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Jacqueline in Paris
Jacqueline in Paris: A Novel | Ann Mah
12 posts | 12 read | 1 reading | 7 to read
From the bestselling author of The Lost Vintage, a rare and dazzling portrait of Jacqueline Bouvier's college year abroad in postwar Paris, an intimate and electrifying story of love and betrayal, and the coming-of-age of an American icon - before the world knew her as Jackie. In September 1949 Jacqueline Bouvier arrives in postwar Paris to begin her junior year abroad. She's twenty years old, socially poised but financially precarious, and all too aware of her mother's expectations that she make a brilliant match. Before relenting to family pressure, she has one year to herself far away from sleepy Vassar College and the rigid social circles of New York, a year to explore and absorb the luminous beauty of the City of Light. Jacqueline is immediately catapulted into an intoxicating new world of champagne and chteaux, art and avant-garde theater, cafs and jazz clubs. She strikes up a romance with a talented young writer who shares her love of literature and passion for culture - even though her mother would think him most unsuitable. But beneath the glitter and rush, France is a fragile place still haunted by the Occupation. Jacqueline lives in a rambling apartment with a widowed countess and her daughters, all of whom suffered as part of the French Resistance just a few years before. In the aftermath of World War II, Paris has become a nest of spies, and suspicion, deception, and betrayal lurk around every corner. Jacqueline is stunned to watch the rise of communism - anathema in America, but an active movement in France - never guessing she is witnessing the beginning of the political environment that will shape the rest of her life--and that of her future husband. Evocative, sensitive, and rich in historic detail, Jacqueline in Paris portrays the origin story of an American icon. Ann Mah brilliantly imagines the intellectual and aesthetic awakening of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, and illuminates how France would prove to be her one true love, and one of the greatest influences on her life.
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MallenNC
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this historical fiction about the future Jacqueline Kennedy‘s time studying abroad in Paris. Though the author does a good job including what is known about this time in Jackie‘s life, it almost didn‘t matter who the main character was because what was most interesting was getting a look at life in post-war Paris.

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merelybookish
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Panpan

Welp, this book was not for me. It aims to re-imagine the year Jackie O (then Jacqueline Bouvier) spent as a student in post-war Paris. There is a lot of re-imagining and very little Jackie O. There are Communists and Facists and spy rings, oh my! There's also a lot of lip biting and eyelash batting. I read it for a book club and hoped the Paris setting would sustain me. It helped but couldn't salvage painfully overwrought prose or a dumb plot.

AlaMich Eyelash batting? That would be a hard pass for me too! 2y
Ruthiella Did anyone “release a breath they didn‘t know they were holding”? 😬 2y
vivastory This review 🤣 2y
See All 7 Comments
merelybookish @AlaMich She often dropped her gaze and then looked up through her lashes. 🙄 2y
merelybookish @Ruthiella No, but someone did pause to crush out a cigarette with their heel.before finishing the conversation. 2y
merelybookish @vivastory Thanks. Writing is was the most fun I had with this book. 🙃 2y
AlaMich I once read a mystery where the author‘s favorite idiotic repetition involved people “blinking slowly.” Sooo many people were blinking slowly in that book! 😴 2y
63 likes7 comments
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LaraReads
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New Years plans include finishing up Hester & starting the tagged book for my #lastfirst. Tagged book count towards #52bookclub23 #acityorcountrynameinthetitle and #booked23 #propernounintitle

@BookNAround

BookNAround I have both of these on my tbr. 2y
28 likes1 comment
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marleed
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Pickpick

I didn‘t get JackieB vibes as I read this and quickly decided to read as a fictional American 20yr old privileged to spend her junior year in France 1949 - I liked it better this way. So much of the romance of Paris was yet to be salvaged from the impact of war. Again I should have read the afterward first as a better appreciation for the author‘s character development.

VoraciousReader Was thinking about getting this for the library. Our patrons are on a historical fiction kick. 2y
marleed @VoraciousReader I liked it mostly free m the perspective of rebuilding a city and country post war. It was also interesting to consider privileged Americans traveling for their semesters abroad to such an area - and the difference that could make to who they become as adults. 2y
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Preciouz29
Pickpick

I enjoyed this more than expected, but there was just something missing that made me love this. It was a super quick read and really made me want to visit Paris again.

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janeycanuck
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Mehso-so

This was…. Inconsistent. Some parts were really strong and others were rather lacklustre. It felt like Jacqueline was two different people, almost like Mah wrote the book and then was told she wasn‘t enough like the real person and randomly picked some places to add some almost caricature-like moments.

Book 3/4 for #OutstandingOctober

Andrew65 Well done, shame it wasn‘t better! 👏👏👏 2y
25 likes1 comment
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Eggs
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Day 5:
Finished
Duchess of Kent
The Dinner List
Jacqueline in Paris
22 books total
#OutstandingOctoberReadathon @Andrew65

Andrew65 Brilliant 👏👏👏 2y
Eggs Thanks 🙏🏻 Andrew @Andrew65 2y
47 likes2 comments
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peacegypsy
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The latest BOTM read for me.

31 likes1 stack add
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LeslieO
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#BOTM Love the cover.

33 likes1 stack add
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LeslieO
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If it has Paris in the title I‘m in. #BOTM

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JamieArc
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At first glance, I wasn‘t super excited about any of this months picks, but wanted the add on after being blurbed by Sarah Addison Allen, and somehow ended up with 3! Well…not “somehow.” I just started teaching a French class, so the tagged book caught my eye. And Thistlefoot felt appropriate for the season. #BOTM