Sixty years after her death, Marilyn remains in many ways a mystery. So much has been said, aired, and written about her that it's hard to tell fact from fiction. Ian Ayres, the author of an ambitious dual film-and-book project, has been trying for years to understand who the woman behind the icon was. He tasked himself with tracking down key witnesses to Monroe's rise to fame, especially those who knew her as a young woman and saw Norma Jean "transform" into Marilyn. Some of these witnesses have entrusted him with never-before-seen documents included in this book, along with firsthand accounts from figures no longer with us.