Reading Jackie - William Kuhn - A Short Summary and Review
Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books - William Kuhn - A Short Summary and Review
By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures
A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review
A short summary:
Reading Jackie explores the life and legacy of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis through the books she published, promoted, edited, and loved. Rather than offering a conventional cradle-to-grave biography, William Kuhn uses Jackie’s reading life as a lens into her intellect, taste, and quiet cultural power.
The book traces Jackie’s work as an editor and publishing force after her time in the White House, highlighting how seriously she took books—as objects of beauty, tools of education, and vessels of memory. Her choices reveal a woman deeply engaged with history, art, literature, and the shaping of cultural legacy.
This is a portrait of Jackie not as an icon alone, but as a reader, curator, and advocate for books.
My favorite quote from the book:
Questions to ponder while reading:
My review:
I am a total Jackie fan, and this book only deepened that affection. What makes Reading Jackie so appealing is its focus on something profoundly human: a love of books as companions, educators, and refuges.
Kuhn offers an intriguing look into Jackie’s literary interests, showing how her taste reflected both curiosity and intention. She wasn’t a passive celebrity lending her name to projects; she was engaged, thoughtful, and demanding about the work she supported.
For fellow book lovers, this is especially satisfying. It affirms the idea that books matter, not just privately, but publicly. Jackie understood that reading enlarges the world, preserves history, and shapes taste across generations.
Reading Jackie is a gentle, rewarding read, one that celebrates a woman who believed, unapologetically, in books forever.
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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life
She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.
You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.
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