The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher

                                                            

Title: The Kennedy Debutante

Author: Kerri Maher

Genre: Historical Fiction


Synopsis: When Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy is living with her family in London while her father, Joe, is an ambassador from the United States, she finds a love of the city and of the ways of the English aristocracy. She also finds love for Billy Harington, the future Duke of Devonshire, but theirs is a forbidden love, Kick's family are well-known Catholics and Billy's staunch Protestants. WWII is beginning and Americans are being sent back home, can their love reach across the Atlantic? Being separated from Billy is bad enough, but struggles within Kick's own family are threatening to tear her apart.

My Thoughts

Before reading this, I had only learned about Kick Kennedy from an episode of Million Dollar American Princesses on the Smithsonian Channel. It discussed the difficulties in her relationship with Billy and the religious divide between the families. This novel gives more insight into Kick's life as a teen in London and her family life leading up to WWII. To get to understand Kick as a person and the relationship with her parents and siblings highlights why marrying someone from another faith would have been such a difficult choice for her. 

This novel also highlights many instances of the "Kennedy Curse" which makes it all the more tragic. I am not a Kennedy follower, so I learned a lot about the family that I never knew before. I loved reading this novel, even knowing how it would end, constantly hoping that maybe that ending wouldn't come. This is a real tear-jerker at some points, but it wouldn't be a good book if you don't become attached to the characters. 

Comment below if you have read this book or have suggestions for others like it!

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