The feminist icon and New York Times–bestselling author offers an intimate appraisal of the ultimate sex symbol—and the real woman behind the images.

Few books have altered the perception of a celebrity as much as Marilyn. Gloria Steinem, the renowned feminist who inspired the film The Glorias, reveals that behind the familiar sex symbol lay a tortured spirit with powerful charisma, intelligence, and complexity.

This national bestseller delves into a topic many other writers have ignored—that of Norma Jeane, the young girl who grew up with an unstable mother, constant shuffling between foster homes, and abuse. Steinem evocatively recreates that world, connecting it to the fragile adult persona of Marilyn Monroe. Her compelling text draws on a long, private interview Monroe gave to photographer George Barris, part of an intended joint project begun during Monroe’s last summer. Steinem’s Marilyn also includes Barris’s extraordinary portraits of Monroe, taken just weeks before the star’s death.

“An even-handed introduction to the Monroe phenomenon.” —Library Journal