The new novel from Julie Owen Moylan - it's 1956, and the two most famous women in the world are about to meet for the first and only time . . .
‘Bold, original and captivating. I loved it!’ Daisy Buchanan
‘Julie is a writer you can ALWAYS trust in the way she portrays women … they are believable, flawed, complex and fascinating' Georgina Moore
'Gorgeous, glamorous and moving' Anna Mazzola
'A vibrant imagining of the inner lives of two iconic women’ Charmaine Wilkerson
'Everything I look for in a novel,I adored it. I felt like I was living the lives of these two iconic women, with all their vulnerabilities and pressures' Joanna Miller
***
London, October, 1956. A glittering Royal Film Premiere. The whole world is watching . . .
Tonight, Elizabeth II will formally greet an array of stars. Though she was not born to be Queen, this young mother and wife has embraced her patriotic duty and its unforgiving demands.
A limousine pulls up. Out steps a vision in dazzling gold: Marilyn Monroe. A money-making machine for Hollywood, with curves that drive men wild and a smile that lets women know she’s in on the joke.
As the two most famous women in the world come face to face, they look to be worlds apart. Yet beneath the glamorous costumes, both are fighting to keep the men they love, while trying to do their work in a man’s world. And they have spent the summer of 1956 battling secret demons the public could never imagine.
Now, Marilyn steps forward. These photographs will be on the front page of every newspaper in the morning.
But this isn’t their first meeting. And the story behind the headlines is even more sensational . . .
Perfect for fans of American Wife, The Christie Affair and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this stunning novel imagines the secret lives of two of the 20th century’s most famous women – set during a momentous summer that brought them face to face, and publishing 100 years after their births.
Genre: Historical
‘Bold, original and captivating. I loved it!’ Daisy Buchanan
‘Julie is a writer you can ALWAYS trust in the way she portrays women … they are believable, flawed, complex and fascinating' Georgina Moore
'Gorgeous, glamorous and moving' Anna Mazzola
'A vibrant imagining of the inner lives of two iconic women’ Charmaine Wilkerson
'Everything I look for in a novel,I adored it. I felt like I was living the lives of these two iconic women, with all their vulnerabilities and pressures' Joanna Miller
***
London, October, 1956. A glittering Royal Film Premiere. The whole world is watching . . .
Tonight, Elizabeth II will formally greet an array of stars. Though she was not born to be Queen, this young mother and wife has embraced her patriotic duty and its unforgiving demands.
A limousine pulls up. Out steps a vision in dazzling gold: Marilyn Monroe. A money-making machine for Hollywood, with curves that drive men wild and a smile that lets women know she’s in on the joke.
As the two most famous women in the world come face to face, they look to be worlds apart. Yet beneath the glamorous costumes, both are fighting to keep the men they love, while trying to do their work in a man’s world. And they have spent the summer of 1956 battling secret demons the public could never imagine.
Now, Marilyn steps forward. These photographs will be on the front page of every newspaper in the morning.
But this isn’t their first meeting. And the story behind the headlines is even more sensational . . .
Perfect for fans of American Wife, The Christie Affair and The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, this stunning novel imagines the secret lives of two of the 20th century’s most famous women – set during a momentous summer that brought them face to face, and publishing 100 years after their births.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"A unique premise, perfectly executed and utterly addictive." - Louise Beech
"We think we know these iconic women, but Owen reveals them in a whole new way. Atmospheric, glamorous, and fun. A hugely enjoyable read." - Jodie Chapman
"Exploring the inner lives of two of the most famous people of the 20th century with tenderness and compassion, Elizabeth and Marilyn brilliantly illuminates the women behind the myths." - Carole Hailey
"An immersive and emotionally complex portrait of two brilliant women under unimaginable pressure. Brava!" - Caroline Lea
"Gorgeous, glamorous and moving. Julie Owen Moylan reimagines Marilyn and Elizabeth with her trademark ability to get under the skin of complex female characters. Brilliant." - Anna Mazzola
"Wonderful, I loved this. Julie is a writer you can ALWAYS trust in the way she portrays women, they are believable, flawed, complex and fascinating. Their motivations, loves, the way they grapple with meaning and their callings is all sensitively done and I love the way she shows the parallels between the two women." - Georgina Moore
"Two women struggle with the pressures of fame, work, and marital problems while living close to each other during one eventful summer. This is a brilliant concept, and Moylan has pulled it off perfectly, capturing the voices, vulnerabilities and inner lives of two icons of the twentieth century. I couldn't put it down." - Gill Paul
"A vibrant imagining of the inner lives of two iconic women in the year of their storied encounter . . . Thoroughly enjoyable." - Charmaine Wilkerson
"We think we know these iconic women, but Owen reveals them in a whole new way. Atmospheric, glamorous, and fun. A hugely enjoyable read." - Jodie Chapman
"Exploring the inner lives of two of the most famous people of the 20th century with tenderness and compassion, Elizabeth and Marilyn brilliantly illuminates the women behind the myths." - Carole Hailey
"An immersive and emotionally complex portrait of two brilliant women under unimaginable pressure. Brava!" - Caroline Lea
"Gorgeous, glamorous and moving. Julie Owen Moylan reimagines Marilyn and Elizabeth with her trademark ability to get under the skin of complex female characters. Brilliant." - Anna Mazzola
"Wonderful, I loved this. Julie is a writer you can ALWAYS trust in the way she portrays women, they are believable, flawed, complex and fascinating. Their motivations, loves, the way they grapple with meaning and their callings is all sensitively done and I love the way she shows the parallels between the two women." - Georgina Moore
"Two women struggle with the pressures of fame, work, and marital problems while living close to each other during one eventful summer. This is a brilliant concept, and Moylan has pulled it off perfectly, capturing the voices, vulnerabilities and inner lives of two icons of the twentieth century. I couldn't put it down." - Gill Paul
"A vibrant imagining of the inner lives of two iconic women in the year of their storied encounter . . . Thoroughly enjoyable." - Charmaine Wilkerson
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Used availability for Julie Owen Moylan's Elizabeth and Marilyn