national prominence during the 1960 presidential campaign. I've read much about Jack, Robert, and Teddy, but never about Kathleen or kicked.
This book basically covers the Kennedy family being introduced to England when Papa Joe became U.S. Ambassador to England. This position for the papa allowed the kids to mingle with the aristocracy. Through this society, Kathleen became the wife of one and, after the death of her husband, the mistress and potential fiancee of another. This caused major problems between Kathleen and her parents because both were perceived to be contrary to Catholic Church teaching.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as part of a Goodreads giveaway.

4.5 stars. I really enjoyed this book. It was very well researched and well written. I was disappointed there weren't any photos, but I'm sure that's because it was an ARC.

I will say that she did come off very spoiled and entitled, which wasn't surprising, and I've never been a fan of the Kennedy's, never the less, they are a fascinating family. It was very interesting to discover what part the Jennedy family played in the history of GB before and during WWII. I will definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys biographies, or histories. Well done!

[Victoria]

Really enjoyed the book! ... but it feels much more like a look at British society during World War II and post-World War II than a biography of a Kennedy. It leaves out Kick's entire childhood, and any aspects of her life that aren't related to her time in London and her relationships. After just reading Rosemary Kennedy's biography, it seemed that a lot was not included (for example, Kick did some research on the lobotomy procedure that Rosemary later underwent, but nothing about that is included in this book). I still really enjoyed the story though and found the time period really interesting to read about.

[Devyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kick Kennedy: The Charmed Life and Tragic Death of the Favorite Kennedy Daughter was an awfully tedious book. I often caught myself guiltily sliding it aside from it's place on my currently reading pile to read the more interesting books underneath it. It took me forever to finish reading it.
If I had known beforehand how boring I'd find this book I wouldn't have started it. There's only so many dinner parties and horse races I can mange to read about before my head starts drooping. And honestly, the only thing this book taught me was that Kick had an unhealthy hunger for a tittle and a castle.

[Tara Barros · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fast read. I'm not sure there was really enough material to justify a whole book. I felt sorry for poor Kick, who came across smart and charming...

[Dawn T · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, particularly as applies to a certain time and place, but not necessarily memorable.

[Vikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was absolutely fascinated with this biography of Kick Kennedy. She was the oldest daughter of Joe and Rose Kennedy. I loved the writing style of the author Barbara Leaming. She interviewed many of Kick's friends and people associated with the aristocratic society of pre and post WW2 in Europe. Kick married the heir of Chatsworth. He died tragically just months after their marriage. She actually was trying to come into her own, separate from her Kennedy name. She died in a plane crash in 1948. There was so much in this book that I did not know. I really the insights into this time in history. This was a fast moving book that I absolutely could not put down.

[Kat Walter · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting in that I knew little about this particular Kennedy, but I found her hard to like. Frivolous and shallow, entitled and spoiled, living in a country barely recovered from one war and beginning to enter another, she was more concerned about her parties and whether the catholic church and her family would forgive her marrying a Protestant. She had her sights on the royal life and expected to be a part of the changing face of England. Widowed young and tragically dead, herself, only a few years later. Her mother did not attend the wedding or the funeral...how Christian .

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really 4.5 stars. After Billy died, she really should have married that nice man who lost both his legs in the war. It's a look at a vanished way of life as much as it's about Kick. Rose Kennedy was a special kind of cold. It's also an interesting look at how members of the family interacted early on.

[Sue Fitz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was challenging to get into because the beginning was overloaded with names, titles, and relationships, which made everyone blend together. I stuck with it and eventually played it at 1.25 speed just to finish up.

Usually, after reading a biography or autobiography, I feel some admiration for the subject of the book, but in this case, I'm not feeling that way. Considering her family and the times in which she lived, her crusade to marry the man she loved is admirable. And his death was tragic. I don't want to discount that, but overall, it seems like she was rather oblivious to the people around her and used all means at her disposal to get what she wanted.