The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters

The Tragic and Glamorous Lives of Jackie and Lee

By: Sam Kashner, Nancy Schoenberger

Narrated by: Bernadette Dunne

Length: 10 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

A poignant, evocative, and wonderfully gossipy account of the two sisters who represented style and class above all else - Jackie Kennedy Onassis and Lee Radziwill - from the authors of Furious Love.

When 64-year-old Jackie Kennedy Onassis died in her Fifth Avenue apartment, her younger sister Lee wept inconsolably. Then Jackie’s 38-page will was read. Lee discovered that substantial cash bequests were left to family members, friends, and employees - but nothing to her. "I have made no provision in this my Will for my sister, Lee B. Radziwill, for whom I have great affection, because I have already done so during my lifetime", read Jackie’s final testament. Drawing on the authors’ candid interviews with Lee Radziwill, The Fabulous Bouvier Sisters explores their complicated relationship, placing them at the center of 20th-century fashion, design, and style.

In life, Jackie and Lee were alike in so many ways. Both women had a keen eye for beauty - in fashion, design, painting, music, dance, sculpture, poetry - and both were talented artists. Both loved pre-revolutionary Russian culture, and the blinding sunlight, calm seas, and ancient olive groves of Greece. Both loved the siren call of the Atlantic, sharing sweet, early memories of swimming with the rakish father they adored, Jack Vernou Bouvier, at his East Hampton retreat. But Jackie was her father’s favorite, and Lee, her mother’s. One would grow to become the most iconic woman of her time, while the other lived in her shadow. As they grew up, the two sisters developed an extremely close relationship threaded with rivalry, jealousy, and competition. Yet it was probably the most important relationship of their lives.

For the first time, Vanity Fair contributing editor Sam Kashner and acclaimed biographer Nancy Schoenberger tell the complete story of these larger-than-life sisters. Drawing on new information and extensive interviews with Lee, now 84, this dual biography sheds light on the public and private lives of two extraordinary women who lived through immense tragedy in enormous glamour.

©2018 Sam Kashner and Nancy Schoenberger (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Fascinating story!

I enjoyed every minute of it. Yes, it was more so about Lee and I wish there had been more about Jackie’s introduction to the Kennedys but it was very interesting, I couldn’t wait for my next walk to hear what would happen next. The narration was wonderful and seemed as sophisticated as those she was speaking of. I highly recommend it!

Move Over Gabors!! Bouvier 🔥

The Bouvier sisters have a very similar upbringing to the Gabors! In the sense of the way their mothers raised them... to only engage with wealthy men.
This book is filled with all kinds of twist and turns and ups and downs. If you want to understand the era of their time and the popular events in her short time of being the first lady, than this book can shed light on certain incidents from a different perspective.
The aspect of the book faces on the relationship of the sisters from birth to death. Sibling rivalry to envy to love and fashion.
I enjoyed the book very much and the narration is fine. Some words weren't pro ounces correctly but tomatoes vs.tomatos I guess. 😊

Negative things about both women

Things I wish I hadn’t heard Stopped listening. Seemed like a glory in gossip book

Sisters of endurance

I remember as though yesterday when the world stops still and the word that our beloved Pres. Kennedy was murdered that 22 day of Nov 1963 and held love in my heart for Jackie and the strength she showed that day and following. Ok maybe the book was true about both sisters knew what they wanted and married , lust for wealth but in was the 60's and that is what Women ( mostly ) thought it was to be but event though she and Lee showed the world they could stand on their own two feet in the end. Jackie and now her Sister Lee for both had to endure things that most could not imagine, from deaths of your children, so true there is nothing more devastating another than having your husbands brains fly out before you. (I too lost my only daughter, she was murdered in Dallas TX, not far from the actually site where our beloved Pres. Kennedy was murdered. My only daughter Chané was murdered on March 29 2009, just 24yrs old.) I'm so happy that Jackie didn't have to experience a horrible, bullshit trial of injustice, which you never get over along with your loss. Maybe a Kennedy curse but do we not all have one.

Disappointing

This book is somewhat shallow and a bit of a bore. I was expecting a more in-depth analysis and real insight into the Bouvier Sisters. This is my first book on tape so maybe the narration was a factor of my disappointment.

simply fascinating...enjoyed every minute of it...

brought back many memories of the Kennedy era..
sad....funny....vain....a host of emotions....a worthy read...for sure...

Insightful, interesting, well done

This book was not only interesting but so informative. The 60s thru 80s were portrayed so well by the author. The depth of the personalities of the sisters was very insightful. Loved the poignant ending.

Very Good

Worth the time spent listening although I liked "Jackie & Lee" better. There were more details.

Insightful

The tales of Jackie and Lee outlined in this book are revealing of not only their personal lives, but of the overall tone of society women(life) in “those” days.

Not so fabulous

4 stars is stretching it a bit, but I couldn’t get the stars to cooperate. It’s good, but somewhat biased . Wondered if Carol aka daughter-in-law (ny housewife) didn’t have a big hand in this tribute to Lee. Maybe deserved, who knows??? I was expecting more for some reason. Interesting but I kept listening for the oh wow this is great moment. A solid 31/2 ⭐️. Not a total waste of time, but not a juicy book. If you know what I mean.