A vivid reimagining of the life and legacy of Marilyn Monroe: “A massive, magnetic story by a major American novelist writing at the peak of his powers” (San Francisco Chronicle). When eighteen-year-old Normalyn discovers a letter asserting that Marilyn Monroe was her true mother, she travels from Texas to Los Angeles to uncover the truth . . . and ventures deep into a maze of untold Hollywood history. Through the memories of others, Normalyn recreates Marilyn’s secret life. She encounters David Lange, a prize-winning writer obsessed with the actress’s legend; Mildred Meadows, who once ruled Hollywood—and Washington—with her gossip column; the fabulous nightclub entertainer Troja; Dr. and Mrs. Crouch, once hired by the movie studios to tell any lie and conceal any truth, no matter what the cost in destroyed lives; and Miss Bertha, a gentle old recluse, who may have been the confident of great stars. This startling modern epic by the author of City of Night and The Sexual Outlaw brings to life the beautiful, tragic figure of Marilyn Monroe and two other historical figures crucial to Normalyn’s quest: John and Robert Kennedy. A unique literary creation that explores the origins of legends and their power over truth, this novel introduces in Normalyn Morgan, one of the most memorable heroines in modern American fiction.
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