Customer Reviews

One Special Summer

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This was written when travel was glamorous and these two certainly made the rounds! I was journalling before journalling and scrapbooking became the present rage and enjoyed this book because it was done without the present day pre-fabbed gew-gaws. The sisters took their mother and later the lucky readers through castles and meetings with friends of friends who were high up and taught us how to handle an embarrassing situation of being taken "home" across Paris by a couple who really didn't ant to take them home, Lee did a hilarous entry of her experience at a dance where she danced with a lead-footed man who pointed out his family "all with the same noses!" and Jackie drew herself dancing with a dashing Russian Soldier during the same event. These two had a great approach to life and even their bad days were hilarious adventures. Much is written in French and it delighted my second year French-student daughter then she discovered that she was able to translate for me. After reading this book, you will discover how to have a good time and find the humor in any situation and never leave a sheet of paper or an envelope blank. Jackies' drawings are easy and cute an an inspiration! One of my daughters' teachers borrowed this book from me to show the students that they can make art anywhere about anything!

I bought this book when I was in high school, and after studying the darling illustrations, and reading the story, I soooo longed to travel abroad, particularly by boat; and to mix with all the European dignitaries, socialites, and "Lah De Dahs" from across the pond. Now it's 30 years later, and having traveled quite extensively with my husband I still have that same longing, yet this time for my own daughters! This book and its charming illustrations make you want to send your daughter(s) or sons to Europe and travel amongst the noblesse. However impossible as that may seem to be, the good news is that today, anyone can take the Queen Mary or any number of magnificent ships (QEII available no longer) across the pond and waltz around Europe.

This is a nostalgic peek back into a time long ago; how the well-to-do traveled, socialized, lolly-gagged about, and spent their time, misbehaving and just having an all around good time. It is based on the true summer travel experience of the Bouvier sisters: Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis and her younger sister Lee Bouvier Radziwill. One became a First Lady of the United States, and the other, a Princess by marriage residing in Europe.

I recommend this darling picture book for anyone with a sense of fantacy and longing for high society adventure and travel.

but I enjoyed this book. It is a snapshot of the life of Jackie before the overwhelming fame. Here we see her on vacation with her sister, alternately enjoying shipboard life and dealing with the eccentrics along for the ride. My favorite image? That of Jackie trying to fish an elderly woman's dentures out of the toilet.

This was such a delightful discovery, I can almost picture what it would have been like to have discovered the actual scrapbook and travel journal on which this book is based. It is a delightful glimpse into the pre-celebrity lives of the young Bouvier sisters. Not only is this a treat for fans of either Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, or her sister Lee Bouvier Radziwill, but it is also a wonderful book for people who are fans of vacation memoirs. No matter what your background is, there are laughs to be found in the trials and tribulations of a voyage--for instance, of sharing a ship cabin with a woman in her 90's, who has a penchant for walking around in the buff late at night. The drawings, done by Jackie Bouvier, are charming and funny. One hopes that people still take such sweet records of their vacations.

For those who follow Jackie Kennedy's footsteps since her childhood, it is a fresh, elegant book to complete their collection. For all of us, it gives the taste of our age of innocence.

What a refreshing treasure of an illustrated young Jacqueline Bouvier this is as she tours Europe with her sister! This little compilation of sketches and notes denotes an era and a life style, with naivete and flair.

This beautiful little book is a reminder of why we should be encouraged to write about experiences that mean something to us - like your first time travelling without parents! OK, so we would not all get published as Lee did, but... Their tone and experiences will translate to so many people and remind us of where to find the fun in life.
Buy it for the girl or woman in your life. She'll have it forever!

The publishers must have taken a first edition and scanned it in for reproduction, which probably kept the cost down, but they took the lazy way out.

They did a mediocre job of cleaning up extraneous dirt and artifacts, especially around the type and handwriting. You don't have to look too closely to notice this.

Worst of all is that they didn't convert the type to black; they left it in process colors which aren't in register, so the type has fuzzy edges. (This is the type on the three-page introduction and the one page at the end.) I mean, how hard would it be to re-set the type?!? Yeesh! Doing so wouldn't be any less authentic or disloyal to the original. Those pages would look and read a lot better if the type were sharp and all black.

How thoughtful of those Bouvier girls to keep track of their special summer for all of us to enjoy. This book is so delightful. From the artwork, to the photos, to the stories, this book will make you wish you had traveled with them. Fifty eight years after their trip this book about their adventures is still fun and insightful. I'm so glad I made this purchase.

I am a fan of "Happy Times" and was thrilled to be able to won a copy of this very special volume of memories and musings.