A Suitable Marriage

For Jacqueline Bouvier and John F. Kennedy, their story didn't begin with 'love at first sight.' Jackie claimed that she wasn't attracted to 'handsome' men, saying that they were usually boring. JFK, though not too discriminate when it came experiencing carnal knowledge of the ladies, appreciate a woman with sex appeal. And there were other issues: Jackie was already dating someone when she met JFK, and, for the most part, the senator had no interest in getting married (even though he was in his 30s). So how did these two end up as one of America's most famous couples?

Their parents.

Joe Kennedy had big plans for his son. He was determined to do everything possible, maybe even a few illegal maneuvers, to see his son sitting in the Oval Office. Of course, he knew JFK had no chance of getting elected if he wasn't married. In fact, rumors bubbled that, because of JFK's age and the fact that he'd never been married, he might be homosexual. Joe decided to fix that. All he needed was to find one woman--the woman--who would make a suitable wife and mother. He found just what he was looking for in Jackie.

Cultured, demure, and beautiful, Jackie was perfect.

Add to that, Janet Auchincloss, Jackie's mother. A slave to the social registers of the day, Janet wanted nothing more than to see her daughters wed to exuberantly wealthy, influential men, who came from reputable families. Although the Kennedy name wasn't pristine, with some of Joe's activities questionable at best, the size of the Kennedy fortune (estimated around $400 million at the time), won Janet over. She approved, and some say she pushed Jackie into marrying JFK.

Could such a marriage work? Did love stand a chance? Discover an intimate look at the evolution of their love story in O! Jackie  . You may think you know the story, but surprises await.