In a powerful novel in verse, an award-winning author offers an eye-opening look at the life of Marilyn Monroe.From the day she was born into a troubled home to her reigning days as a Hollywood icon, Marilyn Monroe (née Norma Jeane Mortenson) lived a life that was often defined by others. Here, in a luminous poetic narrative, acclaimed author Carole Boston Weatherford tells Marilyn&;s story in a way that restores her voice to its rightful place: center stage. Revisiting Marilyn&;s often traumatic early life&;foster homes, loneliness, sexual abuse, teen marriage&;through a hard-won, meteoric rise to stardom that brought with it exploitation, pill dependency, and depression, the lyrical narrative continues through Marilyn&;s famous performance at JFK&;s birthday party, three months before her death. In a story at once riveting, moving, and unflinching, Carole Boston Weatherford tells a tale of extraordinary pain and moments of unexpected grace, gumption, and perseverance, as well as the inexorable power of pursuing one&;s dreams. A beautifully designed volume.