Product Description

Despite hundreds of books and thousands of articles on Jackie Kennedy, surprisingly little is known about her mothers role in her life and achievements. Often dismissed as a social climber who faded into the woodworkJanet often served as a stand-in for Jackie during the White House years.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1137337 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10-12
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Although Jackie Kennedy Onassis's relationships with the men in her life her father and husbands in particular have been the subject of much biographical attention, Pottker asserts that these were actually of less significance in shaping Jackie's identity and legacy than was her relationship with her mother, Janet Lee Auchincloss. This, then, is meant to be a dual biography, in which Pottker (Dear Ann, Dear Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren) assesses the daughter's life in relation to her mother's and traces the ways in which Janet's ideals and ambitions influenced both Jackie's life and the Kennedy White House. Claiming to have uncovered several new facts about Jackie and many about Janet, this is meticulously researched and ably narrated. But while Pottker is insistent that Janet's role in Jackie's life merits a book-length study (and certainly, her point that Janet was actively involved in her daughter's life for 60 years is well taken), this remains less a real assessment of that mother-daughter relationship than yet another retelling of the Jackie Kennedy Onassis story, with details of Janet's life thrown in. But Janet is clearly a fascinating subject in her own right and, portrayed here sympathetically but warts-and-all, seems more human and more compelling than her celebrated daughter. A ruthless social snob, for example, she was also capable of selfless and spontaneous acts of kindness; and while her obsession with money and prestige lurked behind much of the advice and social training she gave Jackie, she also appears to have been a very devoted mother. If this is a less than groundbreaking retelling of Jackie's story, it's still noteworthy for its rich and nuanced portrait of Janet. Photos not seen by PW. Agent, Pam Bernstein.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Though this biography covers an intensely intimate subject the relationship between Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and her mother, Janet it possesses a decidedly surface appeal. Pottker (Dear Ann, Dear Abby: The Unauthorized Biography of Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren) foregrounds issues of status, wealth, lineage, and style, offering plenty of information about "social Newport" and Georgetown society, the family's various estates, how they were decorated, and so on, but very little about the emotional dynamics between mother and daughter. For example, Pottker proudly cheers when Janet eagerly steps in to fill the social vacuum when Jackie Kennedy inexplicably withdrew from public events, but she gives little insight into how the two women really felt. Was Janet a gracious protector or a garish social climber? Was Jackie an independent spirit, prone to depression, or merely private? Pottker doesn't push for intellectual or psychological depth, and the book's gossipy tone and society-page anecdotes ultimately make for a flat and one-dimensional read. Not recommended. Amy Strong, East Boothbay, ME
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Since so many full-scale biographies have been written about Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, it's not surprising that the focus seems to be turning to "niche biographies," which examine selected segments of Jackie's well-documented life in great detail. Pottker homes in on her subject's relationship with her mother, Janet Auchincloss.

Her book is rather pedestrian. Many of the facts are well known: Jackie's father's alcoholism and womanizing; her mother's insistence that Jackie marry a wealthy man; the women's testy relationship. But mother-daughter relationships always have a certain fascination, and this one is no different. This volume would be a marginal purchase at best. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Customer Reviews

Jackie's overlooked parent
I am an avid reader/collector of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis books, and I would recommend this book to someone who wants to better understand her. A great deal has been made about the relationship between Mrs. Onassis and her father, but not much was ever published about her mother. The author has accessed materials from the Auchincloss family, and has also talked with members of the family who can give insight into the complex woman Janet Auchincloss was. There are some extraneous details, but I learned a lot about the family dynamics, and how they affected some of Jackie's behaviors and tastes.
Janet Auchincloss has usually been portrayed as a social climbing, volatile, meddling woman with whom Jackie had little affection. This book makes Mrs. Auchincloss much more real, and clearly shows the impression she made on her eldest daughter.

A new slant
Most bios of JBKO treat her relationship with her mother only superficially, concentrating instead on how she adored her charismatic father. This book shines the light on Janet, which is a welcome change. While I applaud the new approach, I'm afraid it's not entirely successful. It includes many Janet stories, and almost as much about Jackie, but disappointingly little about Janet AND Jackie. I also wish that Lee and her relationship with Janet and Jackie had been explored more. Still, this book is an entertaining and credible read. I especially appreciated the part where Janet confronts her Senatorial son-in-law regarding his behavior after Jackie loses a baby. Mrs. Auchincloss behaved just as my, or other good mother, would.

Janet As A Real Person
All books I have previously read portrayed Jacqueline Kennedy's mother, Janet, as rather a one dimensional character whose main focus in life was social climbing. Ms. Pottker has fleshed her out into a real human being with foibles and strengths like everyone else. I would have liked to see more of the dynamics between mother and daughter, but nevertheless found this book interesting. Even though Jacqueline herself seems to have had more love and tolerance for her father, it was her mother that was the bigger influence in her life. In divorce the non custodial parent quite often spends the time spent with the children in
pursuit of giving the children a good time, buying things, etc. However, it is the custodial parent who has to establish discipline, study habits, etc. Consequently the children recall more fondly the good times versus the day to day normalacy. The author has given a new look at the life of Janet Lee.