And They Called It Camelot Read online

  PRAISE FOR

  AND THEY CALLED IT CAMELOT

  “And They Called It Camelot is the book club pick of the year. Stephanie Marie Thornton brings an American icon to life: Jackie the debutante, the First Lady, and the survivor who at last becomes the heroine of her own story.”

  —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Huntress

  “An extraordinary profile of the courage and grace of the indomitable Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, And They Called It Camelot is impeccably researched and richly drawn. Readers are instantly transported to Jackie’s version of Camelot as they immerse themselves in the fascinating and tumultuous history of the times. An unputdownable read.”

  —Chanel Cleeton, New York Times bestselling author of Next Year in Havana

  “Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis leaves an enduring (and intimidating) legacy; for a writer, finding something new and meaningful to say about her is a daunting task. Thornton harnesses her immense talent for historical fiction and combines it with a biographer’s immersive research to create a rich portrait that is both intimate and thoughtful while also wildly addictive.”

  —Steven Rowley, author of The Editor

  “Addictive, dishy, and emotionally haunting, this novel paints an intimate portrait of a tumultuous marriage that played out on the world’s stage and ended in national tragedy. Vivid, engrossing, and utterly unforgettable, And They Called It Camelot is Thornton’s best work yet.”

  —Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of America’s First Daughter

  “Stephanie Thornton has compellingly and sympathetically humanized an American icon. Well-researched and beautifully written, And They Called It Camelot is compulsively readable historical fiction!”

  —Laura Kamoie, New York Times bestselling coauthor of My Dear Hamilton

  “Even if you think you know the story of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, you’re in for a rare behind-the-scenes look at the former First Lady’s life. This book is nothing short of magical.”

  —Renee Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer

  “This book grabbed me from page one and wouldn’t let me go. A multidimensional imagining of the trials and triumphs of Jaqueline Bouvier Kennedy, And They Called It Camelot will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about this remarkable First Lady. Full of glamour, scandal, and heartache, this is a novel you will want to discuss with all of your friends.”

  —Kerri Maher, author of The Girl in White Gloves

  “A sumptuous, propulsive, scandal-filled peek behind the curtain of American royalty.”

  —Erika Robuck, national bestselling author of Hemingway’s Girl

  “Jackie steps out of the pages a convincing, three-dimensional character, complete with contradictions and self-doubt. It’s like reading her private diary—witty, warm, and full of color.”

  —Gill Paul, author of The Lost Daughter

  “Lush, smart, and sumptuously elegant, And They Called It Camelot captures Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy’s life in all its many complexities, drawing back the curtain on a legend to reveal the all-too-human woman beneath. A beautiful portrait of an American icon.”

  —Bryn Turnbull, author of The Woman Before Wallis

  “Simply spellbinding. This intimate story of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis portrays a woman finding her way in a landscape dominated by men, and, with grace and astounding resilience, forging an identity the world will never forget. A tale of love and devastation, greatness and sacrifice, this remarkable novel will grip readers until the last page.”

  —Kristin Beck, author of Resistance

  PRAISE FOR

  AMERICAN PRINCESS

  “As juicy and enlightening as a page in Meghan Markle’s diary.”

  —InStyle

  “Skillfully woven and impeccably researched, American Princess brims with scandals, secrets, and the complexities of love in all of its wondrous, maddening forms. A vividly imagined portrait that mesmerized me from the first page to the last.”

  —Kristina McMorris, New York Times bestselling author of Sold on a Monday

  “A rare behind-the-scenes tale of a spunky woman who relies on her independent spirit to face down each challenge with courage and grace.”

  —Woman’s World

  WRITING AS STEPHANIE MARIE THORNTON

  American Princess

  And They Called It Camelot

  WRITING AS STEPHANIE THORNTON

  The Secret History

  Daughter of the Gods

  The Tiger Queens

  The Conqueror’s Wife

  BERKLEY

  An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC

  penguinrandomhouse.com

  Copyright © 2020 by Stephanie Thornton

  Readers Guide copyright © 2020 by Stephanie Thornton

  Penguin Random House supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin Random House to continue to publish books for every reader.

  BERKLEY and the BERKLEY & B colophon are registered trademarks of Penguin Random House LLC.

  Letter on pages 86–87 used by permission of Pete Mark, Kennedy Collection.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Thornton, Stephanie, 1980– author.

  Title: And they called it Camelot : a novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis / Stephanie Marie Thornton.

  Description: First edition. | New York : Berkley, 2020.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2019039584 (print) | LCCN 2019039585 (ebook) | ISBN 9780451490926 (paperback) | ISBN 9780451490933 (ebook)

  Subjects: LCSH: Onassis, Jacqueline Kennedy, 1929–1994—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PS3620.H7847 A88 2020 (print) | LCC PS3620.H7847 (ebook) | DDC 813/.6—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019039584

  LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019039585

  First Edition: March 2020

  Cover art by Bettmann / Getty Images

  Beach © CO Leong / Shutterstock Images Clouds and sky © suns07butterfly / Shutterstock Images

  Cover design by Emily Osborne

  This is a work of fiction. Apart from the well-known historical figures and actual people, events, and locales that figure in the narrative, all other characters are products of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. Where real-life historical persons appear, the situations, incidents, and dialogues concerning those persons are not intended to change the entirely fictional nature of the work.

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  CONTENTS

  Praise for And They Called It Camelot

  Ad Card

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Part OneChapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Part TwoChapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11