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Elizabeth and Marilyn

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What to expect

Brought to you by Penguin.

It's 1956, and the two most famous women in the world are about to meet for the first and only time . . .

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.
‘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

© Julie Owen Moylan 2026 (P) Penguin Audio 2026

Critics Review

Bold, original and captivating storytelling - this book takes two iconic characters and allows us to become intimate with them. I loved it!
Daisy Buchanan
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
Everything I look for in a novel; historical, feminist, clever, well-researched and transporting. I adored it. The pacing, the flashbacks, the distinct narrative voices are so perfectly pitched it is like a masterclass. I felt like I was living the lives of these two iconic women, with all their vulnerabilities and pressures. It is a brilliant premise, brilliantly handled.
Joanna Miller, author of The Eights
A vibrant imagining of the inner lives of two iconic women in the year of their storied encounter . . . Thoroughly enjoyable
Charmaine Wilkerson, New York Times bestselling author of Black Cake
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. I loved the way the stories interwove to explore how the world’s adulation for Marilyn was so crushing for the vulnerable Norma Jeane, and how the power Elizabeth had was so reductive for the woman Lilibet wanted to be. Brava!
Caroline Lea
We think we know these iconic women but Julie reveals them in a whole new way. Atmospheric, glamorous and fun. A hugely enjoyable read
Jodie Chapman
A unique premise, perfectly executed, and utterly addictive
Louise Beech
What a clever concept, executed to perfection. Elizabeth and Marilyn skilfully captures the strengths, the vulnerabilities, the heartaches of two twentieth century icons. So utterly believable and compelling that I didn’t want the story to end!
Fiza Saeed McLynn, author of The Midnight Carousel
Owen Moylan draws out the parallels between the two women so beautifully and their internal dialogue is sensitively wrought and rings true. Glamorous, captivating and thought-provoking
Kit Conway, author of Cat Fight

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