Finding Jackie: A Life Reinvented

by Oline Eaton

Jackie.

One name was all you needed. A paragon of femininity, fashion, American wifeliness and motherhood, she was also fiercely independent, the first modern First Lady. Then her husband was murdered, changing her world and ours.

Traumatized and exposed, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy nonetheless built a new life for herself in an America similarly haunted by upheaval. She dated and traveled relentlessly before scandalizing the world by marrying a foreigner, living abroad, climbing ruins, cruising the oceans, and wandering Europe braless and barefoot.

But Jackie’s reinvention has been culturally erased. In Finding Jackie, author Oline Eaton pieces it back together.

Jackie’s story—treated like a national soap opera and transmitted through newspapers, magazines, images, and TV during the 1960s and 1970s—became wired into America’s emotional grid. Here, in Finding Jackie, she’s rediscovered as an adventurer, a wanderer, a woman and an idea in whom many Americans and people around the globe have deeply, fiercely wanted to believe.

Touching down everywhere from London, Paris, the Watergate, and 1040 Fifth Avenue to Skorpios, Athens, Capri, and Phnom Penh, Finding Jackie returns Jackie’s story to its original context of a serialized drama unfurling alongside the Civil Rights movement, women’s liberation, and the Vietnam War. In Finding Jackie, Oline Eaton reveals the kaleidoscopic Jackie we need now: the most celebrated, exposed, beloved, reviled, written about, and followed “star of life.”

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

405 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 31, 2023

About the author

Author of FINDING JACKIE. Teacher of 1st year writing. Human to Claude and Marcel.

Reviews

[Bloodorange]

DNFd at 15%. Life's too short, and I've just bought my own copy of America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

[Leslie Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is so satisfying when a historian takes a topic that has been covered over and over and over, but manages to find a fresh, insightful take.the bulk of this book looks at Jackie’s life between the assassination of JFK in 1963 and her emergence as an independent book editor in the mid 1970s. I hadn’t ever thought about those years as transitional years but this book builds a powerful case that they were pivotal in Jackie’s transformation. They were the years when she was most in the public eye, harassed and examined endlessly. And they were undoubtedly challenging. But how remarkably she emerged as her own person after 1975. Thoroughly fascinating to me as a longtime Jackie aficionado

[Janet Wertman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it - I enjoy most things Jackie. The present tense kept tripping me up, but it worked for the way the author told the story. For me, the bottom line can be summed up in a quote from the book: “Americans know so much about her. Maybe not facts, but stories. They know her shoe size and her address and where she shops, but they also know how much remains private still. And it feels like with just one more story, one more picture, one more magazine profile, they might figure it all out: who she is, why she matters, why they care.” So with me - but this book was not the answer.

[Bob H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fascinating book fills a gap in her story; I had known little about her life after JFK's murder. This biography briefly sketches her life up to then, but is almost entirely about the period between her first husband's death and that of her second husband -- Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis -- in 1975. Each chapter of that period, titled by year, is a drumbeat of her Orestes-like wandering, from New York City to Paris to the Caribbean and Greece, in those years, pursued by paparazzi and the ubiquitous, trashy movie magazines of the day. Indeed, each chapter starts with a movie-magazine cover, and punctuates the year with a facsimile of that year's newspaper date, Nov. 22.

The author has given her reasoned, even poignant treatment, and fairness in the story of her marriage to Onassis. The prose is readable and sensitive, and the story reflects considerable and thorough research. It's centered on Jackie, though it also puts her in context: the social upheaval of the '60s and '70s going on around her. The story is focused on Jackie and her times (Caroline and John John only get fleeting mentions). Her life after Onassis' death is terse, something of a postlude. The author does mention that in this later time, celebrities became more frank about their own lives, and People magazine rose while the movie magazines folded, their time (and their audience) passing. Jackie was very much a part of her times, a memory now, a flower pressed in a book. Highly recommend.

(Reviewed through the Amazon Vine program).

[Becky Peitsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

An intense study of the years between JKF and Os lives with Jackie. Interesting read where I learned a lot about history but the overall mystique around Jackie lingers even after this in depth review.

[WM D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finding Jackie was a good book. Upon learning about this book coming out. I was very excited to read it. Once I started reading it. I learned some new stuff I really didn’t know about her until now.

[Lorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when you think there could not be another thing to reveal about the amazing Jackie Kennedy along comes, ‘Finding Jackie’. A fascinating read for admirers of Jacqueline Kennedy.

[Tina Rae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’all. This book is sooo goood!!! I actually knew very little about Jackie Kennedy/Jackie O going into this so I was very glad to learn more!

This was also a very unusual format which I really appreciated. This talked briefly about Kennedy’s assassination and then spent the rest of the book covering Jackie’s life, year by year, and marriage to Onassis until his death.

But this also gave an excellent overall portrait of the 60s & 70s, which I really appreciated. So it covered not only Jackie’s impact but how the world worked, as well, plus all the current events of the time. Some of those events I knew but I guess I just never thought about them in context of everything else that was happening? I didn't live through this time period so it was really nice to ~experience it and learn more through these pages.

So. Loved this. Learned a lot. Also. Tabloids during this time?! Awful! Why they cared so much about Jackie and who she married and what she did after JFK died, I will never understand. How was that anyone else’s business??? (It wasn’t.) It absolutely BAFFLES me that her marriage to O was met with such… outrage??? I’m glad she eventually fought back and got to live her own quiet life. But still. The media coverage of her during that time made me sooo angry. And she handled it with such grace. What an amazing woman. No wonder the world was obsessed with her!

Anyway, if you’re interested in learning more about Jackie, I highly recommend this one! I enjoyed it so much.

And thank you to Books Forward for sending a copy my way!

[Sarah Bickings · Rating 4 out of 5]

This biography chooses to focus the chunk of time on the years that are most often not focused on- Jackie's marriage to O. The author pieces together a narrative of what was happening in the press, in the country- the social changes/political scandals, and how these interacted with the perception of Jackie. I found myself more engaged by the stories and accounts of Jackie verses the context of what was going on in the country (nixon, etc). But I do think it shed a light on what isn't often really discussed- the PTSD and emotional trauma witnessing JFK's death had on her and how all of her subsequent choices really made sense in the light of that. I especially enjoyed the newspapers that started each section...it really helped frame Jackie's story and how it intersected with the press's view and narrative of her. Which is something that is being discussed now so many years later with the royal family. I turned 40 this year so I remember Jackie's death in the 90s, but it was especially meaningful to view her life during the years of my life that I am living. She was a unique, complex soul and I think the author did a great job portraying those nuances of her life.

[Janilyn Kocher · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was ecstatic to have received an early copy of this book. Since the 25th anniversary of the assassination, I have been an ardent admirer of Jackie O. I have read just about every book out there pertaining to her.
Eaton gives an edgy abbreviated glimpse of Jackie from the mid 1960s-1975, brushing on the before and after years lightly. She mostly frames the context of Jackie’s life and movements against the backdrop of popular media comments and narratives. I found this approach unique. It’s irreverent but respectful, a tinge snarky but satisfactorily sage.
Eaton provides a whole new generation of readers an introduction to a woman who so many have tried to define, delineate, and defame.
For any Jackie follower, it’s a must read.
I liked the periodical covers showcased at the launch of each new year. Many I had never seen before and they illustrated what drivel they spewed.
My one criticism of the book is having to scan a code to gain access to the notes and bibliography. I’m old school and prefer that Information to be tucked in the back.
Many thanks to Books Forward Edelweiss, NetGalley, and Diversion Books for the digital copies and the hard copy.

[Laurie Hoppe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here's something you don't often find: an interesting and credible book about JBKO. This one is so very much better than J. Randy Taraborelli's silly, gossipy new Jackie bio. Eaton takes Jacqueline Onassis' well known and oft-told life story and reframes it, explaining how each chapter of her life took her on a journey of discovery and self-realization.

Eaton places Jackie in context by sharing what was going on in the world -- and how the media was portraying Jackie -- during each period of her life. This is important because it gives her impact greater meaning. Historical figure as movie star. She was, before Charles married Diana, the most photographed and spied upon woman on the planet. Why? There were woman who were more beautiful, sexier, wealthier and more gifted. What does Jackie's massive and enduring celebrity say about her, and us?

Much has been made of Eaton's use of present tense. I get it. The events of Jackie's life leap off the page as if they are happening now. Plus it reinforces something Eaton states at the beginning of the book: We know how her story ends, but she doesn't it. I appreciated the immediacy.

[Christina Dennison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written and well researched book about a woman about whom we think we know everything. Eaton's point of view puts Jackie in context of historical happenings and attempts to understand Jackie's evolution through tumultuous times. I didn't want to put it down!

[Taylor Hathcock · Rating 3 out of 5]

"She was never going to play second fiddle, though she knew how."
Jackie. One name was all you needed. A paragon of femininity, fashion, American wifeliness and motherhood, she was also fiercely independent, the first modern First Lady. Then her husband was murdered changing her world and ours. Traumatized and exposed, Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy nonetheless built a new life for herself in an America similarly haunted by upheaval. She dated and traveled relentlessly before scandalizing the world by marrying a foreigner and living abroad. Jackie's story--treated like a national soap opera and transmitted through 1960s and 1970s media--became wired into America's emotional grid. But Jackie's reinvention has been culturally erased since then. In Finding Jackie, Oline Eaton pieces it back together as the adventurer, wanderer, and woman Jackie really was. Touching down everywhere from London, Paris, the Watergate, and 1040 Fifth Avenue to Skorpios, Athens, Capri, and Phnom Penh, Finding Jackie returns Jackie's story to it's original context of a serialized drama unfurling alongside the Civil Rights movement, women's liberation, and the Vietnam War. Eaton reveals the kaleidoscopic Jackie we need now: the most celebrated, exposed, beloved, reviled, written about, and followed "star of life."
Alright so as a history major I wanted to read this one because it seemed to place Jackie in history and even provide an insight into her that was somehow missing from other narratives. However, I was slightly disappointed the whole tone of Jackie's story is very much influenced by the author's personal feelings towards Jackie. The author was very much infatuated with Jackie growing up and it shows in the way she treats her depictions of Jackie versus those who criticize Jackie or even the men in Jackie's life.
I thought the book was going to place Jackie outside of all the media portrayals of her during this time but instead it seems to focus exactly on those things. I wanted more about who she was and what she did during the years the book covered; but these instances were extremely rare honestly. It was more about what the news said about her marriage with Ari Onassis. I felt like Jackie was overshadowed in this story by all the other details the author provided. I wanted more of Jackie in this biography.
The author divides the book up into before, after, and afterlife sections. I felt like the years Jackie spent with JFK were very brief in the novel, for them to be so important, especially since the author spends a lot of time arguing all of her later behaviors later indicate PTSD from the assassination. In the after, each section is divided up by the year, and each year seems to focus on some major news headline surrounding Jackie. I just wanted more from this. I felt like the author spent a lot of time trying to paint a narrative of Jackie as some pitiful victim overwhelmed by the men in her life, and I don't think this was the case.

[Lauralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was one of America’s most iconic First Ladies. She was adored for her beauty and intelligence. Throughout her life, Jacqueline remains an elusive figure. In this new biography of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Ms. Eaton attempts to give an intimate look at the infamous First Lady. In this book, she shows Jacqueline as a traumatized woman who tries to recover from her husband’s death.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a socialite from America’s elite society, which meant that she was obligated to marry a man of social standing. The man who fit that role was John F. Kennedy. Throughout their marriage, Jacqueline Kennedy suffered many tragedies. Yet, the most traumatic experience was her husband’s assassination. Ms. Eaton reveals that after JFK’s assassination, Jacqueline suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder throughout the rest of her life. Thus, this book mostly covers how John F. Kennedy’s death impacted her life and the decisions she made afterwards. Truly, I found Jacqueline to be a very heart wrenching and tragic figure.

Overall, Finding Jackie gives readers a more personal look at Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. Because John F. Kennedy was an important figure in Jacqueline’s life, I did not like how her first marriage was a brief overview. I did not like that all the tragic events that happened in the first marriage were only mentioned in one sentence. I thought there should be more focus on the marriage in order to form a clearer understanding of how John had impacted her as a person. Instead, it mostly focused on her second marriage to Aristotle Onassis. I was also not a fan of how the author would often go off-topic on events that had very little to do with Jacqueline Kennedy. I found the author’s writing style to be abrasive, for it felt like I was reading a tabloid rather than a biography. I also did not like how the book was formatted because it seemed like a detailed timeline rather than a fleshed-out biography. Despite these flaws, it was still a very entertaining, informative, and light biography! It was a very quick read, and I read it in one setting! The author does an excellent job of showing who Jacqueline may have been after her husband’s death! Finding Jackie is a pleasant read for anyone who is interested in Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and America’s First Ladies!
(Note: I was given a review copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.)

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very readable bio of Jackie O. Eaton takes chunks out of her life rather than give you paragraph after paragraph. Each year is punctuated by that day, THE DAY, November 22. The book is divided into before and after.

I've ready just about every Jackie bio that's been written by anyone credible. I don't want to just real salacious gossip, unfounded rumors that were spread by backbiting women or political rivals. I want to know the REAL person. This book made me feel like I know Jackie a little better. I realize now how very alone she was, even when she was with people. How she never felt like she fit in. How she always felt like she was on the outside looking in. I get that. I can relate. I can relate to Jackie Kennedy Onassis. Mind boggling.

I also appreciate the delve into the PTSD from which Jackie undoubtedly suffered. What she experienced was life changing trauma. Even if she had never met Jack Kennedy before, or was standing 100 yards away, seeing that violent act would have scarred her. The fact it happened to her own husband, the love of her life, the father of her children and the man she wanted to grow old with, just makes it worse and so much more terrible. Jackie never recovered from that event. She learned to cope, yes, but that trauma is not something you ever get over or move on from. It's with you. It's part of your DNA. And it was hers.

The PTSD shapes so much of her last 3 decades of life. A bio that uses the PTSD as a backdrop for her subsequent life experiences is novel. Well done, Ms. Eaton! I'll read some of your other work now that I know how talented you are.

[Jennifer Gibbons · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very bittersweet take on Mrs. Onassis written by Oline Eaton, a professor at Howard University. Many know Jackie's story by heart: married in 1953, her stormy marriage to John F. Kennedy, the path to the White House, the births of Caroline and John Junior, then how November 22, 1963, changed everything. Eaton concentrates on what happened after that date. Of course, there's the marriage to Onassis, but Eaton reveals other things as well: how Jackie donated clothes to Vietnamese orphans after Onassis refused; how difficult it was for her to move on after JFK's murder (confirming a possible diagnosis of PTSD) and the fishbowl life she lived throughout the sixties and seventies. Eaton reminds us what a complex woman Onassis was, and the photos from vintage movie magazines are divine. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC!

[Julianna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated how much focus was put into telling Jackie’s story as Jackie the individual, not as Jackie the wife of Kennedy/Onassis. Though this is not entirely plausible as her personal life was kept very much behind closed doors, the author does a great job taking relevant information from a multitude of sources and piecing it together year by year, to essentially tell the tale of a full decade of Jackie’s life. I enjoyed reading about just how much the American people were captivated by her. Jackie was and continues to be a large part of American history, and this book paints a sizable portrait of American culture in the 1960s and 1970s.

At times, it got a bit boring, but to no fault of the author. It is an informative piece of writing, focusing mainly on Jackie’s life with Aristotle Onassis. My only qualm is that I wished it gave more detail to her coming of age years.

[Frida Dillenbeck · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting look at the life of Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis from childhood to First Lady to grieving widow to Mrs Onassis and finally to working woman with $20MM in the bank. Her natural gifts and talents were many and she wanted to use them to broaden her knowledge and contribute to society in a positive way.

She was hounded by the media and press from the moment she gained the interest of future president John F Kennedy. She changed a nation during a very turbulent cultural shift in the country.

While listening to this audibles book, I felt so very sad for JKO, she never asked for any of the fame and subsequent extreme criticism by the press and public. She just wanted to live a quiet, meaningful life with her family. But she was never allowed to as the press refused to leave her alone.

[Tiffany Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Just glancing at the cover, I thought it might not be as strictly as a non-fiction as it was. Which is fine, just was my misconception. I also really enjoyed that the book discusses her life after JFK. I feel a lot books about Jackie are related to him or her life with him, but this book does a great job discussing her life after the presidency, part of her life I feel a lot of people have less knowledge about. Thank you to @netgalley and @diversionbooks for an advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review!

[Kitty Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book paints a very different picture of the former First Lady than I expected. I was infant when JFK was elected President and a toddler at the time of his assassination. So I thought I understood the time period and her role as a famous intelligent culturally influential woman and fashionable icon. The depiction of the fragility of her psychological state and helplessness when faced by media coverage surprised me. I am glad I read the book but would encourage anyone for whom this is an introduction to Jackie to also read other accounts of her life.

[Vanessa Olson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one was just ok. While the content was generally pretty unique and interesting, sometimes I just wished the author would give her a break. At times I found her to make things a little more salacious than necessary. I did not care for her use of present tense either.

Overall, this is a fun read that details the unique and heartbreaking life of Jacqueline Kennedy, primarily after her husband was murdered. I appreciated the focus on her life in the aftermath, and felt the book was wrapped up nicely.

[Ann Caroprese · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read a number of books bout Jackie but this was perhaps a cut above the rest. It is in fact one of my top ten books for the year. Th author had a vey interesting manner of presenting the human side of Jackie as well as her opulent over indulgent personality. The author used a lot of quotes and conversations with people jackie knew. I learned a great deal about Jackies philanthropic endeavors s well was her ability to use the Kennedy clout . Wat an extravagant spender she was was also an eyeopener!

[Kayla Tornello · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked that this book focused on Jackie as herself, not just as someone's wife. It really highlights the struggles she faced throughout her life. It helped to show her as an actual person, not just some distant celebrity. I particularly liked all the details about her relationship with the Onassis family because I wasn't as familiar with those details.

I received a copy of this book from Books Forward.

[Heather McC · Rating 3 out of 5]

Covering Jackie's life after the Kennedy shooting of 1963, this biography proves to be a bit dry in parts as it recounts Jackie's personal dealings (with the Onassis family, the Kennedy's, the press, etc.). A valuable highlight: primary documents (magazine/newspaper covers) for each year represented.

[Susan Crabtree]

Interesting but TMI

Interesting but too much information. Really liked remembering the feelings of 1963 and how most of us felt during that time. But the book could have been about 100 pages shorter without so many details after. Would have been nice to see a little more about the children and a lot less about the press coverage.

[Jackie Cyr · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love to read books about “Jackie” especially since we have the same name and birthday.. I wish there was more her about her life with JFK. I felt he author portrayed her as a victim when in fact we all know she is an incredibly strong woman.

[Cheryl Sokoloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some comments to convey how I feel about this book:

A must read!

A definitive biography of one extraordinary lady.

A unique look at an icon!

I love ❤️ this book!

Of Jackie: She is a mystery still.

[Connie Kronlokken]

This book focuses most on the period between the death of John F. Kennedy and the death of Aristotle Onassis, the time Jackie was most in the public eye, and a time when she struggled to live her own life and continued to reinvent herself. Accurate and useful.

[em goggin]

this was really nice little reminder of some jackie o context (listened on audible) - written well weaving in all sorts of sources, makes me want to read more gloria steinem, joan didion and books about elizabeth taylor & more !

[Rebekah]

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