The Summer I Met Jack
by Michelle Gable
Publisher: St Martin's Press
Pages: 448
Format: eARC
Buy the Book: Amazon
Goodreads: Based on a real story - in 1950, a young, beautiful Polish refugee arrives in Hyannisport, Massachusetts to work as a maid for one of the wealthiest families in America. Alicia is at once dazzled by the large and charismatic family, in particular the oldest son, a rising politician named Jack.
Alicia and Jack are soon engaged, but his domineering father forbids the marriage. And so, Alicia trades Hyannisport for Hollywood, and eventually Rome. She dates famous actors and athletes and royalty, including Gary Cooper, Kirk Douglas, and Katharine Hepburn, all the while staying close with Jack. A decade after they meet, on the eve of Jack’s inauguration as the thirty-fifth President of the United States, the two must confront what they mean to each other.
Kritters Thoughts: A Polish refugee has made her way to Hyannisport, Massachusetts and she is just living her life day to day when she meets a member of the famous family that has a compound in this small town and she quickly gets swept into their world.
I had to remind myself often while reading this book that I was reading fiction because I so wanted the story to have the complete truth to back it up. I knew it was based in truth, but I wanted every word to be the truth! I enjoyed reading about JFK through a different set of eyes. We read about him through his family and through Jackie Kennedy, so to see him through eyes that loved him for a time, but also saw all of his flaws and was honest about them was something really new.
I really adored Alicia as a character. I loved that we read about her beyond her time with Jack. I thought the title was deceiving because the book was so much more than the summer she met Jack, but it was more about how that summer set her life in a new direction. The celebrity cameos were just so perfect. She was name dropping and it was so entertaining!
A cross between historical fiction and just an epic fiction book, if you don't read a lot of historical fiction, don't shy away from this story. The book doesn't take place that long ago and the characters and story are so epic, that is worth the try. Also don't be swayed by the page count, this book reads so fast you won't want to put it down.
Rating: absolutely loved it and want a sequel
Ebook Challenge: 46 out of 100
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one copy of this book free of charge from St Martin's Press. I was not required to write a positive review in exchange for receipt of the book; rather, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
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