Q&A with Melissa Kaplan

 

 

 

Melissa Kaplan is the author of the new novel The Second Life of Jack and Jackie. She also has written the novel The Girl Who Tried to Change History. She lives in Washington, D.C.

 

Q: What inspired you to write this alternate version of Jack and Jackie Kennedy’s lives?

 

A: I’ve been fascinated by Jackie since I read my first biography of her as a teenager, and she’s always been a person who inspired me in difficult times. 

 

A few years ago, I was going through a tough period after the loss of several family members, and I found myself diving back into Jackie’s story as a way to cope with grief. 

 

In the process of doing this, I spent a lot of time thinking about how much tragedy she had to contend with at such a young age, and it made me ponder what her life might have looked like if one of the major events in her story—her husband’s assassination—had turned out differently. 

 

What if JFK had survived that day in Dallas? What would that have meant for Jackie’s future, and for their marriage and relationship? The more I thought about it, the more I felt compelled to try to write my own fictional version of that story.

 

Q: What initially intrigued you about Jacqueline Kennedy, and why do you think she fascinates so many people to this day?

 

A: Personally, I’ve always been fascinated by Jackie primarily because of her strength and ability to survive—and eventually, thrive—after traumas and heartbreaks that would have broken many people. 

 

I also am impressed by her intellect and her love of learning, which I think often people aren’t nearly as aware of as they should be. She also had an appreciation for art and culture which I find very inspiring.

 

As to why she still fascinates people today, I think a big part of it is that she remains in many ways a mystery, despite how many books (fiction and nonfiction) have been written about her over the past few decades.  She’s someone who gives us many reasons to admire her from afar, but it’s hard to get a full sense of exactly who she was. 

 

And her relationship to fame is also interesting. Jackie had a degree of fame during her lifetime that really can’t be replicated today by any one person, because of the ways in which our society has changed and fragmented over the past few decades.

 

I like to say--somewhat jokingly, but also I think there’s truth to it—that if you combined Taylor Swift, Beyonce, and Michelle Obama into one person, you might be able to capture the level of fame Jackie held in her lifetime.

 

Yet clearly, she was ambivalent at best towards being the world’s most famous woman. Her desire to preserve her privacy, to the extent she was able to do that in the second half of her life, was very strong.

Q: Did you need to do much research to write the novel, and if so, did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I didn’t do that much research in writing this novel, for two reasons. First, I’d already read a ton of books about both JFK and Jackie over the course of my life. Second, the story takes place in an alternate version of history where JFK survives his assassination, so every scene that I wrote was purely fictional. 

 

There are a few parts of the book which cover eras of Jackie’s life (for example, her publishing career) which do align pretty closely with the real version, so I did try very hard to keep those consistent with the true story. But I think it’s safe to say this book is about 98 percent imaginary, so not much research needed!

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the story?

 

A: What stands out to me most after writing this novel is the reminder that life is really very short. No matter how long your story is—the story of your life, your relationship, your marriage—it’s never going to be long enough. 

 

So that makes it all the more important to embrace the everyday—or as I think of it, the middle parts of life, where you’re just living your life and not thinking so much about beginnings and endings. That’s where most of life really happens. 

 

I loved that in writing this book, I was able to extend the “middle” for Jack and Jackie, but inevitably, the end will always arrive. So, I guess, cherish every moment you can while it’s happening (which I know can be challenging sometimes, but it’s worth the effort!)

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: Honestly, I’ve been so busy over the past year working on editing and publishing The Second Life of Jack and Jackie that I haven’t had time for much other writing, but I do have a few potential projects I may revisit once this novel is out! 

 

One of them is a spin-off type story of two characters in this book, in fact—still something I’m just playing around with. 

 

The other is a book I began writing a few years ago, but then I got sidetracked. It’s a sequel to one of my favorite novels ever, told from the point of view of a minor but important character years in the future.

 

It’s pretty intimidating even to think about writing that story, but I do think once I have time to turn back to it, I’ll dive in again and see what happens!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I hope you’ll check out my new novel! You can order it on Amazon and bookshop.org, along with my debut novel, The Girl Who Tried to Change History, about a time-traveling heroine attempting to change the past (or the future) in London during the darkest days of World War II. 

 

To keep up with what I’m writing, you can follow me on Instagram (@mkap59) or check out my website, www.melissakaplanbooks.com. I really appreciate everyone’s support!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Melissa Kaplan.