The Pink Suit: A Novel

Entertainment Weekly' s #1 Mother's Day pick for 2014An O, The Oprah Magazine Top Ten Book of May 2014

"A subtly heartbreaking, completely believable tale inspired by the Irish immigrant dressmaker who made Jacqueline Kennedy's Chanel knockoff."― Dallas Morning News

On November twenty-two, 1963, the First Lady accompanied her husband to Dallas, Texas, dressed in a pink Chanel-style suit that was his favorite. Much of her wardrobe, including the pink suit, came from the New York boutique Chez Ninon where a young seamstress, an Irish immigrant named Kate, worked behind the scenes to meticulously craft the memorable outfits.

While the two never met, Kate knew every tuck and pleat needed to create the illusion of the First Lady's perfection. When the pink suit became emblematic, Kate's already fragile world—divided between the excess and artistry of Chez Ninon and the traditional values of her insular New York neighborhood—threatened to rip apart.

Moving from the back rooms of Chez Ninon to the steps of Air Force One, The Pink Suit is an enchanting, unforgettable novel about hope and heartbreak, and what became of the American Dream.

" B eautifully written and engrossing, The Pink Suit gives us an extraordinary alternative reality, transforming JFK and Jackie's romance into the unforgettable love story of a seamstress and a butcher. . . . Kelby spins a compelling tale of one of the most iconic garments ever sewn, and makes it entirely her own." —Claire Kendal, author of The Book of You