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Touched by the Sun: My Friendship with Jackie
The instant New York Times bestseller - Named one of the ten best books of 2019 by People magazine
A chance encounter at a summer party on Martha's Vineyard blossomed into an improbable but enduring friendship.
Carly Simon and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis made an unlikely pair--Carly, a free and artistic spirit still reeling from her recent divorce, searching for meaning, new love, and an anchor; and Jackie, one of the most celebrated, meticulous, unknowable women in American history.
Nonetheless, over the next decade their lives merged in inextricable and complex ways, and they forged a connection deeper than either could ever have foreseen. The time they spent together--lingering lunches and creative collaborations, nights out on the town and movie dates--brought a welcome lightness and comfort to their days, but their conversations often veered into more profound territory as they helped each other navigate the shifting waters of life lived, publicly, in the wake of great love and great loss.
An intimate, vulnerable, and insightful portrait of the bond that grew between two iconic and starkly different American women, Carly Simon's Touched by the Sun is a chronicle, in loving detail, of the late friendship she and Jackie shared. It is a meditation on the ways someone can unexpectedly enter our lives and change its course, as well as a celebration of kinship in all its many forms.
A chance encounter at a summer party on Martha's Vineyard blossomed into an improbable but enduring friendship.
Carly Simon and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis made an unlikely pair--Carly, a free and artistic spirit still reeling from her recent divorce, searching for meaning, new love, and an anchor; and Jackie, one of the most celebrated, meticulous, unknowable women in American history.
Nonetheless, over the next decade their lives merged in inextricable and complex ways, and they forged a connection deeper than either could ever have foreseen. The time they spent together--lingering lunches and creative collaborations, nights out on the town and movie dates--brought a welcome lightness and comfort to their days, but their conversations often veered into more profound territory as they helped each other navigate the shifting waters of life lived, publicly, in the wake of great love and great loss.
An intimate, vulnerable, and insightful portrait of the bond that grew between two iconic and starkly different American women, Carly Simon's Touched by the Sun is a chronicle, in loving detail, of the late friendship she and Jackie shared. It is a meditation on the ways someone can unexpectedly enter our lives and change its course, as well as a celebration of kinship in all its many forms.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published October 22, 2019
About the author
Carly Simon
57 books179 followersCarly Elisabeth Simon is an American singer/songwriter and musician. She is also an Academy Award, a Golden Globe and two-time Grammy Award winner. Simon was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1994.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 355 reviews
November 22, 2019
When I first heard this book was going to be published, I thought about pre-ordering it. Having since read it, I am glad I didn't (admittedly, I feel a bit rude writing that, which will be made clear shortly). However, the more I think about what I read, the more I think I am starting to understand what Carly Simon was trying to reveal.
The title was a bit misleading, and maybe that is part of the reason for the poor reviews. Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis makes frequent appearances throughout, yet the reader doesn't quite glean anything new and insightful about her.
Actually, I thought about giving up on the book. I made it 60 pages in and wondered why I kept reading. Everybody, including Simon and JBKO, came off as shallow and unlikable. And yet, the more I read the more I found how alone and pathetic Carly Simon has felt for much of her life, even with all the good/talent she has in her life. It is a cliche, poor little rich girl, but I felt deep sympathy for her the more that I read.
The way she idolized Jackie was uncomfortable, with Simon's neediness coming through loud and clear. And yet, when people are so brutally raw and honest, while awkward to observe, it can also, in its own way, be beautiful because so many of us (JBKO...) never reveal so much of ourselves, especially if it is unflattering.
In sum, this felt like a means of catharsis for Simon, as well as a gentle love letter to JBKO.
2.5
The title was a bit misleading, and maybe that is part of the reason for the poor reviews. Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis makes frequent appearances throughout, yet the reader doesn't quite glean anything new and insightful about her.
Actually, I thought about giving up on the book. I made it 60 pages in and wondered why I kept reading. Everybody, including Simon and JBKO, came off as shallow and unlikable. And yet, the more I read the more I found how alone and pathetic Carly Simon has felt for much of her life, even with all the good/talent she has in her life. It is a cliche, poor little rich girl, but I felt deep sympathy for her the more that I read.
The way she idolized Jackie was uncomfortable, with Simon's neediness coming through loud and clear. And yet, when people are so brutally raw and honest, while awkward to observe, it can also, in its own way, be beautiful because so many of us (JBKO...) never reveal so much of ourselves, especially if it is unflattering.
In sum, this felt like a means of catharsis for Simon, as well as a gentle love letter to JBKO.
2.5
October 22, 2019
Boring
If you are looking for any insight to Jackie, you won’t find it here. I do respect Ms. Simon for not giving up any of Jackie’s secrets but had hoped for a bit more of what Jackie’s personality. This book is more like a rambling of thoughts, a bit disjointed.
If you are looking for any insight to Jackie, you won’t find it here. I do respect Ms. Simon for not giving up any of Jackie’s secrets but had hoped for a bit more of what Jackie’s personality. This book is more like a rambling of thoughts, a bit disjointed.
January 28, 2020
I skimmed some of the other Goodreads reviews, and wonder if we read the same book. People were either grousing about the lack of "private" information about Jackie Kennedy, or spitting nails about Simon's "invasion" of said privacy.
We are talking about the woman who is arguably the iconic 20th century female. Why? Lots of reasons, but at least one of them is that Jacqueline Kennedy kept her secrets. No catering to an avid press, combined with an equally avid interest in personal privacy. Simon waited 25 years after her friend's death to publish this simple memoir of the relationship. So much for the charge of somehow "cashing in" on Jackie's friendship.
She tells it in a non-linear fashion. This is the way that most friendships proceed, isn't it? Two people come together and bump along, discovering what each is willing to reveal about the other in fits and starts. No true friendship --- in my experience, anyway --- is an instant data dump. Isn't that part of the fun, the frisson that comes as new details emerge through conversations that tell you, yes, I have found a kindred soul? Simon picks her way along, and shares nuggets of how she and Kennedy related to each other, starting with an awkward question about shoes and proceeding to her hilarious narration of a ghastly dinner party given by Kay Graham for Bill and Hillary. Simon attended; Jackie didn't, but reveled in the details provided by Carly in a post-disaster phone call. As one does with a friend. Jackie was a terrific audience. She loved stories (hence her work as an editor), and Simon did not disappoint. Don't we all have a friend like that? If not, find one. The laughs alone are worth it.
Look, we all know the gory details about Jackie Kennedy's life. The poverty that drove her, the intimate details of her marriages, the shopping addictions, the horrifying events of November 22, 19633, yada, yada, yada. That is the world of Kitty Kelley or A Woman Named Jackie or, God help her, the National Enquirer. This book is an antidote to all of that kvatch. Simon is a terrific writer. No surprise, given her lyrical career and Boys in the Trees. But this slim history of a close friendship is pitch perfect. And while it contains the bonus of heavy hitters as far as celebrities who appear, it really could be the story of any friendship. If you are lucky enough to be of a certain age (raises hand) with close friendships that have changed your life (raises other hand), this book is going to send you into reveries about them. No, it isn't Tolstoy or even Troyat --- Carly and Jackie referenced each of them in conversation! --- it is a damn good read.
Highly recommend.
We are talking about the woman who is arguably the iconic 20th century female. Why? Lots of reasons, but at least one of them is that Jacqueline Kennedy kept her secrets. No catering to an avid press, combined with an equally avid interest in personal privacy. Simon waited 25 years after her friend's death to publish this simple memoir of the relationship. So much for the charge of somehow "cashing in" on Jackie's friendship.
She tells it in a non-linear fashion. This is the way that most friendships proceed, isn't it? Two people come together and bump along, discovering what each is willing to reveal about the other in fits and starts. No true friendship --- in my experience, anyway --- is an instant data dump. Isn't that part of the fun, the frisson that comes as new details emerge through conversations that tell you, yes, I have found a kindred soul? Simon picks her way along, and shares nuggets of how she and Kennedy related to each other, starting with an awkward question about shoes and proceeding to her hilarious narration of a ghastly dinner party given by Kay Graham for Bill and Hillary. Simon attended; Jackie didn't, but reveled in the details provided by Carly in a post-disaster phone call. As one does with a friend. Jackie was a terrific audience. She loved stories (hence her work as an editor), and Simon did not disappoint. Don't we all have a friend like that? If not, find one. The laughs alone are worth it.
Look, we all know the gory details about Jackie Kennedy's life. The poverty that drove her, the intimate details of her marriages, the shopping addictions, the horrifying events of November 22, 19633, yada, yada, yada. That is the world of Kitty Kelley or A Woman Named Jackie or, God help her, the National Enquirer. This book is an antidote to all of that kvatch. Simon is a terrific writer. No surprise, given her lyrical career and Boys in the Trees. But this slim history of a close friendship is pitch perfect. And while it contains the bonus of heavy hitters as far as celebrities who appear, it really could be the story of any friendship. If you are lucky enough to be of a certain age (raises hand) with close friendships that have changed your life (raises other hand), this book is going to send you into reveries about them. No, it isn't Tolstoy or even Troyat --- Carly and Jackie referenced each of them in conversation! --- it is a damn good read.
Highly recommend.
October 24, 2019
In the acknowledgement, Carly mentions that her current partner, Richard, edited this book down from 800 pages to 238. If those edited pages had included more about Jackie, they should have been included. Pictures would have been nice. This really is a book by Carly about Carly. The rich certainly are different.
April 9, 2022
While the friendship is covered, this book is more here about Carly than her friendship with Jackie. There are glimpses of the social whirl at Martha’s Vineyard and how Carly’s celebrity opens doors.
Carly writes of feelings so personal, they were hard to read. She examines her insecurity, why she is attracted to creative people (ruthlessly examining if she is a snob), how she divvied her inheritance to help her siblings (ungrateful, they later assisted in what sounds like a near disinheritance by her mother). To better understand Carly you need to read Boys in the Trees which is a much better book
This is the post-Onasis Jackie. She is very supportive of Carly and seems to be filling role Carly's mother never played. They share poetry, art and the same social set at Martha's Vineyard. Jackie publishes Carly's children's books. Jackie comes off stiff and guarded, especially compared to Carly's energy and obvious vulnerability.
Carly sees Jackie as a strong role model as well as a supportive friend. Barbara Leaming’s Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years suggests many childhood parallels. While Carly had Jackie on something like a pedestal, Jackie may have seen in Carly the woman she might have been, had she been born at a different time.
This is a quick read. Not essential, but if you are interested in those interested in these two women you will want to read it.
Carly writes of feelings so personal, they were hard to read. She examines her insecurity, why she is attracted to creative people (ruthlessly examining if she is a snob), how she divvied her inheritance to help her siblings (ungrateful, they later assisted in what sounds like a near disinheritance by her mother). To better understand Carly you need to read Boys in the Trees which is a much better book
This is the post-Onasis Jackie. She is very supportive of Carly and seems to be filling role Carly's mother never played. They share poetry, art and the same social set at Martha's Vineyard. Jackie publishes Carly's children's books. Jackie comes off stiff and guarded, especially compared to Carly's energy and obvious vulnerability.
Carly sees Jackie as a strong role model as well as a supportive friend. Barbara Leaming’s Mrs. Kennedy: The Missing History of the Kennedy Years suggests many childhood parallels. While Carly had Jackie on something like a pedestal, Jackie may have seen in Carly the woman she might have been, had she been born at a different time.
This is a quick read. Not essential, but if you are interested in those interested in these two women you will want to read it.
March 4, 2022
I give this book five stars, as I do anything and everything from the creative powerhouse that is Carly Simon. However, the book is not really about Jackie Kennedy Onassis. This book is about Carly Simon. And that's just fine by me.
In many ways, "Touched by the Sun" picks up where "Boys in the Trees" left off, though not in a linear trajectory. We peek into Carly's marriage to Jim Hart and the aftermath of her divorce from James Taylor. We glimpse career vignettes, deep childhood pains that turned into lifelong ones; components of great meals nibbled at and attended by Carly; and even a tour of The House in Lambert's Cover on Martha's Vineyard.
Jackie serves as muse; Greek chorus; inspiration, surrogate mother, and best friend. We get to see her funny side. I felt I got to know Jackie better without horning in on anything that would embarrass her. As Carly said in an interview, "I held a lot back." We do learn the reason Carly has never been nominated to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. And it stinks. Shame on you, Rolling Stone.
UPDATE: Carly has been nominated to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame! Vote early and often, everybody. You get six votes per day. Too bad they can't all be for Carly.
In many ways, "Touched by the Sun" picks up where "Boys in the Trees" left off, though not in a linear trajectory. We peek into Carly's marriage to Jim Hart and the aftermath of her divorce from James Taylor. We glimpse career vignettes, deep childhood pains that turned into lifelong ones; components of great meals nibbled at and attended by Carly; and even a tour of The House in Lambert's Cover on Martha's Vineyard.
Jackie serves as muse; Greek chorus; inspiration, surrogate mother, and best friend. We get to see her funny side. I felt I got to know Jackie better without horning in on anything that would embarrass her. As Carly said in an interview, "I held a lot back." We do learn the reason Carly has never been nominated to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame. And it stinks. Shame on you, Rolling Stone.
UPDATE: Carly has been nominated to the Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame! Vote early and often, everybody. You get six votes per day. Too bad they can't all be for Carly.
January 26, 2020
Did I mention I know this famous person? Oh, well I do. Let me tell you about this awards show when I discovered I had a cute lil pill problem. Went to rehab and then quit just days into treatment because I didn’t like it, lol! Forgot to mention I also know this other famous person. Plus I used to be married to James Taylor with whom I am still in love. Very tragic. My second husband is gay tho! Omg totally forgot to mention why I wrote this book in the first place: Jackie was the most special and dear friend of mine. She actually helped me realize that I am being purposefully left out of the rock and roll hall of fame due to misogynist voting, haha!!! Did I mention I know many, many celebrities?
March 23, 2020
I’ve written a novel about Jackie Kennedy that tries to get under her skin, so I was positively salivating to read Carly Simon’s memoir about their friendship. They met in 1983 at the Ocean Club in Martha’s Vineyard, and Jackie became the editor of two children’s books Carly wrote. They went to dinners and movies together, and it sounds to me as if Jackie (who was sixteen years older) acted as a kind of mother figure. When Carly was in rehab and was allowed one phone call a night, it was Jackie she called. And Jackie warned her not to marry her second husband, James Hart – advice Carly disregarded.
Overall, though, the description of their relationship in this book makes it sound quite distant. Several times Carly castigates herself for overstepping the mark – as when she asks Jackie if she has seen Oliver Stone’s movie JFK. There are few anecdotes that tell us more about Jackie’s personality than was already a matter of public record. There’s a lot about Carly though, and it’s well-written, self-deprecating and often funny.
Perhaps Carly is respecting Jackie’s well-documented desire for privacy in not revealing more – in which case why write a book about her at all? Perhaps Jackie didn’t open up much even with her closest friends. Or perhaps Carly wasn’t as close as she claims to have been.
Yet she was there at Jackie’s deathbed, and it feels intrusive to me that she describes the scene of her friend lying in a coma. If any moment should have been kept private, surely that was one.
I enjoyed the book for the lively descriptions, the painting of atmosphere, and the insights to Carly’s character. To learn more about Jackie, there are much better sources.
Overall, though, the description of their relationship in this book makes it sound quite distant. Several times Carly castigates herself for overstepping the mark – as when she asks Jackie if she has seen Oliver Stone’s movie JFK. There are few anecdotes that tell us more about Jackie’s personality than was already a matter of public record. There’s a lot about Carly though, and it’s well-written, self-deprecating and often funny.
Perhaps Carly is respecting Jackie’s well-documented desire for privacy in not revealing more – in which case why write a book about her at all? Perhaps Jackie didn’t open up much even with her closest friends. Or perhaps Carly wasn’t as close as she claims to have been.
Yet she was there at Jackie’s deathbed, and it feels intrusive to me that she describes the scene of her friend lying in a coma. If any moment should have been kept private, surely that was one.
I enjoyed the book for the lively descriptions, the painting of atmosphere, and the insights to Carly’s character. To learn more about Jackie, there are much better sources.
October 28, 2019
With too much 'Carly' and not enough 'Jackie' this book was more of a skimming book for me, no disrespect intended to Ms. Simon, but as I told one colleague, 'If I wanted to read a biography or memoir about Ms. Simon, I would pick one up'.
Another missed opportunity seems to be the lack of images and photographs of the two (save for the front and back cover).
Another missed opportunity seems to be the lack of images and photographs of the two (save for the front and back cover).
November 13, 2019
Disappointed because I loved Boys in the Trees so much.
January 3, 2020
Carly Simon and Jackie Kennedy Onassis at first glance..an unlikely pair. They were introduced by a mutual friend. They both had homes on Martha's Vineyard . Being almost neighbors they spent long lunches together.
Sometimes Carly would relate a story from her childhood and Jackie would say."Carly you need to write a book, a children's book." Carly took it to heart, since Jackie was a editor at Double Day.
This book chronicles all the details of a great friendship.
Thank you Goodreads for sending me this very interesting book.
Sometimes Carly would relate a story from her childhood and Jackie would say."Carly you need to write a book, a children's book." Carly took it to heart, since Jackie was a editor at Double Day.
This book chronicles all the details of a great friendship.
Thank you Goodreads for sending me this very interesting book.
November 27, 2019
Some things about Jackie Onassis I took away from this book:
- Jackie didn’t hesitate to tell Carly what kind of men Carly should and shouldn’t be with. Same went for friendships.
- Jackie liked to refuse dinner invitations and then spend hours on the phone listening to Carly talk about who sat where, and said what to whom.
- Jackie knew JFK had affairs, but in her mind he still loved her more than any of those women.
- Aristotle Onassis was a bully who insulted her in front of others.
- Her sister Lee was jealous of her and always tried to outdo Jackie, a gossip which, as it turns out, was true.
- Jackie thought it would take generations for women to become truly equal with men. In the meantime, she believed it was better for a relationship if the man was allowed and expected to take care of the woman.
- Jackie didn’t hesitate to tell Carly what kind of men Carly should and shouldn’t be with. Same went for friendships.
- Jackie liked to refuse dinner invitations and then spend hours on the phone listening to Carly talk about who sat where, and said what to whom.
- Jackie knew JFK had affairs, but in her mind he still loved her more than any of those women.
- Aristotle Onassis was a bully who insulted her in front of others.
- Her sister Lee was jealous of her and always tried to outdo Jackie, a gossip which, as it turns out, was true.
- Jackie thought it would take generations for women to become truly equal with men. In the meantime, she believed it was better for a relationship if the man was allowed and expected to take care of the woman.
March 26, 2022
I LOVED this book. I glanced at other reviews on GoodReads by other women who claimed this book was boring... I think it's a generational thing. If you're a GenZ or a millennial & you're not a witness to the graceful, steel rod that Jackie Kennedy was after the murder of her beloved husband, then maybe you won't understand the impact this woman had on Americans, particularly women. It was Jackie Kennedy that designed and created the White House Rose Garden (bulldozed by Melania), who spent her years as FLOTUS restoring the White House art & furniture, turning the rundown White House into a place that the American people could be proud of. It was Jackie that invited ballet dancers, conductors, fashion designers, painters, celebrities and diplomats to fabulous State Dinners, putting America back on the map after the dreary Eisenhower years.
If you have the chance, watch the PBS documentary of Jackie Kennedy showing the renovated White House to the American people... she narrates it in her soft voice & her knowledge of history, art & antiques reveal what a brilliant woman she was.
For those of you (women) who loved Jackie Kennedy, this book is more revealing about who Jackie was than the biography I'd read: "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story". This memoir by Carly Simon is a far better book that her own autobiography: "Boys In The Trees".
Carly Simon (the singer/songwriter) is from a wealthy Connecticut family; her father was the Simon in Simon & Schuster. Her family spent summers in Martha's Vineyard, they were friends with the famous & wealthy, which is how Carly came to meet Jackie Kennedy, who also summered in the Vineyard; they shared a friendship with the late director, Mike Nichols.
IMO Jackie allowed Carly into the inner sanctum of her life because of Carly being from the aristocracy, being famous & wealthy, all these traits meant that Jackie was able to TRUST Carly.
The two shared a very close friendship for a decade; Carly adored Jackie (the way many American women view Jackie Kennedy as a heroine - myself included) and Jackie viewed Carly in a maternal manner.
The memoir is far from 'boring', it's a page-turner! If you want to know if Jackie knew about JFK's serial infidelities, it's all here (she knew) & how she felt about it (she told Carly). If you're curious about why she married such a ogre of a 2nd husband (there were other wealthy men) it's here too.
Besides the protection Onassis offered Jackie (who suffered from PTSD) & her children, a life of luxury, Jackie had other reasons to marry him. I don't know that she loved him, but it was more than a marriage of convenience.
There's glimpses into Jackie's relationship with her two adult children; Carly is invited to perform at Caroline Kennedy's wedding and Jackie's long time relationship with diamond merchant, who loved and supported Jackie until her death from cancer. It was Templesman that invested Jackie's money & turned her wealth into a fortune; leaving her and her children independently wealthy.
Carly was truly a close friend because Carly was one of only three friends who were allowed to be with Jackie on her deathbed.
I'm glad Jackie died before her son John died (with his wife) in a horrendous plane crash, I don't know if she could have survived the trauma. Jackie witnessed her true love JFK's scull blown into her hands, she tried to put the piece back on as his brains splattered her pink Chanel suit. Jackie witnessed the assassination of her brother-in-law RFK who was her ROCK after the murder of her husband... No one knew what PTSD was in the 1960s, but we now know what it is & that Jackie may have never been treated for it.
TOUCHED BY THE SUN (the title of a song that Carly wrote for Jackie) is a wonderful story of two women who adored each other & brought out the best in one another through their steadfast support, love of words, reading, walking the beach & the girlish humor they shared together.
RECOMMENDED.
If you have the chance, watch the PBS documentary of Jackie Kennedy showing the renovated White House to the American people... she narrates it in her soft voice & her knowledge of history, art & antiques reveal what a brilliant woman she was.
For those of you (women) who loved Jackie Kennedy, this book is more revealing about who Jackie was than the biography I'd read: "Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis: The Untold Story". This memoir by Carly Simon is a far better book that her own autobiography: "Boys In The Trees".
Carly Simon (the singer/songwriter) is from a wealthy Connecticut family; her father was the Simon in Simon & Schuster. Her family spent summers in Martha's Vineyard, they were friends with the famous & wealthy, which is how Carly came to meet Jackie Kennedy, who also summered in the Vineyard; they shared a friendship with the late director, Mike Nichols.
IMO Jackie allowed Carly into the inner sanctum of her life because of Carly being from the aristocracy, being famous & wealthy, all these traits meant that Jackie was able to TRUST Carly.
The two shared a very close friendship for a decade; Carly adored Jackie (the way many American women view Jackie Kennedy as a heroine - myself included) and Jackie viewed Carly in a maternal manner.
The memoir is far from 'boring', it's a page-turner! If you want to know if Jackie knew about JFK's serial infidelities, it's all here (she knew) & how she felt about it (she told Carly). If you're curious about why she married such a ogre of a 2nd husband (there were other wealthy men) it's here too.
Besides the protection Onassis offered Jackie (who suffered from PTSD) & her children, a life of luxury, Jackie had other reasons to marry him. I don't know that she loved him, but it was more than a marriage of convenience.
There's glimpses into Jackie's relationship with her two adult children; Carly is invited to perform at Caroline Kennedy's wedding and Jackie's long time relationship with diamond merchant, who loved and supported Jackie until her death from cancer. It was Templesman that invested Jackie's money & turned her wealth into a fortune; leaving her and her children independently wealthy.
Carly was truly a close friend because Carly was one of only three friends who were allowed to be with Jackie on her deathbed.
I'm glad Jackie died before her son John died (with his wife) in a horrendous plane crash, I don't know if she could have survived the trauma. Jackie witnessed her true love JFK's scull blown into her hands, she tried to put the piece back on as his brains splattered her pink Chanel suit. Jackie witnessed the assassination of her brother-in-law RFK who was her ROCK after the murder of her husband... No one knew what PTSD was in the 1960s, but we now know what it is & that Jackie may have never been treated for it.
TOUCHED BY THE SUN (the title of a song that Carly wrote for Jackie) is a wonderful story of two women who adored each other & brought out the best in one another through their steadfast support, love of words, reading, walking the beach & the girlish humor they shared together.
RECOMMENDED.
January 24, 2020
I found many details of this book fascinating but I started to dislike the author's myopia about the way "real" people live when she went into a bitter, vituperative rant about having to sleep on cotton sheets that did not have the customary thread count when she stayed at "Ye Olde" New England country inn. The lumpy pillows and curtains transformed Carly into a hyper-sensitive chronicler of her own pain (oh, those pillows reminded her of great globs of fat one might find in the freezer of a plastic surgeon). If Simon is being ironic about the horrors of the New England Inn, it is so well-concealed that it would take a great literary critic to tease it out.
So I had to ask myself, what would happen to Carly's delicacies and demands if she were living in a real world where people make daily compromises with their own comfort because of a lack of funds? Simon IS aware that she's the proverbial princess sleeping on a pea but I would have appreciated some more reflection on privilege and its expanding crawl. She admits to having "hothouse flower tendencies" but cannot forgive Ye Olde Inn for the aroma of bacon.
I don't know if Simon shows us her utter snottiness just out of honesty or if she thinks she's more delicate than the average person who does not have access to a lot of money and the rarefied companionship of celebrities.
Carly goes to rehab--but does not feel anything physical about detoxing from her assorted pill concoctions--many of them OTC choices.
I think Carly Simon has many fantastic qualities and talents but her affluenza will leave many readers puzzled and irritated.
So I had to ask myself, what would happen to Carly's delicacies and demands if she were living in a real world where people make daily compromises with their own comfort because of a lack of funds? Simon IS aware that she's the proverbial princess sleeping on a pea but I would have appreciated some more reflection on privilege and its expanding crawl. She admits to having "hothouse flower tendencies" but cannot forgive Ye Olde Inn for the aroma of bacon.
I don't know if Simon shows us her utter snottiness just out of honesty or if she thinks she's more delicate than the average person who does not have access to a lot of money and the rarefied companionship of celebrities.
Carly goes to rehab--but does not feel anything physical about detoxing from her assorted pill concoctions--many of them OTC choices.
I think Carly Simon has many fantastic qualities and talents but her affluenza will leave many readers puzzled and irritated.
November 6, 2019
In the 1970's, Carly Simon was one of the premier female singer/songwriters who was radio-friendly, ratcheting up hit after hit after hit. Whatever was working for her back then, is not working for her now, as this deceptive book of hers proves.
What is being sold as a book about her friendship with Jackie O (is her mystique still relevant or cared for here in 2019?) is really a takedown of, not her only friendship with Jackie, but also harsh, judgmental takedowns of her friends Mike Nichols, Diane Sawyer, Lillian Hellman, among others. Throughout the book, I kept asking myself, why did she write this book? Her insights are not insightful, they are, frankly, resentful, of Jackie primarily, but the abovementioned as well. It is like Ms. Simon, needed a quick infuse of cash (perhaps?), opened up her journals and thought that by being bitchy and turning other people's personal feelings and moments, purportedly her friends, making them come across as self-indulgent, selfish, unfeeling people whom I kept wondering why they were friends with Ms. Simon to begin with.
Ms. Simon does herself no favors here by sharing her thoughts and feelings about her friends (most of whom mentioned, I should say, are dead.) because she comes across as resentful and jealous, which does not make for good reading, particularly when the author does not seem to realize that she comes across as resentful and jealous and downright petty.
There is no deep here; only shallow. And very shallow at best.
What is being sold as a book about her friendship with Jackie O (is her mystique still relevant or cared for here in 2019?) is really a takedown of, not her only friendship with Jackie, but also harsh, judgmental takedowns of her friends Mike Nichols, Diane Sawyer, Lillian Hellman, among others. Throughout the book, I kept asking myself, why did she write this book? Her insights are not insightful, they are, frankly, resentful, of Jackie primarily, but the abovementioned as well. It is like Ms. Simon, needed a quick infuse of cash (perhaps?), opened up her journals and thought that by being bitchy and turning other people's personal feelings and moments, purportedly her friends, making them come across as self-indulgent, selfish, unfeeling people whom I kept wondering why they were friends with Ms. Simon to begin with.
Ms. Simon does herself no favors here by sharing her thoughts and feelings about her friends (most of whom mentioned, I should say, are dead.) because she comes across as resentful and jealous, which does not make for good reading, particularly when the author does not seem to realize that she comes across as resentful and jealous and downright petty.
There is no deep here; only shallow. And very shallow at best.
October 31, 2019
This is such a strange, melancholy little volume. Jackie was friends with Carly through a difficult time in the singer's life and then their relationship ended with Jackie's death. Plus, it seems Carly can be complicated even in happy times, so this book left me feeling more sad than uplifted.
But it does give us glimpses into what it's like to be friends with this most famous of women and what it was like to have her as an editor. I don't think the "too much Carly/not enough Jackie" comments reflect that this is a memoir of their relationship, not a biography of JBKO. There's no shortage of those. But this one gives us Jackie giving marriage advice, writing a loving letter after the death of Carly's mom, dodging the paparazzi en route to the theater, sneaking a smoke at the opera ... Who better for Carly to turn to when hosting a lunch for the current First Family? I especially liked learning that Jackie kept a book she'd written (by hand) for Onassis. Perhaps that second marriage meant more to her than I realized.
This was not, however, a relationship between equals. Carly could not tamp down her hero worship long enough for that to happen. It made me feel bad for both women. Carly for being so insecure, and for Jackie because it must have been isolating to be treated like a queen 24/7.
PS I agree that the book would have benefited from more photos.
But it does give us glimpses into what it's like to be friends with this most famous of women and what it was like to have her as an editor. I don't think the "too much Carly/not enough Jackie" comments reflect that this is a memoir of their relationship, not a biography of JBKO. There's no shortage of those. But this one gives us Jackie giving marriage advice, writing a loving letter after the death of Carly's mom, dodging the paparazzi en route to the theater, sneaking a smoke at the opera ... Who better for Carly to turn to when hosting a lunch for the current First Family? I especially liked learning that Jackie kept a book she'd written (by hand) for Onassis. Perhaps that second marriage meant more to her than I realized.
This was not, however, a relationship between equals. Carly could not tamp down her hero worship long enough for that to happen. It made me feel bad for both women. Carly for being so insecure, and for Jackie because it must have been isolating to be treated like a queen 24/7.
PS I agree that the book would have benefited from more photos.
November 20, 2019
I have always loved the lyrics and melodies of Carly’s music. And from the age of eleven, Jacqueline Kennedy became my heroine for the ages, based on my childlike vision of this great woman at the age of 33 leading a nation through one of its greatest tragedies. I ran to the bookstore when I heard of Touched By the Sun. I was slightly disappointed because it was really Carly writing about herself with a few enticing snatches of encounters with Jackie. “What would Jackie do?” was the theme. But the story was Carly, sometimes naked in her insecurities and her love and admiration for a woman of greatness and grace. In the end, I understood. Carly was a bit of me. I have lived with Jackie as my mentor from afar. Carly was able to touch the sun for a moment in time and she needed others to know. I get that. And I will appreciate the vulnerability that went into her writing.
October 25, 2019
What a very strange book this is. Jackie is really a peripheral character here. Simon one of Jackie's sycophants. The book really is a recollection of Simon's addictions, insecurity, mental illness and immaturity. What a vacuous figure Simon seems to have been. Definitely one of the oddest memoirs I've ever read.
March 2, 2020
Only a sprinkling about the friendship with JKO. This book is memoir about Carly Simon that any fan of hers might enjoy. Sadly, I read it to learn about the phenom that was JKO, not MeMeMe Simon. This book should have been titled, “I am the Sun.”
November 29, 2019
Disappointing. Expected more on Jackie. I love Carly Simon and enjoyed her book the The Boys in the Trees...but this book simply lacked content.
June 20, 2022
2.5 stars rounded up.
My feelings for this audiobook knew only polar opposites. At moments I was greatly irrated by a "story" that felt like nothing other than just name dropping, casually (though I never felt humbly). At other, the moments were touching and the writing style what I had expected from a well known musician. The end was especially poignant. This was less about Jackie than I had hoped, but well enough done.
My feelings for this audiobook knew only polar opposites. At moments I was greatly irrated by a "story" that felt like nothing other than just name dropping, casually (though I never felt humbly). At other, the moments were touching and the writing style what I had expected from a well known musician. The end was especially poignant. This was less about Jackie than I had hoped, but well enough done.
November 15, 2022
It read like a first meeting. First, scattered with nervous energy.. free verse, lyrics. Then, the need to impress. A lot of name dropping and too many “oh” thoughts interjected and “by the way” redundancy. Some sing song needless words and repetition. Initially, not very cohesive and oddly not very much about Jackie. What was mentioned was too analytical. (I felt it was kind of a betrayal to Jackie to have you try to divulge her emotions and personality.) It became extremely passive aggressive when relating antidotes about her supposed friends. Especially the women, of which she gets rather catty, making them all appear to be envious of each other or was that just personal projection? (Meanwhile the men were all desirable and accomplished.)
The middle was a lot of self-professing: unloved childhood, pill-popping adulthood, wrong men, insecurities. More autobiographical that sharing.
But then, just as any friendship will do, it calms down. It settles. Not only are they comfortable with each other, but you are now also in reading about them. They support each other while still allowing an evasiveness to gut-spilling. You see the beauty of their bond. The respect of their character. The intimacy of their love. And when Jackie dies, you feel the sorrow.
Touched By The Sun was written for Jackie. Find the song. Listen.
The middle was a lot of self-professing: unloved childhood, pill-popping adulthood, wrong men, insecurities. More autobiographical that sharing.
But then, just as any friendship will do, it calms down. It settles. Not only are they comfortable with each other, but you are now also in reading about them. They support each other while still allowing an evasiveness to gut-spilling. You see the beauty of their bond. The respect of their character. The intimacy of their love. And when Jackie dies, you feel the sorrow.
Touched By The Sun was written for Jackie. Find the song. Listen.
Shelved as 'dnf'
January 7, 2020Anything that Carly Simon writes, sings or speaks -- no matter what it is, I'm all in and there for it, 100%.
Except this book.
For real, one of the most disappointing things in a reading life is the anticipation (yeah, yeah, I know...I couldn't help myself) of a new SOMETHING by one of your favorite authors or singers or whatever. When I first learned of this book, I was thrilled. I really enjoyed Boys in the Trees and had very high expectations for this one.
As others have said, there's way too much name-dropping in this book. Perhaps that's a natural byproduct of something like this, but it felt excessive.
I also didn't buy the whole idea that Carly and Jackie's friendship was so...what's the word I'm looking for, here? Unexpected? Odd couple-like? C'mon, already. It makes perfect freakin' sense that they're going to be friends! Both live on the Vineyard. Both have a literary background -- Jackie was an editor at Doubleday; Carly's father was the Simon in the publishing firm Simon & Schuster. Both have an artistic sense. Both have had high profile romantic lives.
Overall, I found myself kind of bored, to be honest. Skip this one and read Boys in the Trees instead.
Except this book.
For real, one of the most disappointing things in a reading life is the anticipation (yeah, yeah, I know...I couldn't help myself) of a new SOMETHING by one of your favorite authors or singers or whatever. When I first learned of this book, I was thrilled. I really enjoyed Boys in the Trees and had very high expectations for this one.
As others have said, there's way too much name-dropping in this book. Perhaps that's a natural byproduct of something like this, but it felt excessive.
I also didn't buy the whole idea that Carly and Jackie's friendship was so...what's the word I'm looking for, here? Unexpected? Odd couple-like? C'mon, already. It makes perfect freakin' sense that they're going to be friends! Both live on the Vineyard. Both have a literary background -- Jackie was an editor at Doubleday; Carly's father was the Simon in the publishing firm Simon & Schuster. Both have an artistic sense. Both have had high profile romantic lives.
Overall, I found myself kind of bored, to be honest. Skip this one and read Boys in the Trees instead.
January 7, 2020
Like the Maggie Smith book I had just attempted via audio book, this is full of name dropping and a great description of the lifestyles of the rich and famous. I enjoyed listening to Elizabeth McGovern of Downton Abbey fame but the content was often Carly Simon whining about her life. I'm sure Jackie's presence in her life was a boost, but it's hard to feel too sorry for someone raised in such privilege who's living on Martha's Vineyard and having dinner with the Clintons. I saw a review of this book in a magazine and I had to agree. It's only a "good" book when it could have been great.
January 5, 2020
I finished "Touched By The Sun" tonight and this single line spoke to my heart: "Oh, Mother. I didn't know that when you died I'd never be me anymore."
After my dad died I had no idea who I was anymore. Even if the rest of the book had been terrible, this line and knowing that someone else understands would have made the book worth reading.
That being said, I found the book riveting and finished it in three sittings, never wanting to put it down.
After my dad died I had no idea who I was anymore. Even if the rest of the book had been terrible, this line and knowing that someone else understands would have made the book worth reading.
That being said, I found the book riveting and finished it in three sittings, never wanting to put it down.
October 31, 2019
I have been without power for days, felt good to grab an audio book with a fully charged phone and head outside for some real enjoyment. I really liked learning about their frienship, with lyrics liberally sprinkled it was another glimpse into two very different lives, intimate, personal and warming.
January 21, 2020
Review will follow.
February 14, 2020
More on Carly than Jackie but Jackie deserves her privacy. Carly is still trying to get past James Taylor. I love her music and don’t understand why she isn’t in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
September 28, 2023
“There are books of which the backs and covers are by far the best parts.” For me, this quote by Charles Dickens applies perfectly in this case.
I liken this book to if it were a movie scene in which Carly Simon was having a normal, every day conversation with “the rest of us”. We would say something and she would reply and then throw in a bunch of stuff in French. We would say “What?” and she would say “Oh! I just said blah blah blah. But in French!” And we would say “Yes, we know. But….WHY????”
I was an avid fan of Carly Simon’s early and mid-career work, and still have most of it on vinyl and CDs (I don’t honestly know if she’s done anything musical very recently, so I can’t be sure if I dropped out or if she did, altho I know the very last CD of hers I bought had sort of updated remakes of some of her old songs, and I gave it away, feeling they should have just been left alone.) And I’ve always thought Jackie was a very classy, private lady. But this book didn’t live up to its promise, and it didn’t take many pages before I realized that and wondered if I would even finish the whole book. I did, but it was a definite struggle.
After Carly states they were friends for 10 years, the prologue is pages of wondering if people will wonder what right she has to write a book about Jackie. Or how their friendship was different from Jackie’s other friendships, etc etc etc. I’m thinking maybe that should have been a red flag. To her, not to write it. For the rest of us, not to read it.
Then it goes into a time when they were friends for 2 years and Carly was 1/2 hour late for a lunch with Jackie, who is never, ever late. She wonders if she should invent a white lie to cover herself. Finally arriving at the restaurant, she finds that Jackie isn’t there yet either. Panic mode sets in, and she goes thru a zillion thoughts, including that Jackie was tired of her and was cutting her out of her life. I couldn’t help thinking that a 2-year friendship couldn’t be much of one, if that was how you felt. Turned out Jackie had a perfectly good reason for being late, and not calling. And by the way, this section is also so full of very flowery descriptions of everything Carly sees in front of her that I almost stopped already, and really hoped she’d get past that in the rest of the book.
As others have said, this is Carly Simon, with hints of Jackie thrown in. She has a sometimes sneaky way of talking about herself, while putting Jackie into it. Such as “We didn’t talk yet about my ex-husband, James Taylor”. Just a little reminder, folks! I didn’t expect, or even want, intimate details about Jackie and their friendship, and at least there were no worries about that here! Carly’s song lyrics are tossed in at the start of each new chapter, even tho I couldn’t get any connection between them and what she was supposed to be writing about. I had understood “Hello Big Man” to be about her parents (was I wrong?), but it's quoted here, as if she wrote it for Jackie.
She goes into a lot about her second husband, and how they were getting along and often not getting along. This all has nothing to do with Jackie, but she justifies it by throwing in that “I’ll have to tell Jackie about this”.
I've always known Carly Simon was a bundle of contradictions. While trying to come off as the sexy, bad girl in rock, she also has terrible performance anxiety, and anxiety about flying, and anxiety about her looks, and about lots of other things too. And its all here, and oh yeah, she'll have to tell Jackie about all that!
There are many times when she mentions things that are supposed to be “normal”, but which aren’t for most of us. She name drops like only the rich can. about her dinners with celebrities or them staying in her guest house, etc etc. Yes, the rich are definitely different, in most cases, and this book is an excellent example of that. Everyone doesn't need to write a book.
Oddly, the truth is that I found this book in a stack of copies of it at a Dollar Store! Total irony. I don’t hold being rich against people. I’d love to give it a try myself! But when they pretend to be down to earth and say how normal they are and then act completely the opposite, you can’t help but hold it against them. I’m glad that some people liked the book, but I do not recommend it. Yawn.
I liken this book to if it were a movie scene in which Carly Simon was having a normal, every day conversation with “the rest of us”. We would say something and she would reply and then throw in a bunch of stuff in French. We would say “What?” and she would say “Oh! I just said blah blah blah. But in French!” And we would say “Yes, we know. But….WHY????”
I was an avid fan of Carly Simon’s early and mid-career work, and still have most of it on vinyl and CDs (I don’t honestly know if she’s done anything musical very recently, so I can’t be sure if I dropped out or if she did, altho I know the very last CD of hers I bought had sort of updated remakes of some of her old songs, and I gave it away, feeling they should have just been left alone.) And I’ve always thought Jackie was a very classy, private lady. But this book didn’t live up to its promise, and it didn’t take many pages before I realized that and wondered if I would even finish the whole book. I did, but it was a definite struggle.
After Carly states they were friends for 10 years, the prologue is pages of wondering if people will wonder what right she has to write a book about Jackie. Or how their friendship was different from Jackie’s other friendships, etc etc etc. I’m thinking maybe that should have been a red flag. To her, not to write it. For the rest of us, not to read it.
Then it goes into a time when they were friends for 2 years and Carly was 1/2 hour late for a lunch with Jackie, who is never, ever late. She wonders if she should invent a white lie to cover herself. Finally arriving at the restaurant, she finds that Jackie isn’t there yet either. Panic mode sets in, and she goes thru a zillion thoughts, including that Jackie was tired of her and was cutting her out of her life. I couldn’t help thinking that a 2-year friendship couldn’t be much of one, if that was how you felt. Turned out Jackie had a perfectly good reason for being late, and not calling. And by the way, this section is also so full of very flowery descriptions of everything Carly sees in front of her that I almost stopped already, and really hoped she’d get past that in the rest of the book.
As others have said, this is Carly Simon, with hints of Jackie thrown in. She has a sometimes sneaky way of talking about herself, while putting Jackie into it. Such as “We didn’t talk yet about my ex-husband, James Taylor”. Just a little reminder, folks! I didn’t expect, or even want, intimate details about Jackie and their friendship, and at least there were no worries about that here! Carly’s song lyrics are tossed in at the start of each new chapter, even tho I couldn’t get any connection between them and what she was supposed to be writing about. I had understood “Hello Big Man” to be about her parents (was I wrong?), but it's quoted here, as if she wrote it for Jackie.
She goes into a lot about her second husband, and how they were getting along and often not getting along. This all has nothing to do with Jackie, but she justifies it by throwing in that “I’ll have to tell Jackie about this”.
I've always known Carly Simon was a bundle of contradictions. While trying to come off as the sexy, bad girl in rock, she also has terrible performance anxiety, and anxiety about flying, and anxiety about her looks, and about lots of other things too. And its all here, and oh yeah, she'll have to tell Jackie about all that!
There are many times when she mentions things that are supposed to be “normal”, but which aren’t for most of us. She name drops like only the rich can. about her dinners with celebrities or them staying in her guest house, etc etc. Yes, the rich are definitely different, in most cases, and this book is an excellent example of that. Everyone doesn't need to write a book.
Oddly, the truth is that I found this book in a stack of copies of it at a Dollar Store! Total irony. I don’t hold being rich against people. I’d love to give it a try myself! But when they pretend to be down to earth and say how normal they are and then act completely the opposite, you can’t help but hold it against them. I’m glad that some people liked the book, but I do not recommend it. Yawn.
July 6, 2020
A who's who of Nantucket and NYC.
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