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9781479830565

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""Drawing on a wealth of research and archival sources, the author combs media coverage and private and public accounts of JKO over her lifetime... Astute observations on an iconic figure who is apparently of perennial interest."" * Kirkus Reviews * ""Critically analyzing the media mania surrounding each new phase in Jackie's life, Dunak nimbly parses contemporary journalism and academic evaluations to present a cogent social interpretation and nuanced portrait of one of the most influential and persistently misunderstood women in American history."" * Booklist * ""Never before had the wife of a political candidate been so consequential to crafting a political win than when, in 1960, Jackie Kennedy energized voters—women in particular—with a well-crafted media strategy based on the 'look' of the new modern American woman. And that was only the beginning. Assembling a treasure trove of contemporary publications, TV and radio coverage, interviews, and more, Karen M. Dunak offers us a breathtaking look at Kennedy through decades of persistent public attention—some adoring, some mean-spirited—that shaped the legacy of a cultural and social icon, while revealing the fascinating evolution of notions about a woman’s place and power in America. A great read!"" -- Kate Clifford Larson, New York Times bestselling author of Rosemary, the Hidden Kennedy Daughter ""Just when you thought there were no new perspectives on Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Karen M. Dunak discovers a creative approach to one of the most intriguing women in American history. Following Jackie’s life through its fascinating stages, while matching them with the lenses through which the world saw her, is the perfect framework for this unique story. Dunak’s clear, fluid, eloquent writing style exhibits how Mrs. Kennedy and “Jackie O” reflected, and were a reflection of, gender, media, and politics in mid-twentieth century America until her death in 1994."" -- Barbara A. Perry, author of Jacqueline Kennedy: First Lady of the New Frontier ""Examining media coverage of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis from the 1950s to the 1990s, Dunak provides important insights into changing gender role expectations during the second half of the American Century. Along the way, she also offers a fresh perspective on Onassis's significance to United States history."" -- Katherine Jellison, author of It's Our Day: America's Love Affair with the White Wedding, 1945-2005 ""Karen Dunak provides an essential and eye-opening perspective on the making of an American icon. Deeply researched and beautifully written, Our Jackie explains how the Kennedy family’s political and media savviness combined with press assumptions about womanhood to cultivate a constantly evolving public obsession with Jacqueline Kennedy that has lasted decades. This is media history at its finest."" -- Kathryn Cramer Brownell, author of 24/7 Politics: Cable Television and the Fragmenting of America from Watergate to Fox News ""Although many assume that Jackie Kennedy's life ends at the assassination, we know that this is simply false. Not only does Jackie Kennedy remarry and become Mrs. Onassis, her life also does not end when her second spouse passes away. Rather, she is gifted with the privilege to have agency over her own life, thus driving her to a career centered around her love of literature. Dunak's assessment of how first ladies like JKO are portrayed and treated in public media is refreshing and relevant in our contemporary understanding of what it means to be First Lady of the United States and the legacies that follow."" -- Stephanie Bohnak, Director of Education & Outreach at the National First Ladies Library & Museum

"""""Examining media coverage of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis from the 1950s to the 1990s, Dunak provides important insights into changing gender role expectations during the second half of the American Century. Along the way, she also offers a fresh perspective on Onassis's significance to United States history."""" -- Katherine Jellison, author of It's Our Day: America's Love Affair with the White Wedding, 1945-2005"

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Karen M. Dunak is Professor and Arthur G. and Eloise Barnes Cole Chair of American History in the Department of History at Muskingum University. She is the author of As Long As We Both Shall Love: The White Wedding in Postwar America.

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