Jackie and Maria: A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas
From the #1 bestselling author of The Secret Wife comes a story of love, passion, and tragedy as the lives of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas are intertwined--and they become the ultimate rivals, in love with the same man.
The President's Wife; a Glamorous Superstar; the rivalry that shook the world...
Jackie Kennedy was beautiful, sophisticated, and contemplating leaving her ambitious young senator husband. Life in the public eye with an overly ambitious--and unfaithful--man who could hardly be coaxed to return from a vacation after the birth of a stillborn child was breaking her spirit. So when she's offered a holiday on the luxurious yacht owned by billionaire Ari Onassis, she says yes...to a meeting that will ultimately change her life.
Maria Callas is at the height of her operatic career and widely considered to be the finest soprano in the world. And then she's introduced to Aristotle Onassis, the world's richest man and her fellow Greek. Stuck in a childless, sexless marriage, and with pressures on all sides from opera house managers and a hostile press, she finds her life being turned upside down by this hyper-intelligent and impeccably charming man...
Little by little, Maria's and Jackie's lives begin to overlap, and they come closer and closer until everything they know about the world changes on a dime.
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Gill Paul has written thirteen historical novels, many of them re-evaluating extraordinary 20th-century women whom she thinks have been marginalized or misjudged by historians. Her books have reached the top of the US, Canadian, and UK charts, and have been translated into twenty-three languages.
Gill was born and raised in Scotland, apart from an eventful year at school in the US when she was ten. She worked as an editor in nonfiction publishing, then as a ghostwriter, before giving up the "day job" to write fiction full-time. She is also an events organizer for the Historical Writers Association.
Gill loves wild swimming year-round, arranging parties, and traveling whenever and wherever she can.
"A compelling and fascinating story about powerful personalities played out against an intriguingly political and glamorous backdrop."--Rosanna Ley, author of The Lemon Tree Hotel
"Being aboard Onassis' yacht with a glass of champagne was just what I needed. Addictive and so well-researched."--Kate Riordan, author of The Heatwave
"Gill Paul weaves together the lives of two fascinating and flawed icons... A dishy and delectable novel, Jackie and Maria, is sure to please readers with its famous cast of characters from John F. Kennedy to Aristotle Onassis, its taut pacing, and a truly absorbing story."--Heather Webb, USA Today Bestselling Author
"Gill Paul brings to vivid life two iconic women of the twentieth century and their intertwined destinies. Sumptuous and spellbinding."--Louisa Treger, author of The Dragon Lady
"[A] delectable new novel...about the lives and romantic rivalry of two female icons--such a juicy pageturner!"--Kris Waldherr, author of The Lost History of Dreams
"Absolutely delicious! Gill Paul's wonderfully seductive novel vividly captures the triumphs and tragedies of two remarkable and complicated women, whose lives interconnect in surprising and devastating ways. Jackie and Maria is perfect historical fiction. I adored it."--Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author of The Cottingley Secret and The Girl Who Came Home
"Jackie and Maria is an intriguing behind-the-scenes look at the rivalry between two of the world's most glamorous women, both of whom snared the attention of Aristotle Onassis, one of the world's richest and most mesmerizing men. Fans of the Kennedys will love this introduction to Maria Callas!"--Stephanie Thornton, USA Today bestselling author of And They Called It Camelot
"The novel brilliantly evokes the world of the jet-set, rich and famous of the sixties so well I felt I was living it all alongside them."--Kathleen McGurl, author of The Drowned Village and The Stationmaster's Daughter
"With Jackie and Maria Gill Paul has cleverly tapped into the zeitgeist for reframing women's history...This is beautiful, tender and humane storytelling."--Kate Thompson, author of Secrets of the Homefront Girls and the Stepney Doorstep Society
"I can't rave highly enough about this book...A dazzling yet moving portrait of two very different iconic women, it's brilliantly researched, compellingly told and completely fascinating."--Tracy Rees, author of The House at Silvermoor and Amy Snow
"Gill Paul is always meticulous in her historical research for novels, and always brings the characters so vividly to life...This novel is simply stunning."--Louise Beech, author of Call Me Star Girl and The Mountain in My Shoe
"Two of the most famous and glamorous women of the mid-20th century fall in love with one of the world's richest men: the scene is set for a drama of vicious rivalry and broken hearts... a truly compelling story keeping you gripped from (fairly) innocent beginnings to tragic endings...This is the best of historical fiction - leaving you wanting to learn more."--Liz Trenow, author of The Hidden Thread
"I loved Gill's brilliant Jackie and Maria. I was completely enthralled, wholly swept up in the characters, the glamour, and the fascinating story of these iconic women. For me, it was an utter treat from beginning to end..."--Jenny Ashcroft, author of Last Letter to Bombay
"Gill Paul weaves together the competing and complementary lives of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas into a rich tapestry in this absorbing, romantic novel. Impossibly chic and fiercely independent, both women commanded my attention from the first page, and I applauded them both to the last."--Kerri Maher, author of The Girl in White Gloves and The Kennedy Debutante
"Heartbreaking. Brilliant. Powerful. Its intensity and perception knocked me out. I guarantee that this fascinating love-triangle story will have you enthralled. The passion and pain of two strong female icons of the twentieth century sent shivers through me with every page. Superb storytelling. Gill Paul at her best."--Kate Furnivall, author of Guardian of Lies and The Betrayal
"I just loved being swept into the lives and loves - and steamy affairs! - of Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. A fabulous book. Bravo, Gill!"--Eve Chase, author of The Daughters of Foxcote Manor and Black Rabbit Hall
