Queen of Desire

The myth of Marilyn Monroe has foiled countless attempts to uncover the truth about the greatest sex symbol of them all. Rare is the book which dispels the obscuring shadows to reveal the complexities of a flesh and blood woman.

Queen of Desire succeeds by offering a composite of fictions, a series of vivid outtakes from the familiar script of the legend: the ultimate myth. Through Sam Toperoff's compelling and exceptional writing, a skilful blend of fact and fiction, a complex and vibrantly touching figure emerges . . .

From a nine-year-old Norma Jean facing sexual abuse to the fully fledged film star in an off-set hair-dyeing session with Simone Signoret; from a wisecracking escape on the arm of Bob Hope to a lonely phone call in the last months of her life, Toperoff uncovers the universal truths arising from Marilyn's plight.

In the bestselling tradition of E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime, Don DeLillo's Libra, and Michael Herr's Walter Winchell , Queen of Desire is a compelling work of fiction. And a fiction which comes closer to the truth of Marilyn Monroe than any merely factual account ever could.

'Each of these chapters subtly evokes Monroe at a distinct moment of revelation. Collectively, they produce a shivery, heartbreakingly memorable portrait' Dan Cryer, Newsday

'A powerful, remarkably complete picture of a child-woman who never understood her own power, never believed in her own intelligence' Chicago Tribune

'A mesmerizing narrative. The effect is uncanny, touching and wholly convincing. One puts the book down feeling that Toperoff has captured the real woman. A beautiful novel' Publishers Weekly

'A wonderfully entertaining novel. It is eerie and provocative. It has the weight and conviction of a story fully imagined' Tracy Kidder

'Extremely skilful and moving' Kirkus Reviews