The Private Passion of Jackie Kennedy Onassis: Portrait of a Rider

It could be argued that every aspect of Jackie Kennedy Onassis's life has been examined ad nauseum, but Moon appears to have struck upon an overlooked treasure in this tribute to the former First Lady's lifelong love of horses. Moon, the author and founder, editor and publisher of The Middleburg Life (a newspaper for Virginia horse country), tells the story of Jackie's passion for horses from age five through the end of her life. Jackie began riding very young and by the age of five participated in the East Hampton Horse Show. The photos of Jackie with her mother and father, Janet and Jack Bouvier, and on her beloved Chestnut mare, Danseuse, hint at the beauty and poise that would become her trademarks. Like her mother, Jackie grew into an accomplished equestrian. And Moon argues that riding brought the First Lady the solace and solitude that she craved; she would return to her horses again and again at moments of joy and sorrow. While her husband listened to Marilyn Monroe sing her breathy rendition of Happy Birthday at Madison Square Garden in New York, Jackie was at a horse show. After his assassination, horseback riding became ""a significant part of her recuperative routine."" Divided into short sections, the writing here is easy to read and conversational rather than historical, and the abundant photos speak volumes: Jackie riding with her children, Caroline and John; ponies on the White House Lawn with John F. Kennedy and the Secret Service; Jackie carefree in formal horse attire. Moon has constructed a must-have for horse lovers but also a touching tribute to Onassis; one of the few that the very private woman might have enjoyed herself.