Kick: The True Story of Kick Kennedy, JFK’s Forgotten Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth - Softcover

Byrne, Paula

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0008174911 ISBN 13: 9780008174910

Publisher: William Collins, 2016

Synopsis

342 pages. Book appears to have hardly been read and is in As new condition throughout.

About this title

Review:

‘Byrne conjures such a vivid portrait of her enchanting heroine that one almost feels deprived never having met her’ Daily Mail, Book of the Week

‘Byrne is engagingly smitten with her subject ... Sentence by sentence, the book is a joy: a fresh take on the exceedingly well-worn theme of the Kennedy family. Byrne recounts the dramas of the end of her life with great pace and a poignancy that is all the more affecting for not being overdone’ Guardian

‘Byrne does a fine job rescuing Kick from undeserved obscurity, providing an important chapter to the story of this dazzling doomed dynasty’ The Times

‘Sparkling ... fast-paced ... transfixing’ Sunday Times

‘This absolutely enthralling biography is written by an expert hand... Her narrative is deceptively easy and fluid, cleverly belying the enormous weight and variety of her source materials’ Irish Independent

‘An exciting, heartbreakingly tense love story’ Kirkus Review

‘Written with panache ... as engaging as its subject’ Sunday Express

‘A fun-loving American charms the English aristocracy with her wit and sangfroid, overcoming prejudice to win the heart of London’s most eligible bachelor ... Paula Byrne ... recaptures her brief but fascinating story’ Vogue

‘This very sad story is at the heart of Paula Byrne's excellent biography ... supported by impressive research’ Financial Times

‘Sympathetic and faced-paced ... Byrne’s portrait of the Kennedy’s at home is transfixing’ Sunday Times

‘A compelling biography ... Byrne is to be commended for handling the formidable task with aplomb. She has produced a lively work ... allowing [Kick’s] warmth, charisma and legendary vitality to shine through’ Country Life

‘Absolutely enthralling ... Paula Byrne's narrative is deceptively easy and fluid cleverly belying the enormous weight and variety of her resource material’ Irish Independent

‘An exhilarating portrait of a woman who deserves a place in history’ Stellar Magazine

From the Back Cover:

Encouraged to be "winners" from a young age, Rose and Joe Kennedy's children were the embodiment of ambitious, wholesome Americanism. Yet even within this ebullient group of overachievers, the fourth Kennedy child, the irrepressible Kathleen, stood out. Lively, charismatic, extremely clever, and blessed with graceful athleticism and a sunny disposition, the alluring socialite--fondly known as "Kick"--was a firecracker who effortlessly made friends and stole hearts.

Moving across the Atlantic when her father was appointed ambassador to Great Britain in 1938, Kick--the "nicest Kennedy"--quickly became the family's star.

Despite making little effort to fit into British high society, she charmed everyone from the beau monde to Fleet Street with her unconventional attitude and easygoing humor. Growing increasingly independent, Kick would also shock and alienate her devout family by falling in love with and marrying the scion of a virulently anti-Catholic family--William Cavendish, the heir apparent of the Duke of Devonshire and Chatsworth. But the marriage would last only a few months; Billy was killed in combat in 1944, just four years before Kick's own unexpected death in an airplane crash at twenty-eight.

Paula Byrne recounts this remarkable young woman's life in detail as never before, from her work at the Washington Times-Herald and volunteerism for the Red Cross in wartime England; to her love of politics and astute, opinionated observations; to her decision to renounce her faith for the man she loved. Sympathetic and compelling, Kick shines a spotlight on this feisty and unique Kennedy long relegated to the shadows of her legendary family's history.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Collins
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0008174911
• ISBN 13: 9780008174910
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352