The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn Monroe

An Intimate Portrait of the Young Norma Jeane

By: Tony Castro

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; Marilyn's close friends: 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.

©2026 Tony Castro (P)2026 Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Critic reviews

Tony Castro has penned a beautifully written, fascinating portrait of how Norma Jean Baker morphed into the goddess Marilyn Monroe. After being shuttled from home to home, she married at age 16 to escape going to an orphanage. After her husband went into the service, she worked in a defense plant, where photographers were struck by her beauty. At age 17 she appeared in magazines and soon was in the movies. It's a tale straight out of Hollywood. (Peter Golenbock, author, "American Prince" with Tony Curtis)

In The Girl Who Would Be Marilyn, the spotlight turns away from the legend and back to the girl who came first. With empathy, intelligence, and such deep respect for the historical record, Tony Castro explores the fragile early life of Norma Jeane Baker long before the world knew her as Marilyn Monroe. What emerges is a moving portrait of a young woman shaped by instability, longing, and an enduring search for love and safety. By focusing on the formative years that so often get lost in the glare of fame, Tony reminds us that Marilyn Monroe didn’t just simply appear. She was slowly and quietly formed by the life that came before Hollywood ever noticed her. This is a thoughtful and deeply human look at the origins of one of the twentieth century's most enduring figures. I loved every word. (J. Randy Taraborrelli, New York Times best-selling author, "The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe")