-
The Kennedy Debutante
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 12 hrs and 21 mins
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy for $31.50
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Listeners also enjoyed...
-
Meet Me in Monaco
- A Novel of Grace Kelly's Royal Wedding
- By: Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson, Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flashbulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique, fending off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across 30 years of friendship, love, and tragedy.
-
-
Pleasant but predictable
- By RueRue on 02-05-20
By: Hazel Gaynor, and others
-
In Twenty Years
- A Novel
- By: Allison Winn Scotch
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure - until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea's fortieth birthday.
-
-
Well written unlikable characters
- By Karen D. on 03-26-17
-
The Sweeney Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lian Dolan
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in a seaside town in Connecticut. But after their mother’s death from cancer 15 years ago, the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, a famous literary lion universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.
-
-
Is Netflix next?
- By Grace Smith on 05-03-20
By: Lian Dolan
-
And They Called It Camelot
- A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
- By: Stephanie Marie Thornton
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few of us can claim to be the authors of our fate. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy knows no other choice. With the eyes of the world watching, Jackie uses her effortless charm and keen intelligence to carve a place for herself among the men of history and weave a fairy tale for the American people, embodying a senator’s wife, a devoted mother, a First Lady - a queen in her own right. But all reigns must come to an end.
-
-
I tried to like this book
- By Rita T on 03-11-20
-
Park Avenue Summer
- By: Renée Rosen
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur, Renée Rosen
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York City is filled with opportunities for single girls like Alice Weiss, who leaves her small Midwestern town to chase her big-city dreams and unexpectedly lands a job working for the first female editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown. For Alice, who wants to be a photographer, it seems like the perfect foot in the door, but nothing could have prepared her for the world she enters.
-
-
Interesting Take on 1960s NYC
- By HistoryNerd on 05-07-19
By: Renée Rosen
-
Jackie and Maria
- A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas
- By: Gill Paul
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jackie Kennedy is beautiful, sophisticated, and contemplating leaving her ambitious young senator husband. 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. Little by little, Maria's and Jackie's lives began to overlap, until everything they know about the world changes on a dime.
-
-
Appendix not recorded 😔
- By tahoe23 on 08-21-20
By: Gill Paul
-
Meet Me in Monaco
- A Novel of Grace Kelly's Royal Wedding
- By: Hazel Gaynor, Heather Webb
- Narrated by: Nancy Peterson, Jeremy Arthur
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Movie stars and paparazzi flock to Cannes for the glamorous film festival, but Grace Kelly, the biggest star of all, wants only to escape from the flashbulbs. When struggling perfumer Sophie Duval shelters Miss Kelly in her boutique, fending off a persistent British press photographer, James Henderson, a bond is forged between the two women and sets in motion a chain of events that stretches across 30 years of friendship, love, and tragedy.
-
-
Pleasant but predictable
- By RueRue on 02-05-20
By: Hazel Gaynor, and others
-
In Twenty Years
- A Novel
- By: Allison Winn Scotch
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twenty years ago, six Penn students shared a house, naively certain that their friendships would endure - until the death of their ringleader and dear friend Bea splintered the group for good. Now, mostly estranged from one another, the remaining five reluctantly gather at that same house on the eve of what would have been Bea's fortieth birthday.
-
-
Well written unlikable characters
- By Karen D. on 03-26-17
-
The Sweeney Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lian Dolan
- Narrated by: Brittany Pressley
- Length: 10 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Maggie, Eliza, and Tricia Sweeney grew up as a happy threesome in a seaside town in Connecticut. But after their mother’s death from cancer 15 years ago, the sisters drifted apart. Their one touchstone is their father, Bill Sweeney, a famous literary lion universally adored by critics, publishers, and book lovers. When Bill dies unexpectedly one cool June night, his shell-shocked daughters return to their childhood home. They aren’t quite sure what the future holds without their larger-than-life father, but they do know how to throw an Irish wake to honor a man of his stature.
-
-
Is Netflix next?
- By Grace Smith on 05-03-20
By: Lian Dolan
-
And They Called It Camelot
- A Novel of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis
- By: Stephanie Marie Thornton
- Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
- Length: 17 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Few of us can claim to be the authors of our fate. Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy knows no other choice. With the eyes of the world watching, Jackie uses her effortless charm and keen intelligence to carve a place for herself among the men of history and weave a fairy tale for the American people, embodying a senator’s wife, a devoted mother, a First Lady - a queen in her own right. But all reigns must come to an end.
-
-
I tried to like this book
- By Rita T on 03-11-20
-
Park Avenue Summer
- By: Renée Rosen
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur, Renée Rosen
- Length: 10 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
New York City is filled with opportunities for single girls like Alice Weiss, who leaves her small Midwestern town to chase her big-city dreams and unexpectedly lands a job working for the first female editor in chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, Helen Gurley Brown. For Alice, who wants to be a photographer, it seems like the perfect foot in the door, but nothing could have prepared her for the world she enters.
-
-
Interesting Take on 1960s NYC
- By HistoryNerd on 05-07-19
By: Renée Rosen
-
Jackie and Maria
- A Novel of Jackie Kennedy & Maria Callas
- By: Gill Paul
- Narrated by: Lisa Flanagan
- Length: 12 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jackie Kennedy is beautiful, sophisticated, and contemplating leaving her ambitious young senator husband. 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. Little by little, Maria's and Jackie's lives began to overlap, until everything they know about the world changes on a dime.
-
-
Appendix not recorded 😔
- By tahoe23 on 08-21-20
By: Gill Paul
-
A Summer in Sonoma
- A Novel
- By: Robyn Carr
- Narrated by: Kate Turnbull
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Cassie has sworn off men after yet another bad date though, deep down, she’s still looking for Mr. Right. A long-haired, tattooed biker is definitely not him, so there’s no harm in a few Harley rides through Sonoma. Right? Julie married her high school sweetheart too young and now wonders how her life became all about leaky faucets and checkbook balances. Maybe love isn’t enough to sustain the perfect couple.
-
-
Great story; poor narration
- By Karen S on 04-18-21
By: Robyn Carr
-
The Woman Before Wallis
- A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal
- By: Bryn Turnbull
- Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
- Length: 11 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1925, Thelma Morgan arrives at the Paris Ritz still stinging from the heartache and humiliation of her failed marriage. Her twin sister, Gloria, newly and blissfully wedded to Reginald Vanderbilt and with a baby in tow, has invited her to spend the summer - and though romance is the last thing on Thelma’s mind, she can’t deny that Reggie’s friend Duke Furness is as charming and dapper as he is keen to win her affection.
-
-
Beautifully Written
- By Amazon Customer on 11-29-20
By: Bryn Turnbull
-
Refuge
- A Novel
- By: Dot Jackson
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Wiley
- Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Early one morning in 1929, Mary Seneca Steele spontaneously packs a suitcase, gathers up her son and daughter, and drives away in her abusive and dissolute husband’s brand-new Auburn Phaeton automobile, leaving her privileged life in Charleston behind. It is the beginning of a journey of enlightenment that leads Mary “Sen” to the mountains and mysteries of Appalachia, where she will learn unexpected family secrets, create a new life for herself and her children, and finally experience love and happiness before tragedy will once again test her.
-
-
A Great Southern Tale
- By B. Newman on 01-09-20
By: Dot Jackson
-
The Memory of Us
- A Novel
- By: Camille Di Maio
- Narrated by: Fiona Hardingham
- Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Julianne Westcott was living the kind of life that other Protestant girls in prewar Liverpool could only dream about: old money, silk ball gowns, and prominent young men lining up to escort her. But when she learns of a blind-and-deaf brother, institutionalized since birth, the illusion of her perfect life and family shatters around her.
-
-
She had to survive the bombing.....
- By Marie on 07-04-19
By: Camille Di Maio
-
The Girl in White Gloves
- A Novel of Grace Kelly
- By: Kerri Maher
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 15 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Grace knows what people see. She’s the Cinderella story. An icon of glamor and elegance frozen in dazzling Technicolor. The picture of perfection. The girl in white gloves. But behind the lens, beyond the panoramic views of glistening Mediterranean azure, she knows the truth. The sacrifices it takes for an unappreciated girl from Philadelphia to defy her family and become the reigning queen of the screen
-
-
Yawn
- By sunshine girl on 04-30-20
By: Kerri Maher
-
The Other Windsor Girl
- A Novel of Princess Margaret, Royal Rebel
- By: Georgie Blalock
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 8 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Diana, Catherine, Meghan...glamorous Princess Margaret outdid them all. Springing into post-World War II society, and quite naughty and haughty, she lived in a whirlwind of fame and notoriety. Georgie Blalock captures the fascinating, fast-living princess and her “set” as seen through the eyes of one of her ladies-in-waiting.
-
-
The Other Windsor Girl
- By Kerri on 11-23-19
By: Georgie Blalock
-
American Duchess
- A Novel of Consuelo Vanderbilt
- By: Karen Harper
- Narrated by: Ann Marie Gideon
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Karen Harper tells the tale of Consuelo Vanderbilt, her “Wedding of the Century” to the duke of Marlborough, and her quest to find meaning behind “the glitter and the gold”.
-
-
Surprisingly interesting life
- By labradoodler on 07-24-19
By: Karen Harper
-
That Churchill Woman
- A Novel
- By: Stephanie Barron
- Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
- Length: 11 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Paris Wife meets PBS’s Victoria in this enthralling novel of the life and loves of one of history’s most remarkable women: Winston Churchill’s scandalous American mother, Jennie Jerome.
-
-
A must read!
- By Sharon on 05-06-19
By: Stephanie Barron
-
The Book Woman's Daughter
- A Novel
- By: Kim Michele Richardson
- Narrated by: Katie Schorr
- Length: 10 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the ruggedness of the beautiful Kentucky mountains, Honey Lovett has always known that the old ways can make a hard life harder. As the daughter of the famed blue-skinned Troublesome Creek packhorse librarian, Honey and her family have been hiding from the law all her life. But when her mother and father are imprisoned, Honey realizes she must fight to stay free, or risk being sent away for good.
-
-
Wonderfully written.
- By Marjorie on 05-05-22
-
The Royal Nanny
- A Novel
- By: Karen Harper
- Narrated by: Melanie Crawley
- Length: 11 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
April 1897: A young nanny arrives at Sandringham, ancestral estate of the Duke and Duchess of York. She is excited, exhausted - and about to meet royalty. So begins the unforgettable story of Charlotte Bill, who would care for a generation of royals as their parents never could. Neither Charlotte - LaLa, as her charges dub her - nor anyone else can predict that eldest sons David and Bertie will each one day be king. LaLa knows only that these children, and the four who swiftly follow, need her steadfast loyalty and unconditional affection.
-
-
Loved it!
- By Jasper Van Wyk on 08-05-20
By: Karen Harper
-
Band of Sisters
- A Novel
- By: Lauren Willig
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 15 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A group of young women from Smith College risk their lives in France at the height of World War I in this sweeping novel based on a true story - a skillful blend of Call the Midwife and The Alice Network - from New York Times best-selling author Lauren Willig.
-
-
Interesting history
- By Ru on 07-13-21
By: Lauren Willig
-
The Giver of Stars
- A Novel
- By: Jojo Moyes
- Narrated by: Julia Whelan
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So, when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically. The leader, and soon Alice's greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who's never asked a man's permission for anything.
-
-
Weird Similarities to “The Book Woman...”
- By MMinSouthernCA on 11-21-19
By: Jojo Moyes
Publisher's Summary
"A riveting reimagining of a true tale of forbidden love." (People)
A captivating novel following the exploits of Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy, the forgotten and rebellious daughter of one of America's greatest political dynasties.
London, 1938. The effervescent "It girl" of London society since her father was named the ambassador, Kathleen "Kick" Kennedy moves in rarified circles, rubbing satin-covered elbows with some of the 20th century's most powerful figures. Eager to escape the watchful eye of her strict mother, Rose; the antics of her older brothers, Jack and Joe; and the erratic behavior of her sister Rosemary, Kick is ready to strike out on her own and is soon swept off her feet by Billy Hartington, the future Duke of Devonshire.
But their love is forbidden, as Kick's devout Catholic family and Billy's staunchly Protestant one would never approve their match. And when war breaks like a tidal wave across her world, Billy is ripped from her arms as the Kennedys are forced to return to the States. Kick finds work as a journalist and joins the Red Cross to get back to England, where she will have to decide where her true loyalties lie - with family or with love....
Critic Reviews
“An engrossing tale of the importance of family, faith, and love in the life of one remarkable woman.” (Booklist)
"Maher’s assured debut, set against the backdrop of World War II, explores the life of JFK’s younger sister Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy.... This immersive, rich portrait of a complex young woman from one of the world’s most famous families will hold readers in thrall." (Publishers Weekly)
“Maher beautifully mixes the red-blooded American iconography of the Kennedys with the delicious and Downton Abbey-esque grandeur of Britain's upper crusts…[Kick] proves a poignant and captivating subject, and her story will make your heart lurch in the best possible ways." (Allison Pataki, New York Times best-selling author of The Accidental Empress)
More from the same
What listeners say about The Kennedy Debutante
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rosemary
- 10-06-18
Not just a piece of fluff!
This is a novelized biography of sorts of the adult life of Kathleen Kick Kennedy written by a novice with surprisingly good feel for the flow and forward movement of this romance story. She doesn't get everything right. Her lack of familiarity with the jargon of the day made me wince. "Party Foul" and "Listen Up" are 21st century language. Her descriptive words are cliches and she needs to have a good editor in her next book. Not brilliant as it might have been in the hands of a better writer but nonetheless, a commendable story choice and good research. I recommend this as I am a reader of non-fiction history. It was a nice treat, sort of like an unexpected dessert.
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Talia
- 05-04-19
The pure historical revisionism herein...
The pure historical revisionism herein...is nothing short of pathetic. Joe Kennedy, along with a few of his family members- were notorious Jew haters. He was quite public and honest about it. As writers, you must be VERY careful, even when presenting historical fiction- to not be so close and yet so far from reality. It leads readers to believe that there is accuracy where there is none. As a Jew, I found this rewrite of my history infuriating and shameful. I'm sorry... for this alone, I will not recommend this book to anyone.
26 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Cory Jacoby
- 12-03-18
One of the best books ever!
I adore the Kennedy Family and have been following them since I was a little girl.
This book was so so well written and so detailed about Kit’s life — and I
Had never heard any of it before. I love Kerri’s writing style, her attention to detail and her friendly approach with her words. I left like I was listening to a friend tell me a story.
I know this is Kerry’s first book which makes me so happy because I can only imagine how many more great books she will write about either the Kennedy’s or another family she follows.
Thank you Kerri and Julia for this fantastic audio book. I literally can’t wait to tell every single person about this book!!!
Get busy Kerri!
8 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Boston
- 01-01-19
Good fictional account
I enjoyed the story, I think Kick was probably more wild than portrayed. Many young women of the 30’s were expressing independence and sexual freedom, even the good catholic girls. (According to my Irish Catholic grandmother and her sisters.)
7 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Syd Young
- 09-10-19
Real, Truthful, Wonderful
I really loved this book. It seemed real, truthful. About a new Kennedy whom I can really respect, while also giving a view to the rest we know so well. The issues and historical views were deftly handled, with devil’s advocates planted at just the right moments. I loved how the story progressed, the worlds that were shown to me, the brave young woman who did what she must in a world that had turned upside down. If only all women could be so brave; if only it hadn’t taken Kick so long. If you’ve missed this and want to read a book that matters and entertains, read this now.
Also, of course, the audio narration was fantastic.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Marie
- 01-21-19
Incredibly well done.
I have read a number of books about the Kennedy family. I couldn’t imagine how this book would offer anything different. I was very pleasantly surprised to listen to this very well written and engaging story, The author does an excellent job of combining facts and fiction in a smooth and comprehensive manner. The narration could not have been better. I can’t wait to read more from this author and hear more from this narrator. I recommend this book highly.
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- mrsgrz
- 08-22-19
Interesting story of Kathleen Kennedy and family
Enjoyed story of this amazing woman. Learned a lot about the Kennedys and this little known woman. Great narration, interesting story
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Gigi
- 06-13-22
Great listen !!
Excellent story ! Well produced and performed ! You will not regret this purchase ! Such an enjoyable listen !
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MadMary
- 05-27-22
Accents very poorly done
I found the poorly done accents to be quite distracting. The story was interesting and I enjoyed learning more about these people. The amped up “romance” was unnecessary.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- A. Kaduscwicz
- 04-30-22
A novel based on history
While this is a fictional novel, I found it fascinating as it’s main character was a real person - Kathleen “Kick” Kennedy - sister of JFK and RFK. Though tragic in its ending, the story of how Kick came to England and fell in love with it and it’s people, both literally and figuratively was a great story. Highly recommend.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Arty Shaw
- 08-10-19
Winning combination...fact & fiction
Loved this part fiction part fact insight into the iconic Kennedy clan. Little is known of Kick and her association with the British aristocracy was of real interest. Beautifully read despite a slightly interesting Australian accent for one of the characters!!! Thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
-
Overall

- Julie Turner
- 04-15-19
The Kennedy Debutant
Loved this book. Just want to go back to the beginning and listen to it all over again. Great narration added to the enjoyment.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story

- Dudley
- 11-22-19
A brilliant history
Congratulations to the author what a wonderful history and a compelling story. The narration was outstanding.
You will not be able to put this book down- enjoy!