Burying Norma Jeane - Paperback

by Leah Rogin (Author)

A mother and daughter embark on a cross-country road trip to liberate Marilyn Monroe's legacy and find their own paths to healing and empowerment.

In the wake of her husband's sudden death, Miriam Renata is further unsettled by the news that Hugh Hefner has been entombed next to Marilyn Monroe. Determined to free her idol from this posthumous indignity, Miriam and her teenaged daughter, Matilda, set out on a journey to liberate Norma Jeane--and themselves.

As they travel across the West, the lines between Marilyn's story and their own blur, forcing Miriam and Matilda to confront their grief, challenge societal expectations, and redefine what it means to be a woman in America. This is a story of love, loss, and the enduring power of female agency. Perfect for readers interested in:

• Feminist historical fiction
• Mother-daughter relationships
• Hollywood's Golden Age

Author Biography

Leah Rogin believes in ghosts and thinks Marilyn Monroe was an intellectual who will keep haunting us until we set her free. Leah has an MFA from Naropa University and her work has appeared in a range of literary journals, including The Rumpus, Cliterature, and WordRiot. Her chapbook Two Truths and a Lie was published by Horseless Press in 2016. Her flash fiction has been performed by the Buntport Theater Group and Stories on Stage and her nonfiction has been named by Mountain Gazette to their Best of the West list as well as published by The Denver Post and Powder Magazine. Her essay and collaborative reading list "108 Books to Read Before You Read Another White Dude," was published by Literary Citizen and used to reexamine book ordering and create library displays in Colorado. She was named to Westword's list of Colorado Creatives in 2019. Leah lives in the mountains west of Denver with a variety of creatures, both wild and domesticated. She's always up for a good road trip and / or a stroll around a cemetery.