New Books in Popular Culture Oline Eaton, "Finding Jackie: The Second Act of America's First Lady" (Diversion Books, 2023)
Jan 18, 2026
Oline Eaton, a scholar and writer, dives deep into the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in her latest book. She discusses Jackie’s dramatic transformation following JFK's assassination and her fight against intrusive paparazzi. With fresh archival materials, Eaton unearths a Jackie who defied conventions, from climbing pyramids to living a bold life abroad. The narrative examines how trauma shaped her public persona and the importance of diverse voices in biographical storytelling, revealing a richer, more complex portrait of America's beloved First Lady.
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Long Obsession Became Scholarly Method
- Oline Eaton began researching Jackie at age 12 and kept returning to her, shaping decades of scholarship.
- Her PhD provided the time and methods to transform obsession into an organized biography project.
Movie Magazines As Cultural Evidence
- Eaton used 1960s–70s movie magazines as cultural documents that shaped Jackie’s public image as a "star of life."
- These magazines revealed melodramatic portrayals of her grief unseen in mainstream outlets.
The Missing Onassis Years
- Eaton focused on Jackie’s post‑1963 life to recover an erased, controversial phase between JFK’s death and her later reinvention.
- She argues media later sanitized those Onassis years to fit a comforting story of dignified womanhood.
