Lynn Cullen's book, When We were Brilliant

Today I met a writer, Lynn Cullen, at an event at the Roswell Library, A Fulton County Library near where I now live.

She was there as a guest of Friends of the Library and Atlanta Authors.

I expected her to read from her latest book, When We Were Brilliant,
an historical novel about Marilyn Monroe and her favorite photographer, Eve Arnold. But what I saw and heard was a fantastic summary of her book, told with photographs, the images explored audibly by Cullen. She showed the audience what Marilyn looked like when she was Norma Jean Baker, before she became a celebrity. 

It was amazing how Eve Arnold captured the beautiful yet simple woman, Norma Jean.  Eve liked showing the world through her lens something they had never seen before. In the photos she showed her audience, Lynn Cullen taught us how to tell Eve's photos from anyone else's.

I liked Marilyn Monroe's films most of the time. She always seemed to be playing a character far removed from herself. She could make me laugh, and she was beautiful, but when I read about her background, living in poverty, in an orphanage, I felt the glamorous girl on the screen was all make-believe. It was difficult to think of her as Norma Jean.

Lynn Cullen's book is historical fiction, but it is told from the perspective of Eve Arnold. 

Cullen tells us that the people in the book are real, but their words are the author's invention. This is a work of fiction, but she had to put in many, many hours of research to get the facts right. 

I am just now diving into this well-written and interesting book about real women and the bond that grew between them. I know I will write a review when I finish, and I will enjoy every word in this book.