David Morrell isn’t only an acclaimed thriller author. He’s also a former professor of American Studies who writes in-depth profiles about film and music legends.

Few movie stars made as great an impact as Marilyn Monroe. Although she died in 1962, a half century later she remains vivid in popular culture, even to those who have never seen her films. Two of the men she married—Joe DiMaggio and Arthur Miller—themselves made a powerful cultural impact. In this moving essay, bestselling author David Morrell analyses Monroe’s poignant life, which had more significance than any movie in which she appeared. Even her most knowledgeable fans will find something new in this in-depth homage to a star whose luster outshone her films.