Jackie & Me

“ABSOLUTELY IRRESISTIBLE.” —People (Best Books of Summer)

One of The Washington Post’s 50 Notable Works of Fiction for 2022

In 1951, former debutante Jacqueline Bouvier is hard at work as the Inquiring Camera Girl for a Washington newspaper. Her mission in life is “not to be a housewife,” but when she meets the charismatic congressman Jack Kennedy at a Georgetown party, her resolution begins to falter. Soon the two are flirting over secret phone calls, cocktails, and dinner dates, and Jackie is drawn deeper into the Kennedy orbit. As Jack himself grows increasingly elusive and absent, she begins to question what life at his side would mean. For answers, she turns to his best friend and confidant, Lem Billings, a closeted gay man who has made the Kennedy family his own, and who has been instructed by them to seal the deal with Jack’s new girl. But as he gets to know her, a deep and touching friendship emerges, leaving him with a true dilemma: Is this the marriage she deserves?

Narrated by an older Lem as he looks back at his own role in a complicated alliance, this is a courtship story full of longing and suspense, of what-ifs and possible wrong turns. It is a surprising look at Jackie before she was that Jackie. And in bestselling author Louis Bayard’s witty and deeply empathetic telling, Jackie & Me is a page turning story of friendship, love, sacrifice, and betrayal—and a fresh take on two iconic American figures.

Review

“Absolutely irresistible.”
—Kim Hubbard, People (Best Books of Summer 2022)

"What a pleasure . . . Bayard is such an exuberant storyteller . . . This stylish, sexy, nostalgic story will linger like Jackie’s signature scent of Pall Malls and Chateau Krigler 12. It’s a complicated bouquet of bitter and sweet."
—Elisabeth Egan, The New York Times Book Review

“A delight…a poignant, late-summer-afternoon kind of novel. ...a story perfectly tuned to our ongoing fascination with the Kennedy marriage — and a novel, like Jackie herself, with charm to spare.”
—The Washington Post

“Lem Billings was John F. Kennedy’s prep school roommate and a close friend. He was also gay. This captivating work of historical fiction offers an intimate look into Lem’s relationships with the charismatic young senator and the budding journalist Jacqueline Bouvier, whom JFK enlists Lem to vet.”
—People (Book of the Week)

“The charms of Bayard’s delightful new novel about Jackie Kennedy aren’t only found in its historical context but also in its intelligent, witty tone and poignant dissection of friendship, class and betrayal. The outcome is surprisingly affecting, and Bayard’s gamble of embarking on a well-known path from an unusual perspective pays off handsomely.”
—Connie Ogle, Minneapolis Star-Tribune

“Narrator Lem is reminiscent of The Great Gatsby’s Nick Carraway … Jackie, she’s pure delight … Romance with bite: the perfect escapism for today’s anxious times.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Here he brings a poignant empathy, persuasive intimacy, and nuanced imagination to his interpretation of a relatively unexamined chapter in Kennedy lore.”
—Booklist (starred review)

“Bayard (Courting Mr. Lincoln) offers an enchanting narrative of John F. Kennedy Jr. and Jacqueline Bouvier…delightfully dishy… Bayard suffuses the spritzy story with wit, charm, and depth. The result is tailor-made for fans of Camelot drama.”
—Publishers Weekly

"All of Louis Bayard’s incredible gifts as a teller of stories we think we already know are on brilliant display here: a captivating setting, unforgettable characters, and an entirely surprising take on a familiar tale. Jackie Me is riveting, funny, charming, and haunting. He makes it look so easy! I will happily follow Bayard wherever he leads."
—Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney, New York Times bestselling author of The Nest and Good Company

"A loving and romantic look at an unlikely friendship told with a playful command of language that feels as effortless as it is exciting. Bayard possesses a singular wit and deftly uses it to give fresh insight into even his best known characters. I never wanted it to end."
—Steven Rowley, author of The Editor and The Guncle

"I absolutely adore this novel! It’s a testament to Louis Bayard’s remarkable gifts as storyteller how suspenseful it is given that we already know this story… or do we? Full of Bayard’s trademark charm and wit, with prose that sings and a perfect voice, Jackie Me delighted me from beginning to end."
—Angie Kim, author of Miracle Creek

"We all dream of novels as good as this one: Fascinating, funny, gorgeous, heartbreaking. In my next life I want to be Louis Bayard."
—Julia Claiborne Johnson, author of Be Frank With Me and Better Luck Next Time

“A startling rendering of Jackie Kennedy’s life written with panache and daring.”
—Laurence Leamer, bestselling author of The Kennedy Women and Capote's Women

"It's hard to combine wit and tender-heartedness in a single book, but Louis Bayard has produced a lovely amalgam in Jackie and Me. This latest subtly crafted addition to his oeuvre boasts a top-notch structure and the best-ever depiction of 'Papa Joe' Kennedy, as well as a portrait of Janet Auchincloss, Jackie’s mother, that is poisonous perfection."
—Thomas Mallon, author of Henry and Clara and Watergate

About the Author