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

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

The remarkable life of the vivacious, clever – and forgotten – Kennedy sister, who charmed the English aristocracy and was almost erased from her family history.The favourite child of Joe Kennedy and favourite sister of Jack, Kick Kennedy was spirited, vivacious and legendary for her charm. When the Kenndys sailed to Britain in 1938 she was presented as a debutante amid the pre-war social whirl of the British aristocracy. Here she met a shy, tall, handsome man called Billy, and, rebelling against family, faith, and country, soon married him. He was William Cavendish, heir to Chatsworth and the Duke of Devonshire, the most eligible bachelor in England. But their days of married bliss proved short, as war would bring tragedy and loss.Uncovering her spectacular life in full for the first time, Paula Byrne depicts a remarkable woman who bewitched the Churchills, Astors and Mitfords, and yet was almost erased from Kennedy family history.

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COPYRIGHT (#uf9c37b9e-24ca-51ad-af1e-5774b7de9ba7)

William Collins

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This eBook first published in Great Britain by William Collins in 2016

Copyright © 2016 Paula Byrne

Paula Byrne asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

Cover photograph © Corbis

The author has made every effort to trace copyright holders of images reproduced in this book, but will be glad to rectify any omissions in future editions.

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Source ISBN: 9780007548149

Ebook Edition © May 2016 ISBN: 9780007548132

Version: 2017-03-08

DEDICATION (#uf9c37b9e-24ca-51ad-af1e-5774b7de9ba7)

For my boys, Tom and Harry

(Kennedys through and through …)

and in memory of my grandfather, Robert Kennedy

CONTENTS

Cover (#u61e2dbbb-1716-5514-9888-e41421e2017b)

Title Page (#ulink_25418a63-529f-56a0-8ad7-39952cf87d6d)

Copyright (#ulink_65de5388-c68b-56f2-ba8f-e1aec6688524)

Dedication (#ulink_3742a43d-9fdb-5a07-be57-95eeb3353de9)

Prologue: Kicking the Surf (#ulink_d11cbcd3-739a-551b-82fc-8f51caadf1d7)

1. Rose and Joe (#ulink_279c9a6b-d930-5efe-a32c-4ea9f5dfc90d)

2. A Beautiful and Enchanting Child (#ulink_4534f779-f801-5689-a83e-af304224651f)

3. Forbidden Fruit (#ulink_bd5ffefc-7fa5-53f9-ad35-2a6200777cf3)

4. Hyannis Port (#ulink_0397f2f8-dff6-5b22-838b-6f5d2c3243aa)

5. Bronxville (#ulink_b334f883-90db-5b57-b24f-767d9f627a9b)

6. Convent Girl (#ulink_e0639a32-6dc6-5e4b-9e08-a44325eb7a87)

7. Muckers and Trouble (#ulink_f889c851-e569-560e-bf08-d0779b6b1288)

8. Mademoiselle Pourquoi (#ulink_4c8c2404-7d58-573e-902c-c660dcbad983)

9. Gstaad and Italy (#ulink_6ae72979-0163-5455-9328-c15a9a1d3247)

10. Travels with my Mother: Russia and England (#ulink_ef28d1b5-2298-5e80-a50e-e38c3401c95b)

11. Politics and Europe Revisited (#ulink_045ef098-59bf-5223-af0e-b787603481dd)

12. The Ambassador (#ulink_c0a1993f-83a1-5440-888f-63833ddd0ecf)

13. At the Court of St James’s (#litres_trial_promo)

14. ‘I Get a Kick Out of You’ (#litres_trial_promo)

15. The Debutante (#litres_trial_promo)

16. Lords a-Leaping (#litres_trial_promo)

17. ‘A Merry Girl’ (#litres_trial_promo)

18. Billy (#litres_trial_promo)

19. The Riviera (#litres_trial_promo)

20. Peace for our Time (#litres_trial_promo)

21. Chatsworth (#litres_trial_promo)