Introduction

She longed for freedom and the chance to immerse herself in Paris, but was she truly ready for the adventures ahead?

Twenty-year old Jacqueline Bouvier is anxious to leave her overbearing family for the chance to study in Paris. Aching for freedom from difficult family relationships--and the constant pressure to find a husband--she wants to submerge herself in academics, the arts, and all Paris has to offer. As she sets sail, she has no interest in falling in love. However, her striking beauty catches the eyes of Paris' most elite bachelors--and a mysterious rogue. Before long, Jackie is swept into a whirlwind romance, as unexpected as it is extravagant. But doubts creep in. Is she ready for love, and would she truly consider building a life so far from her family? Confusing her even more is the attraction she's fighting to a man wrapped in mystique and questionable intentions. Jackie's time in Paris will leave her with a wealth of memories, life-long friendships, unconventional adventures, and intense scars from heartaches. Heartaches and lessons that will unknowingly prove more useful for her future than she could ever have imagined.

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Excerpt

CHAPTER ONE

Manhattan
April 1949

Poised and postured like the twenty-year-old debutante she was, Jacqueline Bouvier strolled into Schrafft’s on the arm of her father. The scent of Sunday brunch—freshly griddled waffles and bacon—greeted them, along with curious stares from several female patrons. Jackie loved it, the charisma he exuded that effortlessly captured women’s attention. There at his side, with sunlight streaming in behind them, she basked in the envy of every woman in the establishment. ... view entire excerpt...

Discussion Questions

1. Like most young women coming of age and stepping into their own, Jackie struggles with who she wants to be against who she’s been raised to be. The pressure to marry well is paramount. Philip, Paul, and Marceau each embody elements she finds attractive, but which man do you think would suite Jackie best?
2. Unlike many women of her time, Jackie craved and valued the opportunity to deepen her education. Why would men, during this time, find that unappealing in a potential wife? What factors do you think helped change this over time?
3. Had it been completely up to Jackie and her personal talents and passions, how do you think her life would’ve turned out differently? 4. Interestingly, Paul de Ganay, in real life, never married. He and Jackie remained life-long friends, though they didn’t correspond or visit regularly. (However, Jackie did return to France less than a year before her passing and spent time with Paul.) Do you think he carried a torch for Jackie that whole time? Are there any pitfalls for a man who doesn’t marry?
5. Overall, what were the valuable life-lessons Jackie learned in Paris that may have prepared her for her future?

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