📖 Novel of the Week: My Friend Marilyn by Christopher Lentz

San Diego, California – September 1958

Penelope ‘Penny’ Parker would be referred as funny, spirited and easy-going…not a beauty, just about average. She knows it too and decided not to let her exterior influence her life, which is quite ok: she works as a cashier in a dime-store, lives in a shared house with an old, witty landlady and two other sweet girls and spends most of her nights at the local movie theatre…

One day, the news: she won a contest and is going to be the personal assistant of America’s #1 sweetheart and bombshell: Marilyn Monroe! Of course Penny is over the moon and spend the days before shooting begins at the famous Hotel Del Coronado (better known as just ‘The Del’) gushing over how cool is going to be to work for Marilyn, how should she dress and listening to her friends advice on how not to ruin her ‘one in a lifetime’ chance.

Everything seems like a dream and that’s exactly when reality hits her! As the author quotes in the book “working for the most beautiful woman in the world is no walk in the park”; Marilyn has a fragile personality and relies mostly on her acting coach, Paula Strasberg. At first, Penny feels out of her environment, nevertheless thanks to her good nature and kind heart she’s soon able to adjust and will also befriend Marilyn, who will be of great support when Penny shares her own insecurities and struggles with the actress.

👍👎My Thoughts

I’m glad I’ve got the chance to read My Friend Marilyn and loved it from word one, thanks to its fresh, funny and down to Earth protagonist, the sceneries and the overall late 50’s setting. I appreciated the strong bond Penny shares with her friends and housemates, who genuinely cheer for her success and just want to see her happy. Penny can be a bit quirky at times, but she has a kind heart and I think that’s how she managed to get along with Marilyn so well.

Even if the author’s writing style is clear and detail, when it comes to the story itself I found myself wishing they edited some situations and scenes out, as they were a bit boring and were just an expedient to make it longer.

I’ve always been intrigued by Marilyn Monroe’s persona: she was adored and cherished by fans and movie-goers, yet so insecure, fragile and in endless need of reassurances. I’ve watched “Some Like it Hot” a couple of times, but reading the story made me feel like I was living firsthand some ‘behind the scene’ footage and it helped a lot when I was picturing situations and people inside my head.

I'd suggest this book to Old Hollywood nostalgic, 'vintage vibes' seekers 

or to people who, just like me, wanted a different perspective on one of the most talked 

and famous actresses from the Fifties.

My vote: 7½/10

Ph: goodreads.com