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There are currently 21 member reviews
for The Kennedy Debutante
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Wendy F. (Kalamazoo, MI)
Actually a 3.5
While I enjoyed reading the story of Kick Kennedy and her whirlwind times and romance, I wish the author would have given us a little more depth and history. I have read a lot of Kennedy history but had not really seen much about Kick. It was good to hear her story.
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Catherine H. (Nashua, NH)
The importance of being Kick Kennedy
The author did her homework on the Kennedy family, pre- and WWII London.
Although Kick K. life was short, it was certainly a very privileged and superficial life: I sincerely doubt that the majority of people living in London during WWII, spent their days going from parties to parties or enjoyed Champage and other delicacies.
"The importance of being Kennedy" by Laurie Graham has my preference.
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Lin Z. (Downers Grove, IL)
I hoped for more!
I was very interested in the title character and the opportunity to read this new book. I hoped for more! I enjoyed the description of the parties and nightlife before the war. Prewar England was very different than life in America. But I felt the booked dragged, especially in the middle. Her time in back Washington was dull, and I got bored. I think an editor might condense that part. As a Catholic and a woman, I recognize that I look at Kennedy with more "modern" eyes than perhaps she deserved but I wasn’t convinced by the author’s interpretation in places. Also, I picked this book with the hope of gaining new insight into the parts of Kennedy’s life that are not public knowledge and, in this respect I found the book unsatisfying, for example, did she reconcile with her family and what happened in the four years leading up to her death?
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Vicky R. (Roswell, GA)
The engrossing Kennedy family
I love reading novels about the Kennedys...I wanted to like this book so much! It simply dragged for me. The first few chapters were interesting and engrossing but as the story unfolded it became stagnant. I did learn some interesting information about Kick and the family, however, I felt there was much fluff in the book to make it to a certain number of pages. I would read this author again though and appreciated the opportunity.
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Esther L. (Newtown, PA)
A Kennedy Family Saga
With thanks to BookBrowse for the opportunity to preview The Kennedy Debutante. Historical Fiction is my favorite genre and I enjoyed this look into the lives of the Kennedy family. Kathleen"Kick"Kennedy was a spirited young woman,deeply enmeshed in her Catholic upbringing,who yearned for an independent life like her brothers Joe and Jack were able to enjoy. Her ultimate struggle was to mesh her love for the aristocratic Protestant future Duke of Devonshire with her strict religious upbringing.
The novel starts on page one with"Kick rising out of damp sheets due to the sour sweat that drenched her the night before. Fear had plagued her dreams for weeks,encouraging one of her most embarrassing and least ladylike bodily functions-perspiration." Then,surprisingly the sweating continues the whole book! I lost count of the times that sweat was mentioned. I think that the editors should have noticed the "sweat problem" and changed the wording somewhat. I was glad to have read the book but found it just OK.
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Darra W. (Mendocino, CA)
Disappointing
I approached this book with great anticipation, given the subject matter...and I was so disappointed! I found the storytelling repetitive, the characters one-dimensional, and the writing itself unsophisticated--almost childlike. It's never a good sign when I find myself constantly checking to see how many pages remain until the story ends.
Book clubs may jump at this title, given the Kennedy cache, but oh dear! Kick deserves so much better!
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Dorothy G. (Naperville, IL)
Not enough for me.....
While I enjoyed learning about Kit's life and seeing how planned and produced her parents had intended it to be, I felt that the book tended to drag. Kit's musings often seemed similar to those of females in the 1940's movies; too innocent and too contrived. I had hoped to gain more insight into the workings of the family. Thank you for the opportunity to read this novel. I definitely found the history interesting, just would have liked more definition.
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