First published 2009
Marilyn Monroe's public story claimed her mother was absent or dead, but J. Randy Taraborrelli reveals a different truth. The bestselling author uncovers how Monroe's mentally ill mother remained central to the star's life throughout her career. He examines the complicated relationships between Monroe and the women who raised her, including her foster mother and legal guardian. Taraborrelli identifies Monroe's father for the first time and reveals she had a half-brother she never met. The book documents the extent of Monroe's own mental health struggles and provides new details about her connections to the Kennedy family, including Jack, Bobby, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Through extensive research, Taraborrelli constructs detailed portraits of the people who influenced Monroe behind the scenes, challenging the mythology that surrounded her public image and revealing the family dynamics that shaped one of America's most famous actresses.
Genres: biography, psychology, 20th-century, mental-illness, non-fiction, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: unreliable-narrator
Period: 20th-century
634 pages · Kindle Edition · Grand Central Publishing
Content warnings: mental-illness