close
Kick: The True Story of JFKs Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth Audiobook, by Paula Byrne Play Audiobook Sample

Kick: The True Story of JFK's Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth Audiobook

Kick: The True Story of JFKs Sister and the Heir to Chatsworth Audiobook, by Paula Byrne Play Audiobook Sample
FlexPass™ Price: $19.95
$9.95 for new members!
(Includes UNLIMITED podcast listening)
  • Love your audiobook or we'll exchange it
  • No credits to manage, just big savings
  • Unlimited podcast listening
Add to Cart
$9.95/m - cancel anytime - 
learn more
OR
Regular Price: $27.99 Add to Cart
Read By: Antonia Beamish Publisher: HarperAudio Listen Time: at 1.0x Speed 8.50 hours at 1.5x Speed 6.38 hours at 2.0x Speed Release Date: July 2016 Format: Unabridged Audiobook ISBN: 9780062474575

Quick Stats About this Audiobook

Total Audiobook Chapters:

53

Longest Chapter Length:

28:47 minutes

Shortest Chapter Length:

07 seconds

Average Chapter Length:

14:20 minutes

Audiobooks by this Author:

1

Publisher Description

Paula Byrne brings J.F.K.’s adored little sister, Kick, back to life.” —Vanity Fair

From celebrated biographer Paula Byrne, the remarkable life 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.

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.

Download and start listening now!

“Byrne successfully fuses letters, diary entries, and anecdotes from family and friends to animate Kick’s personality and the pivotal points of her short life…This title will especially attract readers with an interest in American and English political dynasties and will have widespread appeal to fans of biographies.”

— Library Journal

Quotes

  • “Brilliant…Sentence by sentence, the book is a joy: a fresh take on the exceedingly well-worn theme of the Kennedy family…Byrne recounts the dramas of the end of [Kick’s] life with great pace and a poignancy that is all the more affecting for not being overdone.”

    — Guardian (London)
  • “Heartrending…An exciting, heartbreakingly tense love story.”

    — Kirkus Reviews

Kick Listener Reviews

Be the first to write a review about this audiobook!

About Paula Byrne

Paula Byrne is the author of Perdita, a highly acclaimed biography of eighteenth-century celebrity Mary Robinson. A regular contributor to the Times Literary Supplement and other publications, she lives in Oxford, England, with her husband, the critic and biographer Jonathan Bate.

About Antonia Beamish

Antonia Beamish is a voice-over artist and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. She is also a professional actress best known for performances in films such as The Last Horror Movie, Dead Creatures, and Chemical Wedding.