Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth
Summary (from the publisher): Filled with a wealth of revealing new material and insight, the biography of the vivacious, unconventional—and nearly forgotten—young Kennedy sister who charmed American society and the English aristocracy, and would break with her family for love.
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 as the 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 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.
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 as the 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 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.
Review: I received an uncorrected proof copy of this biography from HarperCollins.
This work of non-fiction covers the tragically short life of Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, one of the nine children of Joe Kennedy and sister of John F. Kennedy. Kathleen, although the second born daughter, assumed the role of oldest girl, as Rosemary, her older sister was born slow. Kick was vivacious and able to charm everyone who knew her throughout her life. Raised in the rambunctious and competitive Kennedy household, she could hold her own and was deeply committed to the Catholic faith her mother instilled in her. When her father became ambassador to Great Britain, the Kennedy family traveled abroad. Kick was presented at court and quickly made friends with royalty, including Billy Hartington, heir to the Duke of Devonshire. Her irreverent and charming personality quickly won over the more stuffy and socially bound British social set. Although forced to return to America with the outbreak of WWII, Kick returned to Britain through service to the Red Cross and resumed dating Billy, despite her family's wishes, as his family was famously anti-Catholic. After much turmoil, Kick married Billy, only to have him die near the end of World War II, painfully soon after Kick lost her oldest brother Joe Jr to the war. Tragically, Kick did not live long beyond Billy, dying in a plane crash with her lover Peter Fitzwilliam, a married man.
Although much of what I read in this biography has been covered in other biographies of the Kennedys, I appreciated the focus on Kick and the more streamlined biography. It was interesting to see how Joe Jr., Jack, and Kick are portrayed as an "unbreakable trinity, talented, good-looking and most of all good fun. A friend of the family said that the three were like a family within a family: 'They were the pick of the litter, the ones the old man thought would write the story of the next generation'" (42). Indeed, in Kick's darkest hours, including the painful decision to marry Billy against her family's wishes and then again after his death, it was Joe Jr. and Jack who were always there for her. Other details were amusing, such as her time at the French school of Neuilly, where she earned the nickname "Mademoiselle Porquoi" because of her tendency to always question the rules (47).
This was the second biography that I have read by Paula Byrne, having previously read Perdita. I found both works compelling and well researched books. In particular, this biography does an excellent job of cutting to the heart of Kick's story. Much has been written about Kick and the Kennedy family, including in such works as Laurence Leamer's biography The Kennedy Women, but Byrne does a good job of not bogging the reader down with too much information and instead focusing on the most pertinent points to allow the reader a still vivid portrait of her subject. However, I did feel as if her childhood and education were skimmed over, with most of the book devoted to her years after moving to England. I appreciate each of the Kennedy children gaining attention with their own biographies in recent years, including the much forgotten oldest daughter, Rosemary in the biography by Kate Larson. Furthermore, it was fascinating to read more about a character with ties to numerous historically critical figures, including: Debo Mitford, Nancy Astor, and Kick's final lover, a member of the FitzWilliam family, and not to mention her famous brother who became president following her death.
From descriptions of Kick, it's clear that the world lost a rare individual. Kick was "simultaneously warm and cool, friendly but distant, sexy but never promiscuous. Women liked her and rarely felt threatened by her charm, while men adored her and were drawn to her natural sexiness and vivacity" (64). Born to great privilege, she held a charmed life filled with prominent figures, travels, and social adventures. Yet her last years were overshadowed by the crisis and losses born of World War II and inner turmoil over what she saw as her betrayal to her faith through her marriage. The greatest tragedy is that the girl who held such promise, who might have become Duchess of Devonshire, died so young and senselessly in a small plane in the middle of a storm. Her gravestone says it best, "Joy she gave - Joy she has found" (283).
Stars: 4
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