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Jennifer Juniper
'Compelling' The Times
'Wise and honest.' Daily Mail
Jenny Boyd's extraordinary life is the stuff of movies and novels, a story of incredible people and places at a pivotal time in the 20th century.
As an up-and-coming young model, Jenny found herself at the heart of Carnaby Street in London, immersed in the fashion and pop culture of the Swinging 60s. With boyfriend Mick Fleetwood, sister Pattie Boyd, George Harrison and the rest of the Beatles, she lived the London scene.
'Wise and honest.' Daily Mail
Jenny Boyd's extraordinary life is the stuff of movies and novels, a story of incredible people and places at a pivotal time in the 20th century.
As an up-and-coming young model, Jenny found herself at the heart of Carnaby Street in London, immersed in the fashion and pop culture of the Swinging 60s. With boyfriend Mick Fleetwood, sister Pattie Boyd, George Harrison and the rest of the Beatles, she lived the London scene.
338 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 23, 2023
314 people are currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
July 20, 2020
What makes Jenny Boyd famous? She's the little sister of Pattie Boyd, aka ex-wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Jenny Boyd was also married twice to Mick Fleetwood, drummer and founding member of Fleetwood Mac. She accompanied her sister and The Beatles when they travelled to Rishikesh, India to meet The Maharishi. At the time she asked her brother-in-law Beatles lead guitarist George Harrison, "How can I ever repay you?" Jenny never forgot his answer: "Just be yourself." While in India, musician Donovan (who had fallen in love with her even before this trip) wrote the song "Jennifer Juniper" about her. Since I love reading anything new remotely involving a Beatle and rock biographies in general, I jumped at the chance to read this.
Jenny experienced a very disruptive childhood where she was a child of divorce and got moved around to various living situations such as with grandparents and boarding schools. Her biological father was an alcoholic and injured war veteran. She met Mick Fleetwood before he was ever famous when they were both quite young. They seem to have always had a problem truly communicating, which was a major issue throughout their lives. She fell into modelling inspired by her older and famous sister Pattie Boyd who went on to star in "A Hard Day's Night" with The Beatles. After meeting George Harrison on the set of the movie, they quickly became an item and ultimately married. As the book begins it is quite exciting reading about George Harrison driving in his fancy Jaguar to visit the Boyd family on a very quiet block where celebrities aren't normally found.
Jenny travelled to California during the summer of love to help a friend with opening a store. During this time she experienced an idealized version of the hippie phenomenon, but by the time her sister Pattie and George Harrison came to visit San Francisco, the situation had soured into looking like "a lot of young bums on drugs".
Jenny and Mick Fleetwood got married and had two daughters, Lucy and Amelia. They made their home base in California, because Fleetwood Mac were now a famous touring band, having recently added the talents of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Jenny found herself isolated much of the time with her husband being on the road. Even when Mick was home, he often had conversations with people regarding the band rather than focusing on his wife and family. Jenny would sometimes travel back to England to be with her sister Pattie. It always lifted her spirits, they were so close. In truth, she really felt at home there. The only problem was, when she spent time with Pattie, there was always alcohol around. When Pattie was living with Eric Clapton, the adult drinks were always flowing. Jenny was a bit shy and would use alcohol to loosen up when she was in social situations.
On the home front, in addition to being abandoned in the marriage most of the time, alcohol and drugs also took husband Mick away from her. Jenny found that she couldn't resist the temptation of guitarist Bob Weston who joined Fleetwood Mac in the early seventies. Years later, Mick would have a serious affair with fellow Fleetwood Mac band mate Stevie Nicks. At one point, Mick honestly confessed to Jenny that he couldn't decide which woman he actually wanted to be with permanently! Mick and Jenny divorced, but later remarried and divorced again.
As I delved further into the book, it became a neverending series of Jenny moving back and forth from California to England, becoming sober and then being tempted to drink again around her sister, reuniting and then separating again from Mick, and experiencing other marriages and relationships with men. It became a bit monotonous and depressing to read about.
Eventually Jenny made a commitment to go to school and achieve a degree. She had only worked as a print and runway model in life before marrying Mick, so now it was her "me time" to fulfill personal goals. She was keenly interested in therapy, addiction and writing. When she had to make a dissertation at college, she utilized a subject that she knew by interviewing scores of musicians since she had access to many. The project turned out so well that it was published as her first book, It's Not Only Rock 'N' Roll. Mick and other musicians even helped her promote it by accompanying her on press tours and book signings. She also became involved with addiction centers and was hired as a marketer of therapy conferences in England.
All in all this was a good read that filled in some gaps in my ever expanding Beatles lexicon of knowledge.
Jenny experienced a very disruptive childhood where she was a child of divorce and got moved around to various living situations such as with grandparents and boarding schools. Her biological father was an alcoholic and injured war veteran. She met Mick Fleetwood before he was ever famous when they were both quite young. They seem to have always had a problem truly communicating, which was a major issue throughout their lives. She fell into modelling inspired by her older and famous sister Pattie Boyd who went on to star in "A Hard Day's Night" with The Beatles. After meeting George Harrison on the set of the movie, they quickly became an item and ultimately married. As the book begins it is quite exciting reading about George Harrison driving in his fancy Jaguar to visit the Boyd family on a very quiet block where celebrities aren't normally found.
Jenny travelled to California during the summer of love to help a friend with opening a store. During this time she experienced an idealized version of the hippie phenomenon, but by the time her sister Pattie and George Harrison came to visit San Francisco, the situation had soured into looking like "a lot of young bums on drugs".
Jenny and Mick Fleetwood got married and had two daughters, Lucy and Amelia. They made their home base in California, because Fleetwood Mac were now a famous touring band, having recently added the talents of Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham. Jenny found herself isolated much of the time with her husband being on the road. Even when Mick was home, he often had conversations with people regarding the band rather than focusing on his wife and family. Jenny would sometimes travel back to England to be with her sister Pattie. It always lifted her spirits, they were so close. In truth, she really felt at home there. The only problem was, when she spent time with Pattie, there was always alcohol around. When Pattie was living with Eric Clapton, the adult drinks were always flowing. Jenny was a bit shy and would use alcohol to loosen up when she was in social situations.
On the home front, in addition to being abandoned in the marriage most of the time, alcohol and drugs also took husband Mick away from her. Jenny found that she couldn't resist the temptation of guitarist Bob Weston who joined Fleetwood Mac in the early seventies. Years later, Mick would have a serious affair with fellow Fleetwood Mac band mate Stevie Nicks. At one point, Mick honestly confessed to Jenny that he couldn't decide which woman he actually wanted to be with permanently! Mick and Jenny divorced, but later remarried and divorced again.
As I delved further into the book, it became a neverending series of Jenny moving back and forth from California to England, becoming sober and then being tempted to drink again around her sister, reuniting and then separating again from Mick, and experiencing other marriages and relationships with men. It became a bit monotonous and depressing to read about.
Eventually Jenny made a commitment to go to school and achieve a degree. She had only worked as a print and runway model in life before marrying Mick, so now it was her "me time" to fulfill personal goals. She was keenly interested in therapy, addiction and writing. When she had to make a dissertation at college, she utilized a subject that she knew by interviewing scores of musicians since she had access to many. The project turned out so well that it was published as her first book, It's Not Only Rock 'N' Roll. Mick and other musicians even helped her promote it by accompanying her on press tours and book signings. She also became involved with addiction centers and was hired as a marketer of therapy conferences in England.
All in all this was a good read that filled in some gaps in my ever expanding Beatles lexicon of knowledge.
June 14, 2024
Before I read this book, I really didn't know who Jenny Boyd was. The main reason that I bought it was because I'd just finished Cynthia Lennon's memoir, and Jenny is mentioned when the Beatles went on their famous trip to India (she’s also in the room when Cynthia catches John with Yoko 🙃)
I know all about Jenny's older sister Pattie (photographer, former model, rock star muse and ex-wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton) and I know all about Jenny's first (and second) husband Mick Fleetwood. Not knowing a ton about Jenny but being aware that she had a front row seat to the rock star scene of the 70s and 80s, I didn't have any expectations when I started reading this book. Fortunately, "Jennifer Juniper" was great and now I admire Jenny and what she's managed to accomplish in her own right.
While Jenny's book does mention her sister, her ex-husband and her former brother in laws, it's primarily about her journey of self-discovery: how she tries to find her identity through her relationships, her spiritual journey and her longing for a father figure. She writes incredibly well, and she really puts the readers in her shoes. She writes with so much self-awareness and warmth and you can see that she's done a lot of therapy and soul-searching. Jenny has done the work. You see her lifelong struggle to stick up for herself (as a recovering people pleaser I can relate!) so, when she finally decides to do something for herself, instead of what makes everyone else happy, and get her college degree, I had a huge grin on my face. Jenny's memoir was a delight to read.
"There were wonderful times on this journey of mine; there were also hard times as I fought against my demons and what was going on in my life. But I feel extremely lucky and grateful for the life I’ve led, and especially for the people who are and have been part of it."
Things that stood out to me:
1. Mick Fleetwood telling Jenny (his WIFE) that he couldn't decide if he wanted to be with her or Stevie Nicks 🙃
2. Eric Clapton being jealous of Pattie and Jenny's bond.
3. The first time Jenny met Bob Dylan she was disappointed because he gave her a limp handshake. The most recent time that they met he asked to borrow a copy of her book #growth
4. Eric enjoyed badgering Jenny to the point where she would cry?!? (Everything I find out about this man makes me go “incredible musician but what a sh*tty person!)
5. I think it's chic to marry the same person twice, especially right after you've gotten a divorce. It's giving Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton.
6. Now I can’t get “Jennifer Juniper” out my head. For the youths out there, Pattie wasn’t the only muse in the Boyd family. Donovan wrote the song for Jenny.
7. Jenny once pretended to be Pattie to get out of trouble when she was pulled over for driving without a license.
CW: drug use, infidelity
I know all about Jenny's older sister Pattie (photographer, former model, rock star muse and ex-wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton) and I know all about Jenny's first (and second) husband Mick Fleetwood. Not knowing a ton about Jenny but being aware that she had a front row seat to the rock star scene of the 70s and 80s, I didn't have any expectations when I started reading this book. Fortunately, "Jennifer Juniper" was great and now I admire Jenny and what she's managed to accomplish in her own right.
While Jenny's book does mention her sister, her ex-husband and her former brother in laws, it's primarily about her journey of self-discovery: how she tries to find her identity through her relationships, her spiritual journey and her longing for a father figure. She writes incredibly well, and she really puts the readers in her shoes. She writes with so much self-awareness and warmth and you can see that she's done a lot of therapy and soul-searching. Jenny has done the work. You see her lifelong struggle to stick up for herself (as a recovering people pleaser I can relate!) so, when she finally decides to do something for herself, instead of what makes everyone else happy, and get her college degree, I had a huge grin on my face. Jenny's memoir was a delight to read.
"There were wonderful times on this journey of mine; there were also hard times as I fought against my demons and what was going on in my life. But I feel extremely lucky and grateful for the life I’ve led, and especially for the people who are and have been part of it."
Things that stood out to me:
1. Mick Fleetwood telling Jenny (his WIFE) that he couldn't decide if he wanted to be with her or Stevie Nicks 🙃
2. Eric Clapton being jealous of Pattie and Jenny's bond.
3. The first time Jenny met Bob Dylan she was disappointed because he gave her a limp handshake. The most recent time that they met he asked to borrow a copy of her book #growth
4. Eric enjoyed badgering Jenny to the point where she would cry?!? (Everything I find out about this man makes me go “incredible musician but what a sh*tty person!)
5. I think it's chic to marry the same person twice, especially right after you've gotten a divorce. It's giving Elizabeth Taylor/Richard Burton.
6. Now I can’t get “Jennifer Juniper” out my head. For the youths out there, Pattie wasn’t the only muse in the Boyd family. Donovan wrote the song for Jenny.
7. Jenny once pretended to be Pattie to get out of trouble when she was pulled over for driving without a license.
CW: drug use, infidelity
July 12, 2022
In this autobiography, Jenny Boyd tells of her days as a fashion model, her involvement in the Flower Power revolution in 1960s America and her views on life on the edge of the music industry as wife (twice) of Mick Fleetwood, founder of Fleetwood Mac. Amid candid tales of her participation in the abuse of drugs and alcohol which were apparently 'normal' in the music culture of the time, Jenny expresses her feelings of disconnection, despite involving herself in meditation through her older sister Patty Boyd and her then husband, George Harrison, before finally coming to some realisation of what she really needed in order to feel useful and satisfied with her life. An interesting read - 7/10.
May 22, 2020
When I told a friend and music industry veteran that I was reading this book, his response was; "That chick from the Donovan song?". It would be easy to dismiss Boyd as a novelty author based on her family's notorious history of love affairs and marriages to influential music industry icons (Jenny was previously married to drummers Mick Fleetwood and Ian Wallace, her sister Patty had been married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton, and another sister Paula had been linked to producer Andy Johns), but that would be a disservice. Having earned a PhD in Psychology later in life, she managed to write a defining book on the subject of the creative process with Musicians In Tune. Having previously read and been greatly influenced by the first book, I was excited to read this new one. This book is different in that it details her many transformations from 60's fashion model to rock star wife, and finally author. It's an inspiring tale, with her path crossing some of the most notorious personalities of the 60's and 70's. The real crux of the story though is her own spiritual journey. The 60's and 70's were groundbreaking times for personal discovery and introspection, and Boyd successfully connects the threads of her life through drug experimentation, to studying TM with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and the painful and personal lessons she learns through finally understanding her own co-dependence and the need to evolve beyond it. Sure, it's fun to read about the rock stars, but her journey is interesting on it's own and the lessons therein would be of particular interest to anyone who lived through the same generational shifts that she has. Early in the book, Boyd gets a key piece of guidance from George Harriosn; "Just be yourself", and the importance of that advice grows more and more throughout her life. It's a lesson we all could learn, and the tale of her sometime painful attempt to triumph over addiction and insecurity throughout her life is worth it on it's own merit, regardless of the window dressing of rock stars and celebrities throughout the book. a worthy read that must have taken courage to write!
https://www.mixcloud.com/fluxedo-junc...
https://www.mixcloud.com/fluxedo-junc...
June 19, 2020
Fascinating autobiographical memoir of Jennifer Boyd, former wife of Mick Fleetwood and whose sister, Pattie Boyd, was married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Jenny led a fascinating life, first in Kenya as a child when it was still British Kenya, and then to London where she came of age in the early 60s and became peripherally involved with the Beatles when her sister started dating George Harrison in 1964. She happened to land a retail job as a teenager in a fashion boutique on Carnaby Street right as Swinging London exploded and also was recruited for modeling jobs by Foale and Tuffin which launched new British fashion the United States. She became friends with many musicians on the London music scene like Mick Fleetwood, Donovan, and basically everyone associated with the Beatles. After wanting a change from London life, she lived with a friend in San Francisco in the spring and summer of 1967, went to the Monterrey Pop Festival and experienced the hippie culture when it was still novel and right before it became overrun with junkies and homeless runaways. She also went with the Beatles to India for the famous 1968 meditation retreat with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. She married Mick Fleetwood and lived in Los Angeles through most of the 1970s where Fleetwood Mac and other bands of the time became world famous.
Despite being at the right place at the right time, she dealt with the drug fueled lifestyles of the LA music scene and felt stifled by fast, erratic rock'n'roll lifestyle. She had a number of dark years of trying to make a life for herself in the shadow of Mick Fleetwood and eventually got a PhD in Psychology and channeled all her experience of being around famous rock musicians into another book called, "Musicians in Tune", about the creative process musicians go through for writing songs. She also worked for treatment centers that helped people with severe drug and alcohol addictions.
She delves into the honesty of what it is like to be a passive person amongst creative and confident musicians and has the outsider looking in perspective of a music fan observing fame as a blessing and a curse. She reconciles her tumultuous life by finding her own voice when it was drowned out by everyone else. A decent read that will help you connect the dots if you are familiar with 60s & 70s music.
Despite being at the right place at the right time, she dealt with the drug fueled lifestyles of the LA music scene and felt stifled by fast, erratic rock'n'roll lifestyle. She had a number of dark years of trying to make a life for herself in the shadow of Mick Fleetwood and eventually got a PhD in Psychology and channeled all her experience of being around famous rock musicians into another book called, "Musicians in Tune", about the creative process musicians go through for writing songs. She also worked for treatment centers that helped people with severe drug and alcohol addictions.
She delves into the honesty of what it is like to be a passive person amongst creative and confident musicians and has the outsider looking in perspective of a music fan observing fame as a blessing and a curse. She reconciles her tumultuous life by finding her own voice when it was drowned out by everyone else. A decent read that will help you connect the dots if you are familiar with 60s & 70s music.
August 13, 2020
Better than most
I wish it could give this book a 4.5. It was one of the better autobiographies I've read. The author has a lot to brag about: being drop-dead gorgeous, marrying and having famous musicians fall in love with her and being there at the beginning of lots of rock legends. She minimizes the boasting and self-aggrandizing and focused more on her struggle to feel worthy. Addiction, family dysfunction and the problems that come with game are the main characters here.
I wish it could give this book a 4.5. It was one of the better autobiographies I've read. The author has a lot to brag about: being drop-dead gorgeous, marrying and having famous musicians fall in love with her and being there at the beginning of lots of rock legends. She minimizes the boasting and self-aggrandizing and focused more on her struggle to feel worthy. Addiction, family dysfunction and the problems that come with game are the main characters here.
December 11, 2020
I really enjoyed this book and enjoyed learning about the 60s through someone who lived it. As someone who was born in 1970 I literally just missed it. She also describes, not one, but two marriages to Mick Fleetwood. The marriages were rocky to say the least. There is lots of drug talk and drug taking along with alcohol consumption. I really enjoyed her style of writing and how she really found herself and devoted some time to her education and how that made her more independent.
October 21, 2021
I personally love to read about the music, musicians and life of the counter culture 60's and 70's. So this book was perfectly positioned to totally soak up! Jenny Boyd's story is so charming and her descriptions of changes in the 60's and 70's are fab! She was in Carnaby Street, a swinging London Model, In San Francisco during the summer of love, India and meditation, her brother in law was George Harrison! She knew everyone and has wonderful tales to tell of the music and musicians of this era. Of course her two marriages with Mick Fleetwood are well documented.
Stories of excess and of wrong choices were disclosed and sometimes read like a train wreck, I really wanted to reach into the pages of the book and tell her to shake her head!
However, it was gratifying to see Boyd come through the other end still alive and living a good and happy life.
This is truly a life journey with many ups and a crashing down. Well written and researched ( all of those names and dates and concerts) it kept my attention until the very end.
Stories of excess and of wrong choices were disclosed and sometimes read like a train wreck, I really wanted to reach into the pages of the book and tell her to shake her head!
However, it was gratifying to see Boyd come through the other end still alive and living a good and happy life.
This is truly a life journey with many ups and a crashing down. Well written and researched ( all of those names and dates and concerts) it kept my attention until the very end.
May 19, 2020
I got this book for free. Somehow in my safer at home isolation I've been reading biographies with a vengence. I want to get back to my dystopian fantasies but I can't bring myself to do it. The Trump/COVID world seems plenty dystopian to me.
Anyway, so I got this book for free and started reading it. I like the time period and place: England in the 1960's. Jennifer's sister is Patty Boyd so George Harrison and Eric Clapton figure in. Jennifer herself, marries Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac. Jennifer goes to India with the Beatles and to San Francisco. It seems great doesn't it? Jennifer was definitely around some of the grooviest people at a really groovy time.
So, why did I dislike this book so much? It was the gauzy, new agey approach that Jennifer takes to everything she observes. I've never searched for myself or found enlightenment. I don't believe in mantras, astrology or crystals. I'm just not groovy enough to get into this book.
Anyway, so I got this book for free and started reading it. I like the time period and place: England in the 1960's. Jennifer's sister is Patty Boyd so George Harrison and Eric Clapton figure in. Jennifer herself, marries Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac. Jennifer goes to India with the Beatles and to San Francisco. It seems great doesn't it? Jennifer was definitely around some of the grooviest people at a really groovy time.
So, why did I dislike this book so much? It was the gauzy, new agey approach that Jennifer takes to everything she observes. I've never searched for myself or found enlightenment. I don't believe in mantras, astrology or crystals. I'm just not groovy enough to get into this book.
June 26, 2023
I loved the 60s bit and all of the descriptions but mostly it was a slog through her honestly very depressing and mostly quite boring life. Which is strange because her life sounded pretty exciting when you manage to read around the whining.
Her feelings are all totally reasonable, just not the most riveting to read.
Glad she’s able to express herself now though, for her sake.
No juicy goss or revelations either if you’ve read any other Mac biography.
Her feelings are all totally reasonable, just not the most riveting to read.
Glad she’s able to express herself now though, for her sake.
No juicy goss or revelations either if you’ve read any other Mac biography.
July 30, 2020
Book reviews
A lot of whining. she is so much more privileged so not totally true life. It got kind of old above half way through. Proud of what she accomplished. Bit still kind of cynical how she would still drink when she was involved in life and pretending she didn’t. My take
A lot of whining. she is so much more privileged so not totally true life. It got kind of old above half way through. Proud of what she accomplished. Bit still kind of cynical how she would still drink when she was involved in life and pretending she didn’t. My take
November 25, 2023
Ended up with the Donovan song stuck in my head every time I opened this...interesting stories from an interesting life. Don't think I'd recommend the audiobook, I usually like it when the author reads it but this might have benefitted from someone a bit more dynamic narrating. You could hear lots of cuts and flicking pages too.
June 6, 2025
in summary: Mick Fleetwood and Eric Clapton suck!
This is a great insight of the person behind the muse and the struggles of being a rockstar’s wife. Throughout this book I grew to feel for Jenny Boyd. Anyone interested in what life was like for a women living in the golden age of rock and roll should give this a read!
This is a great insight of the person behind the muse and the struggles of being a rockstar’s wife. Throughout this book I grew to feel for Jenny Boyd. Anyone interested in what life was like for a women living in the golden age of rock and roll should give this a read!
December 27, 2023
3.5 stars. Jenny Boyd ended up knowing a lot of famous people and she has some good stories. Her details on how she turned her life around and became a consultant in the field of addiction treatment were especially interesting. She seemed to spend much of her life searching and appears to have finally found what she was looking for.
October 28, 2024
A very likeable person but I didn't like the audio performance. Too many breaks.
May 28, 2021
A powerful attestation to finding your own way in the world of rock 'n' roll and love, Jenny Boyd's autobiography is a captivating, showstopping story of an amazing woman who has faced it all and come out the other side.
Along with the likes of Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton and her sister, Pattie Boyd, Jenny Boyd is seen as one of the defining faces of the Swinging Sixties, having modelled for designers such as Foale and Tuffin. After a trip to San Francisco in 1967 and discovering transcendental meditation, Jenny quit her modelling career, later saying modelling was a 'waste of her time'.
In March 2020, her autobiography was published, titled 'Jennifer Juniper', after the song which Scottish singer/songwriter Donovan wrote about her. I wanted a copy of her book badly, but only got round to obtaining one in late May... but my God, from the first page I was hooked.
This is, before you read any further, not an article where I compare the sisters' work; Pattie's 'Wonderful Tonight' and Jenny's 'Jennifer Juniper', and conclude at the end as to which is best. I want to make that quite clear. They're both amazing pieces of literature, and I enjoyed them both immensely. This is a review of only Jenny Boyd's book.
* * * * * *
Starting from her early days in Kenya, Jenny's book seemed so personal that it was like a window to her soul. Every page was like a personal diary, a recollection of what most of us would regard as our deepest, most private thoughts and feelings - but not Jenny.
Jenny, who twice married drummer of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood, and then later married drummer Ian Wallace, is a muse beyond words and inspired songs which are still loved today. Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones told her that she had inspired one of his songs - though to this day she doesn't know which one it was.
'Jennifer Juniper' seemed to focus on the personal life of Jenny Boyd, rather than that of the music, which I feel was a fresh take on something which has been exhausted; in the last fifteen years, there have been biographies and autobiographies published regularly, but none touched me quite as this one did. It tugged at my heartstrings and made me ache with longing, embarrassment, love and every other emotion which was covered in the admittedly short book... I loved how the book was written and felt that it was beyond personal, and that was what made it so easy to read and relate to and be a part of. Jenny included you in her past, bringing you into the loop and telling you secrets which I assume would only have been told to close friends, or even kept within the family.
When she found her calling later in life, the way that she wrote about it was inspiring. To read about a woman who had gone through so much and then found the thing which she was meant to do was truly special and proved that a dog is never too old to be taught new tricks (pardon the idiom). It seems that Jenny found her mantra, and is still following it and helping others.
It truly was amazing to read about Jenny Boyd throughout the years and see how far she went from her early days in Kenya to Carnaby Street and San Francisco, India with The Beatles, Los Angeles with her husbands and two daughters before finally settling in England with her third husband, David - and the many stops along the way. This is a tale of love and loss, of gain and adventure, and of the music which has inspired generations... but most of all, it is the story of one extraordinary woman; Helen Mary 'Jenny' Boyd.
Along with the likes of Twiggy, Jean Shrimpton and her sister, Pattie Boyd, Jenny Boyd is seen as one of the defining faces of the Swinging Sixties, having modelled for designers such as Foale and Tuffin. After a trip to San Francisco in 1967 and discovering transcendental meditation, Jenny quit her modelling career, later saying modelling was a 'waste of her time'.
In March 2020, her autobiography was published, titled 'Jennifer Juniper', after the song which Scottish singer/songwriter Donovan wrote about her. I wanted a copy of her book badly, but only got round to obtaining one in late May... but my God, from the first page I was hooked.
This is, before you read any further, not an article where I compare the sisters' work; Pattie's 'Wonderful Tonight' and Jenny's 'Jennifer Juniper', and conclude at the end as to which is best. I want to make that quite clear. They're both amazing pieces of literature, and I enjoyed them both immensely. This is a review of only Jenny Boyd's book.
* * * * * *
Starting from her early days in Kenya, Jenny's book seemed so personal that it was like a window to her soul. Every page was like a personal diary, a recollection of what most of us would regard as our deepest, most private thoughts and feelings - but not Jenny.
Jenny, who twice married drummer of Fleetwood Mac, Mick Fleetwood, and then later married drummer Ian Wallace, is a muse beyond words and inspired songs which are still loved today. Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones told her that she had inspired one of his songs - though to this day she doesn't know which one it was.
'Jennifer Juniper' seemed to focus on the personal life of Jenny Boyd, rather than that of the music, which I feel was a fresh take on something which has been exhausted; in the last fifteen years, there have been biographies and autobiographies published regularly, but none touched me quite as this one did. It tugged at my heartstrings and made me ache with longing, embarrassment, love and every other emotion which was covered in the admittedly short book... I loved how the book was written and felt that it was beyond personal, and that was what made it so easy to read and relate to and be a part of. Jenny included you in her past, bringing you into the loop and telling you secrets which I assume would only have been told to close friends, or even kept within the family.
When she found her calling later in life, the way that she wrote about it was inspiring. To read about a woman who had gone through so much and then found the thing which she was meant to do was truly special and proved that a dog is never too old to be taught new tricks (pardon the idiom). It seems that Jenny found her mantra, and is still following it and helping others.
It truly was amazing to read about Jenny Boyd throughout the years and see how far she went from her early days in Kenya to Carnaby Street and San Francisco, India with The Beatles, Los Angeles with her husbands and two daughters before finally settling in England with her third husband, David - and the many stops along the way. This is a tale of love and loss, of gain and adventure, and of the music which has inspired generations... but most of all, it is the story of one extraordinary woman; Helen Mary 'Jenny' Boyd.
December 22, 2025
3,8/5. Een heel mooi verhaal, als we naast de rock n roll wereld met haar drugs en verslaving kijken, vooral het deel waar ze tegen het einde aan zo gepassioneerd praat over haar boek en treatment centers. We moeten allemaal een beetje meer Boyd zijn
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 15, 2023
I am a huge fan of any kind of book that takes place during the swinging sixties whether they be memoirs, biographies, or fiction. I had been wanting to read this for a few years and finally got a copy through the library system but I was ultimately a little disappointed. For someone who hobnobbed (and became friends) with some of the most famous people of the time (George, Paul, Donovan, Christine McVie, Bonnie Raitt, and many more) and was the wife of Mick Fleetwood, this was surprisingly tedious. I'm not sure why although my theory is that despite the drama and emotions she went through during her various relationships, the writing was mostly dispassionate and it seemed she skipped some parts of what happened.
Recommended for anyone who has read Pattie Harrison's "Beautiful Tonight" (Jenny's sister), Chris O'Dell's "Miss O'Dell," and the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, "Daisy Jones and the Six." If a reader wants to delve further into the sex-drugs-rock n roll world of the late 1960s and early 1970s, try memoirs by Eric Clapton and Ronnie Wood. For even more reading about the people and times, "Beatle Wives" by Marc Shapiro, the forthcoming "Parachute Women" (Rolling Stones) by Elizabeth Winder, and "Sister Stardust" by Jane Green, a novel based on Taletha Getty, should keep readers busy.
Recommended for anyone who has read Pattie Harrison's "Beautiful Tonight" (Jenny's sister), Chris O'Dell's "Miss O'Dell," and the novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid, "Daisy Jones and the Six." If a reader wants to delve further into the sex-drugs-rock n roll world of the late 1960s and early 1970s, try memoirs by Eric Clapton and Ronnie Wood. For even more reading about the people and times, "Beatle Wives" by Marc Shapiro, the forthcoming "Parachute Women" (Rolling Stones) by Elizabeth Winder, and "Sister Stardust" by Jane Green, a novel based on Taletha Getty, should keep readers busy.
August 15, 2022
Anyone who romanticizes the 60s and/or the rock and roll culture should read the autobiographies of those who suffered through it, like those by the Boyd sisters, Pattie and Jenny. The baby boomers' (of which I'm one... barely) idealism was naive and arrogant, their behavior often irresponsible and negligent. And at what cost? Addiction (RIP Jimi, Janis, Jim, and so many others) and meaningless bed-hopping, leaving them feeling empty and searching for real intimacy. Thankfully, many of those who came through it, scarred but often wiser, have shared their stories, like the Boyds, and Pattie's ex-husband, Eric Clapton.
Jenny Boyd, to her credit (and unlike her late sister, Paula), was able to avoid addiction, despite heavy drug and alcohol abuse, and pulled away from the destructive lifestyle shared by her sisters. She learned to stand on her own two feet and found a greater purpose in earning not only a bachelor's degree, but a PhD, and went on to work in the mental health field helping others escape similar demons.
Jenny Boyd, to her credit (and unlike her late sister, Paula), was able to avoid addiction, despite heavy drug and alcohol abuse, and pulled away from the destructive lifestyle shared by her sisters. She learned to stand on her own two feet and found a greater purpose in earning not only a bachelor's degree, but a PhD, and went on to work in the mental health field helping others escape similar demons.
April 1, 2020
A Powerful Testament to Finding your Way
Growing up during the sixties for some of us was very much watching and listening. Jennifer's experience was different, she was part of the revolution. Her book is a detailed study of a painful actualization. She was with powerful, creative and influential musicians. For them and herself seeing the world through alcohol and drugs was a means to live separately from the rest of that generation.
The book is a wonderful albeit nostalgic mirror on the end of Edwardian values and the beginning of a whole new value set. In the twenties heroin was the drug many musicians used. However in this new era weed and cocaine topped the bill.
Her description of her feelings and how close to the edge she came are profound. To find her real self as a counselling psychologist is one of those deep, warming experiences.
I recommend this brilliant book to all, thanks to Jennifer particularly.
Mike Alexander
Growing up during the sixties for some of us was very much watching and listening. Jennifer's experience was different, she was part of the revolution. Her book is a detailed study of a painful actualization. She was with powerful, creative and influential musicians. For them and herself seeing the world through alcohol and drugs was a means to live separately from the rest of that generation.
The book is a wonderful albeit nostalgic mirror on the end of Edwardian values and the beginning of a whole new value set. In the twenties heroin was the drug many musicians used. However in this new era weed and cocaine topped the bill.
Her description of her feelings and how close to the edge she came are profound. To find her real self as a counselling psychologist is one of those deep, warming experiences.
I recommend this brilliant book to all, thanks to Jennifer particularly.
Mike Alexander
July 26, 2020
A fascinating mix of names and places, bands and singers I knew of and some I'd never heard of. I was actually quite surprised Jenny could remember so much of her life, given all the drinking and drugs involved. If you'd ever thought it would be great to be married to a rock star during the 60s, 70s and 80s this book would put you off that crazy world. That she managed to overcome this out of control lifestyle and find out that she was a very worthwhile person with something to contribute is quite remarkable. A little annoyance was the faded paragraph at the start of each chapter and the two letters amongst the first lot of photos that were so faded they were impossible to read.
March 19, 2020
Enjoyable book. I love reading about Swinging 1960s London and Jenny was right in the thick of it. But I always got the feeling she was holding back from being really open about her life, maybe because of her admittedly unsettled childhood. I'm glad her life turned around although I really was hoping she and Mick would end up together....
April 17, 2020
Wonderful read and look back with someone who helped to set the tone of a unique time and place in modern history. Thank you Jenny Boyd for sharing your experiences and insights about your growth during such challenging times...
and reminding so many of us , of the importance of "HAVING A VOICE" of our own as women.
Namaste Jenny, feel the love....
and reminding so many of us , of the importance of "HAVING A VOICE" of our own as women.
Namaste Jenny, feel the love....
May 9, 2020
Wow!
I had honestly never heard of Jenny Boyd, but reading about her in her own words was wonderful! She writes as though you are sitting down with her and she's telling you her life story.
I had honestly never heard of Jenny Boyd, but reading about her in her own words was wonderful! She writes as though you are sitting down with her and she's telling you her life story.
July 21, 2025
I've always wondered whether it's better to be the muse or the groupie... but I realize that both roles are equal sides of the same tragic coin. I'm not saying that the women who end up in these situations never find happiness or themselves, but sex, drugs and alcohol exacerbated by fame and fortune are generally fantasies that couldn't be further from reality. Everybody wants to be them, but nobody really understands the unthinkable world they live in. Boyd is brutally honest about her life, from her childhood and throughout her tumultuous relationship with Mick Fleetwood, which takes up the majority of her book because they met when they were so very young. Boyd is probably one of the few people who saw Fleetwood Mac, one of the greatest rock and roll bands to ever live, take shape before her very eyes-before the fame, before the money and during its meteoric rise to the top of the music world.
Sadly, the editing of this book is abysmal at best, with inappropriately placed punctuation, disjointed sentence structure and typos galore. For example: "base player" instead of "bass player." "I'd been bought up to believe..." "Pattie let school after the first term..." "SAN FRANSISCO" "...setting his guitar on fire and smashing it on stage The audience clapped and cheered..." "dye-hard meditators..." "that that there were other ways..." "When he didn't turn out to be who they thought he was, they were left with not only a sense of betrayal but also a feeling of unresolved grief for Brian and the void that his passing had left?" "The 'Grammies' instead of 'Grammys'" "During our time in Malibu I received a phone call from Mick's father while we were living in Malibu." "...didn't't" "But now that had changed It was an internal journey I was on..." "...I hadn't recognized in myself.," and so it goes.
All in all this was an interesting read, mainly because I love books about this time period, but also because even though I have never lived the life Boyd has, I do know what it's like to keep my voice silent when I should be standing up and shouting to the world.
Some of my favorite passages from the book:
"He felt so familiar and comfortable to be with that if I went back to him I might fall asleep and never wake up to my purpose in life."
"I wanted to glue all the fragmented bits together again, as if the cracks had never happened."
"It was unnerving going against my built-in belief that if I didn't do what was expected of me, I wouldn't be loved. I felt shaky in my new identity, and yet I knew I was taking an enormous step towards finding myself."
"I now realized alcohol had given me a false sense of connection to people; it had made me feel sure of myself, more lucid, more spontaneous, and less split and self-conscious. What it excluded, though, was something much more important. A little sound, ignored for so long, stuffed deep down inside where I thought there was nothing; my own voice."
Sadly, the editing of this book is abysmal at best, with inappropriately placed punctuation, disjointed sentence structure and typos galore. For example: "base player" instead of "bass player." "I'd been bought up to believe..." "Pattie let school after the first term..." "SAN FRANSISCO" "...setting his guitar on fire and smashing it on stage The audience clapped and cheered..." "dye-hard meditators..." "that that there were other ways..." "When he didn't turn out to be who they thought he was, they were left with not only a sense of betrayal but also a feeling of unresolved grief for Brian and the void that his passing had left?" "The 'Grammies' instead of 'Grammys'" "During our time in Malibu I received a phone call from Mick's father while we were living in Malibu." "...didn't't" "But now that had changed It was an internal journey I was on..." "...I hadn't recognized in myself.," and so it goes.
All in all this was an interesting read, mainly because I love books about this time period, but also because even though I have never lived the life Boyd has, I do know what it's like to keep my voice silent when I should be standing up and shouting to the world.
Some of my favorite passages from the book:
"He felt so familiar and comfortable to be with that if I went back to him I might fall asleep and never wake up to my purpose in life."
"I wanted to glue all the fragmented bits together again, as if the cracks had never happened."
"It was unnerving going against my built-in belief that if I didn't do what was expected of me, I wouldn't be loved. I felt shaky in my new identity, and yet I knew I was taking an enormous step towards finding myself."
"I now realized alcohol had given me a false sense of connection to people; it had made me feel sure of myself, more lucid, more spontaneous, and less split and self-conscious. What it excluded, though, was something much more important. A little sound, ignored for so long, stuffed deep down inside where I thought there was nothing; my own voice."
February 17, 2023
Jenny Boyd is the sister of Pattie, who was married to George Harrison and Eric Clapton. Jenny was married, twice, to Mick Fleetwood from Fleetwood Mac.
The sisters had a difficult upbringing. Their mother hardly knew their father but was engaged to him when he was involved in an accident and disfigured. She went through with the marriage, although he was never the same after the trauma. The family lived in Kenya for a time and then the marriage broke up. Jenny didn't see her father again for many decades.
I enjoyed her account of London and Los Angeles in the 1960s. In London she was a model for a trendy design house. She, Patti, George Harrison and others famously went to LA to experience the emerging flower power era, mysticism and drugs.
After an on/off relationship with Fleetwood they seem destined to be together and marry. But the marriage isn't a success for Jenny. Fleetwood is wholly driven by the band and touring, and ignores his wife's emotional needs. They were young when they maried and had children, and this is reflected in what seems like childish behaviour at times with the young children shunted across the Atlantic at times when their parents weren't speaking.
Eventually Jenny returned to England and started representing clinics in America specializing in treating alcoholism and eating disorders. At that time, the US treatments were vastly different from those in the UK. She organised workshops which were very successful and went on to study and become a counsellor. She finally tracked down her father but their reunion is dreadful and his behaviour creepy. It's a tribute to Jenny that she didn't block him from her life but found a way to help him unlock his memories and communicate with her.
The sisters had a difficult upbringing. Their mother hardly knew their father but was engaged to him when he was involved in an accident and disfigured. She went through with the marriage, although he was never the same after the trauma. The family lived in Kenya for a time and then the marriage broke up. Jenny didn't see her father again for many decades.
I enjoyed her account of London and Los Angeles in the 1960s. In London she was a model for a trendy design house. She, Patti, George Harrison and others famously went to LA to experience the emerging flower power era, mysticism and drugs.
After an on/off relationship with Fleetwood they seem destined to be together and marry. But the marriage isn't a success for Jenny. Fleetwood is wholly driven by the band and touring, and ignores his wife's emotional needs. They were young when they maried and had children, and this is reflected in what seems like childish behaviour at times with the young children shunted across the Atlantic at times when their parents weren't speaking.
Eventually Jenny returned to England and started representing clinics in America specializing in treating alcoholism and eating disorders. At that time, the US treatments were vastly different from those in the UK. She organised workshops which were very successful and went on to study and become a counsellor. She finally tracked down her father but their reunion is dreadful and his behaviour creepy. It's a tribute to Jenny that she didn't block him from her life but found a way to help him unlock his memories and communicate with her.
May 17, 2024
Beautifully written for starters. And also a gripping read. Jenny Boyd, the inspiration behind Donovan’s dulcet love song Jennifer Juniper, now also the title of this 2020 memoir, symbolizes her era— the highs, lows and the hang overs in between. A former Swinging London fashion model and Beatles insider in the 1960s (sister Pattie was wife to George Harrison), Jenny married Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac fame (twice) in the 1970s, losing her sense of self in a haze of drugs, drink and life-on-the-road rock and roll. Her story highlights a cultural shift from the Summer of Love to the narcissistic Me Decade that followed the sixties dream. Tempted by infidelity and way too much cocaine, she loses her sense of self and creative direction. Fundamentally a seeker of meaning and healing as part of a greater spiritual quest. she comes to right herself by trusting her instincts to get her back on course. Heeding the words of her former brother-in-law, Beatle George, she learns to be true to herself by being simply herself, without guilt or shame, a journey abetted by sobriety and an educational path that ultimately earns her a PhD in the humanities. Along the way are personal encounters with many of the rock personages she has written about in an earlier published book about musicians and creativity, the retitled It’s Not Only Rock and Roll, among them Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Christine McVie, all the Beatles and Donovan of course who would have married her had she let him. Jenny’s book is a survivor’s story and a late 20th century cultural document rolled into one. She started writing poetry in her hippie days in Haight Asbury and it shows. The prose is a charm. It weaves a spell.
April 13, 2024
I've read several biographies that mention Jenny Boyd, she was sister-in-law to George Harrison, Eric Clapton, and Marries to Mick Fleetwood. As a model and family member of the Beatles, Cream, and Fleetwood Mac, she is rock royalty. But no other bio of Clapton, the Beatles, or Mick Fleetwood goes into detail on her or gives her perspective. This is her tale told in her own words and it is refreshing and enjoyable.
As with most rock bios, the stories of being behind the scenes with the musicians I idolized in my youth are engaging. Boyd's style is direct and conversational. Her stories provide much insight. She begins with growing up in both England and Kenya in a troubled family. As a teen she modelled and, like her sister, joined the entourage of many rock legends. Donavan wrote Jennifer Juniper for her, but Mick Fleetwood was her love.
As the book goes on into Boyd's life with Mick, the book and TV series Daisy Jones and the Six comes to mind. She is the real lifelong suffering mother raising her two daughters while Mick becomes lost in a world of drugs, all night sessions at the studio, touring, and managing a hit band. Though her story takes sad turns, she is here to tell her tale. After leaving Mick she eventually finds a path, career, and has published not only this biography, but writings in her field.
I enjoyed this. Boyd tells enough of the backstage rock stories I expected while providing a much-neglected perspective. In all the sex, drug, and rock and roll tale, the ladies are omnipresent but usually silent. This is the story of what was really happening or at least what happened with Jenny Boyd. Very enjoyable!
As with most rock bios, the stories of being behind the scenes with the musicians I idolized in my youth are engaging. Boyd's style is direct and conversational. Her stories provide much insight. She begins with growing up in both England and Kenya in a troubled family. As a teen she modelled and, like her sister, joined the entourage of many rock legends. Donavan wrote Jennifer Juniper for her, but Mick Fleetwood was her love.
As the book goes on into Boyd's life with Mick, the book and TV series Daisy Jones and the Six comes to mind. She is the real lifelong suffering mother raising her two daughters while Mick becomes lost in a world of drugs, all night sessions at the studio, touring, and managing a hit band. Though her story takes sad turns, she is here to tell her tale. After leaving Mick she eventually finds a path, career, and has published not only this biography, but writings in her field.
I enjoyed this. Boyd tells enough of the backstage rock stories I expected while providing a much-neglected perspective. In all the sex, drug, and rock and roll tale, the ladies are omnipresent but usually silent. This is the story of what was really happening or at least what happened with Jenny Boyd. Very enjoyable!
April 18, 2025
"Religious people try to stay out of hell. Spiritual people have already been there."
Interesting enough, but in essence Boyd is not the person most people want to read about. I picked up this book because I kept seeing it sold as the story upon with TJR based Daisy Jones and I loved that book. It is fun to read about different people who live different lives, but when it comes to autobiographies it is definitely better to care at least a bit about the subject. The casual use of drugs in this book is just wild to me. I can't even imagine.
If you are a fan of Fleetwood Mac and other artists from that time you will probably enjoy this story.
A word on the audio portion: this was quite honestly a terrible audiobook as far as production. Boyd is almost assuredly reading into her phone from her home. Because of this the sound is uneven -- sometimes it is fine and sometimes is sounds like she is on speakerphone. She can be heard shuffling papers and even clearing her throat. It's just not great. She probably wasn't the best narrator, but I understand why she wanted to read her own story. I blame these problems on the director/producer/sound engineer who didn't bother to rerecord or engage in heavy editing.
Interesting enough, but in essence Boyd is not the person most people want to read about. I picked up this book because I kept seeing it sold as the story upon with TJR based Daisy Jones and I loved that book. It is fun to read about different people who live different lives, but when it comes to autobiographies it is definitely better to care at least a bit about the subject. The casual use of drugs in this book is just wild to me. I can't even imagine.
If you are a fan of Fleetwood Mac and other artists from that time you will probably enjoy this story.
A word on the audio portion: this was quite honestly a terrible audiobook as far as production. Boyd is almost assuredly reading into her phone from her home. Because of this the sound is uneven -- sometimes it is fine and sometimes is sounds like she is on speakerphone. She can be heard shuffling papers and even clearing her throat. It's just not great. She probably wasn't the best narrator, but I understand why she wanted to read her own story. I blame these problems on the director/producer/sound engineer who didn't bother to rerecord or engage in heavy editing.
June 23, 2024
This book started out well with occasionally engaging sketches of her upbringing in Kenya, experiences as a teenager in the swinging sixties and flower child in San Fransisco. However, it devolves quickly because the author jumps around a lot, providing only glimpses of her experiences ( and of those around her) as a witness to the many of the major cultural influences of the time and skipping around what would make her story truly interesting. The book seems poorly edited, almost like an early draft still needing to be turned into a cohesive, readable work. She glosses over elements that would effectively bring readers into the story and instead goes on and on about details that add little to the story, like her dizzying number of trips and actual moves between the west coast and England (I gave up trying to keep track of time and place). It feels like she only scratches the surface. Just a frustrating read because I was left feeling like I wasn’t told the best parts of the story.
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