Thank you Hachette Audio for the ALC and Tandem Collective Global / Grand Central Publishing, #partner, for the finished copy of Blonde Dust in exchange for my honest review.
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing / Hachette Audio
Published: June 3, 2025
Summary:
“A lovely portrait of female friendship, loss, and the unexpected ways in which a life can change. Haunting.”— Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Women
A “Hollywood tale with heart” about a reimagined friendship between Marilyn Monroe and a young maid whose life will be changed forever, from the New York Times bestselling author of Sarah’s Key. (Adriana Trigliani)
Pauline, a young chambermaid who works at the legendary Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada, is asked to step in for a colleague and clean Suite 614. Although she was told the rooms were empty, a dazed, sleepy woman appears before her. This is Mrs. Miller, aka Marilyn Monroe, whose stay in Reno coincides with the breakdown of her marriage to Arthur Miller and the filming of what was to be her last film, The Misfits.
Set in the American West in 1960 where the mustang horses run wild, an unexpected friendship unfolds between the most famous movie star in the world and a young cleaning woman whose life will be changed forever through the course of a few weeks. A testament to the enduring power of female friendship and a reimagining of a side of Marilyn Monroe that has never been seen before.
My thoughts:
I participated in a readalong for this book and am so glad I signed up for it. I love historical fiction and this was the perfect blending of history and fiction.
At the heart of this book is the story of an unlikely friendship. Marilyn Monroe, using the name Mrs. Miller at the hotel, sees her chamber maid, Pauline, as a person and this helps inspire confidence in Pauline. The friendship that develops has lasting consequences on Pauline’s life.
It is through this reimagined friendship that the heavier themes are woven into the book, though the story itself never feels bogged down. Bringing in the wild mustangs as part of the storyline also helps to keep things balanced especially as we come up against women’s choices being repressed – this is set in the 1950s, though it did feel a bit timely in some moments.
While this is a slower read, I was completely invested in these characters and story. I do admit that I wish there was more to Marilyn’s story, but I loved Pauline’s evolution as a character just the same.
Audio thoughts:
I alternated between the print and audio version, loving the narration by Caroline Hewitt. She did an amazing job with the voices and her pacing was spot on.
Purchasing from the link below supports independent bookstores and my blog!
