{"product_id":"9798216448648","title":"Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe An Intimate Portrait of the Young Norma Jeane","description":"\u003ch1\u003eGirl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe\u003c\/h1\u003e\u003ch2\u003eAn Intimate Portrait of the Young Norma Jeane\u003c\/h2\u003e\u003ch3\u003eTony Castro\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cb\u003eBiography \u0026amp; Autobiography \/ Entertainment \u0026amp; Performing Arts\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA 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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e At the fragile intersection of myth and memory stands a girl-often eclipsed by the legend she became. \u003ci\u003eThe Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e 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 \u003ci\u003eThe Misfits\u003c\/i\u003e 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eTony Castro \u003c\/b\u003eis the author of nine critically acclaimed books, including \u003ci\u003eMickey Mantle: America's Prodigal Son\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eDiMag \u0026amp; Mick: Sibling Rivals, Yankee Blood Brothers\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eMantle: The Best There Ever Was\u003c\/i\u003e. A seasoned political reporter and cultural historian, his bylines have appeared in the \u003ci\u003eWashington Post, Sports Illustrated\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, and the \u003ci\u003eTexas Observer\u003c\/i\u003e, where he covered everything from presidential campaigns to sports. He lives in Los Angeles.\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ctable\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublication Date: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e17 September 2026\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePublisher: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eImprint: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eBloomsbury Academic\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eISBN-13: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e9798216448648\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eFormat: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eHardback\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003ePage Count: \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e248\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003ctr\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003eWeight (oz): \u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003ctd\u003e18.24\u003c\/td\u003e\n\u003c\/tr\u003e\n\u003c\/table\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Academic","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51223595581580,"sku":"9798216448648","price":28.8,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0710\/9545\/1788\/files\/getimage_c5124a1c-8084-4832-a4ab-0bc34aa2b7ce.jpg?v=1783078462","url":"https:\/\/fh90cf-fv.myshopify.com\/products\/9798216448648","provider":"Late Knight Books and Services, LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}