The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

Secret-Life-Marilyn-Monroe-Taraborrelli

Publisher

Grand Central Publishing

Page Count

576

Published

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

From New York Times bestselling author J. Randy Taraborrelli comes the definitive biography of the most enduring icon in popular American culture.

When Marilyn Monroe became famous in the 1950s, the world was told that her mother was either dead or simply not a part of her life. However, that was not true. In fact, her mentally ill mother was very much present in Marilyn’s world and the complex family dynamic that unfolded behind the scenes is a story that has never before been told…until now. In this groundbreaking book, Taraborrelli draws complex and sympathetic portraits of the women so influential in the actress’ life, including her mother, her foster mother, and her legal guardian.

He also reveals, for the first time, the shocking scope of Marilyn’s own mental illness, the identity of Marilyn’s father and the half-brother she never knew, and new information about her relationship with the Kennedy’s-Bobby, Jack, and Pat Kennedy Lawford. Explosive, revelatory, and surprisingly moving, this is the final word on the life of one of the most fascinating and elusive icons of the 20th Century.

From The Telegraph: For J Randy Taraborrelli, it is not the secret love affairs with the Kennedys, or FBI surveillance reports, or mysteries surrounding her death that fascinate him, but the relationship between Marilyn Monroe and her mother, Gladys Baker, who spent much of her adult life in and out of institutions, diagnosed as a …

The Telegraph: “Taraborrelli sheds new light on Marilyn…”

From the Globe & Mail: The truth is that Taraborrelli has researched his socks off and on the grim life of Monroe’s mother and the impact on Marilyn, this book does break ground not covered before. So this Secret Life is judicious: It is confident that Marilyn slept with JFK, very dubious about RFK, and far more …

Globe: “Taraborrelli has researched his socks off…”

From Variety: It takes some chutzpah to title something “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe,” given all the books and movies devoted to her life. But Lifetime has taken the 2009 tome, and turned into an eponymous four-hour miniseries. What sets this latest rehash of the star’s existence apart, marginally, is a knockout performance by Kelli …

Variety: Review of “The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe”