A thoughtful glimpse into the childhood of Norma Jeane Mortenson and how it shaped her into the iconic Marilyn Monroe for the 100th anniversary of her birth.

At the fragile intersection of myth and memory stands a girl-often eclipsed by the legend she became. The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe dares to strip away the satin, the spotlight, the studio-invented shine, to reveal the tender child beneath: a girl marked not by fame but by longing. Longing for love, for safety, for the kind of permanence the world never offered her. This is not simply another biography. It is a resurrection. A candlelit portrait drawn from decades of first-hand research and rare interviews with those who knew her-not only Marilyn the icon, but Norma Jeane the girl.

Tony Castro draws on intimate conversations with famed entertainment writer James Bacon and Marilyn's close friends, such as Frank Sinatra, actresses Susan Strasberg and Mamie Van Doren, actor and The Misfits co-star Eli Wallach, ex-husband Joe DiMaggio, and child star-turned-Hollywood raconteur Skip E. Lowe. They offer unparalleled access into Marilyn's earliest, most hidden self. These are stories shared not as interviews but as confidences-shaped by the trust of friendship. And herein lies the soul of this work: a new and intimate rendering of the Marilyn we rarely allow ourselves to see. Through these private recollections, we hear her voice-not the whispery affectation of the screen siren, but the real girl's voice, unvarnished, aching, often uncertain. What emerges is not the blonde bombshell, but the child whispering to a mirror, trying on hope like a costume. This is, at last, the story of Norma Jeane.

Tony Castro is the author of a number of critically acclaimed books, including Mickey Mantle: America’s Prodigal Son, DiMag & Mick: Sibling Rivals, Yankee Blood Brothers, and Mantle: The Best There Ever Was. A seasoned political reporter and cultural historian, his bylines have appeared in the Washington Post, Sports Illustrated, The New York Times, and the Texas Observer, where he covered everything from presidential campaigns to sports.

This title views best in tablet-style eReaders.

This is a set of uncorrected page proofs. It is not a finished book and is not expected to look like one. Errors in spelling, page length, format and so forth will all be corrected by the time the book is published several months from now. Photos and diagrams, which may be included in the finished book, may not be included in this format. Uncorrected proofs are primarily useful so that you, the reader, might know months before actual publication what the author and publisher are offering. If you plan to quote the text in your review, you must check it with the publicist or against the final version. Please contact USPR@bloomsbury.com with any questions. Thank you!