An Invitation to the Kennedys: Captivating pre-WW2 historical fiction about high society, forbidden love and a world on the cusp of change, inspired by real events
About this audiobook
Kathleen 'Kick' Kennedy, a recent arrival to England from Massachusetts, is already a huge hit in 1930s London society. Her status as the daughter of an ambassador puts her at the centre of the most elite social circles but being an American and a Catholic sets her apart, something she only comes to realise when she falls for Billy Cavendish, the future Duke of Devonshire. Their families will never approve the match - if her parents find out about their romantic attachment, she risks being sent back to America.
Lady Brigid Guinness has no interest in love, marriage or society connections. Her brother-in-law Chips Channon, always seeking to increase his political capital, is keen for her to befriend Kick but Brigid has no interest in showing a brash American around town. When Chips invites both Brigid and Kick to his country estate in Essex however, neither of them is given a choice in the matter.
During their stay at Kelvedon Hall among members of the Guinness family and their friends, Kick and Brigid are immediately thrown together in the midst of the drama going on around them. Marriages are on the rocks, friendships and alliances are being forged, and political intrigue lurks just beneath the surface. Chips starts to push Brigid towards a match with a desperately dull German prince, while Kick tries to keep hope alive for her relationship with Billy. And by the time their week in Essex has ended, both young women's lives will have changed forever.
Inspired by true-life events, An Invitation to the Kennedys is a captivating story from the bestselling author of the Guinness Girls series.
(P)2023 Hachette Ireland
About the author
Emily Hourican is the author of nine novels and one book of non-fiction. Her first novel, The Privileged, was published in 2016, became an instant bestseller, and was short-listed for the Best Popular Fiction Award at the Irish Book Awards that year. She then published three more works of contemporary fiction, the last of which, The Outsider, is being developed as a six-part TV series with Treasure Films, with Emily as screenwriter, supported by Screen Ireland. In 2019 she began writing historical fiction, and has since published four acclaimed, best-selling historical novels based on the Guinness and Kennedy families. The fifth, A Kennedy Affair, will be published in October 2024. Emily is also an award-winning editor and journalist with the Sunday Independent, Ireland's biggest-selling newspaper.
