When We Were Brilliant

by Lynn Cullen

They were an unlikely pair—a blond bombshell and a photographer determined to be taken seriously—but Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold would make a deal that would change their lives in this dazzling new novel from the national bestselling author of Mrs. Poe and The Woman with the Cure.

In 1952, Norma Jeane Baker follows documentary photographer Eve Arnold into a powder room on the night they first meet. She has a proposition for her. Norma Jeane created Marilyn Monroe to be photographed, and she wants Eve to do it. Eve is better than anyone she’s seen at capturing a person’s inner truth. Together they can help each other. Together, she says, they can make something brilliant.

Skeptical of this cipher of a young woman, Eve demurs. She’s looking for more serious subjects than this ambitious starlet. But she keeps getting drawn back into Marilyn’s orbit, and the women come to recognize something in each other—something fundamental. Nothing will get in the way of what they want, and when Marilyn’s star takes off to teetering heights, neither will ever be the same.

A lavish and transporting novel, When We Were Brilliant captures the halcyon days of an icon and the grit of women determining their own futures as it explores the exceptional and complicated friendship between Marilyn Monroe and Eve Arnold.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication January 20, 2026

Reviews

[Cara]

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵🥀⇢🌸꜍💋꜉🌸⇠🥀I loveee badass women and the cover is just a cutesy pink🥀⇢🌸꜍💋꜉🌸⇠🥀!!!!!!!!

[Literary Redhead · Rating 4 out of 5]

A splendid histfic look at two real life women, actress Marilyn Monroe, and photographer Eve Arnold, whose relationship is told is such authentic fashion that I had to remind myself that this tale is fictive. Absorbing and memorable!

[Maren’s Reads]

Thank you Berkley Pub for my gifted copies.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great perspective on Marilyn Monroe’s life and her photographer Eve Arnold… I knew a lot about Marilyn, but nothing about Eve.. this book prompted me to look her up and view some of her photos of Marilyn… they had a great friendship and faced lots of challenges of the times as they fought for respect of the men in their lives .

[Emily Harp · Rating 5 out of 5]

When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen will leave you missing your two new best friends Eve and Norma Jean! This book was a perfect blend of fact and fiction creating an immersive story of two complex successful women simply living their lives. Cullen did not shy away from the impact these women and others like them had on the beginnings of the feminist movement growing traction at the time. She also included several cultural truths and taboos relevant of this period including race, sex, abuse, journalistic voyeurism, mental health, poverty and drug abuse, painting the complete and wholistic picture for the reader. While these themes were woven throughout the storyline, this was ultimately a book about friendship and trust and love. Eve Arnold and Marilyn Monroe both achieved fame and notoriety while grappling with their identities and striving to be seen for their personal truths. Their struggles and triumphs are given depth and purpose during each changing phase of their lives allowing the reader to sympathize with every chapter. The narrative is given through Eve’s perspective speaking almost directly to Marilyn which also easily pulls the reader into their reality. I was utterly captivated by every aspect of this story and couldn’t recommend it enough. I’d give it a solid 5 stars!!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was hard to get into at first but it ended up sweeping me up in this story. It was so sad but I loved learning about the friendship between these two women.

[Ronda Kelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a Marilyn fan, I really enjoyed this book & insight into her connection to famed photographer Eve Arnold. I got emotional in parts & adored the ending, albeit sad, yet uplifting. I feel the author did a great job of capturing the essence of both incredibly brilliant women. Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC. #NetGalley

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Starlet Marilyn Monroe approached documentary photographer Eve Arnold with a proposition, if you photograph me, it will also help your career. Arnold, who worked for Magnum photography, wasn't getting the photojournalistic assignments that she wanted, and she wasn't going to compromise her documentary standards. Reluctantly she started covering the Marilyn that Norma Jean created as a way of drawing attention to herself and her acting ambitions and it did start paying off for both. There were only a few women photojournalists and Arnold began tasting fame for making Marilyn famous.. On the way to this boost in her career ambitions, she and Norma Jean actually became friends who appreciated and trusted each other.
The story follows both the lives and careers of Marilyn and Eve. They struggle with their marriages, and their families, especially since they were both women with challenging professions that didn't lend themselves to domestic bliss. We get an honest view of Marilyn/Norma Jean through the eyes of Eve, as she records her battles in the media to overcome her blonde bimbo image and be taken seriously as an actress, her sicknesses, and her love interests. Marilyn constantly reminds Eve of the photo session that she did of Marlene Dietrich, which she entitled "an appreciation." Will Marilyn finally attain the appreciation that she knows she deserves?
Author Cullen writes an unusual narrative device, mixing first person and second person. Her character Eve is writing the novel's events, and her thoughts about them, to a posthumous Norma Jean, as if in letter form. The reader sometimes forgets that she is doing this until Eve refers to "you" and this reminds them. I think it provides an intimacy and immediacy that most novels lack, and it made me believe that their friendship was real. Cullen based the book on the true events and photos that Eve took of Marilyn and that makes this historical novel a great starting point to delve into both of their lives. Smile for the camera!

[Molly · Rating 4 out of 5]

When We Were Brilliant is a breath of fresh air. It is, at its heart, the story of two women, Marilyn Monroe (Norma Jeane) and Eve Arnold, who recognized a kindred spirit in the other and became colleagues and friends. The story is told linearly, which I loved, and it worked well in this novel. Eve was the only female photographer to photograph Marilyn. I loved reading about their first meeting and all the subsequent encounters. The progression of their support and friendship was surprising to me. I knew very little about Marilyn Monroe's life before I began reading this novel. Some elements of the story appear to be non-fiction facts about her life, although it is written as fiction. After Marilyn and Eve meet for the first time, they form a lasting partnership that will endure for the rest of their lives. The author did an excellent job painting vivid images of both women, as well as their personal struggles. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. The author conducted thorough research for this book, and it shows. It feels like reading a biography about both women while also reading a fiction novel. I feel like I got a glimpse behind the curtain regarding Marilyn’s life, and I enjoyed learning Eve’s story and how it intertwined with Marilyn’s. It’s a great book and worth the time to read if you love historical fiction or biography. There is a sense of wonder and artfulness about the book that will stay with you long after you read the last page (and what an ending)!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, everyone knows about Marilyn Monroe. But how many know of Eve Arnold, the photographer who helped document Norma Jeane Baker’s transformation into Monroe? When We Were Brilliant tracks the friendship of the two and how while they used each other to advance their careers they also appreciated each other and became true friends.
Cullen takes a ballsy approach by writing some of the book in second person narrative, with Arnold addressing the narrative to Monroe. I’m usually not a fan of this writing style, but it works here.
I was unaware of the extent of the hardship Monroe faced as a child. It explains a lot about her personality. But what shines through is how Norma Jeane literally creates the persona of Marilyn Monroe. She wasn’t a dumb blonde, she knew exactly what she was doing. Which makes it all the sadder as she succumbs to her demons.
Cullen hammers home the sexism of the day. While Monroe certainly used her sex appeal to her advantage, at the same time, the sexist attitudes fed her insecurity. Arnold’s story is more familiar - the lone female in a male dominated industry. Cullen tried to express Arnold’s talent, but one really needs to see her photos to get a real feel for her talent.
Cullen has obviously done her research and it shows. She fills scenes with the little details that make them come alive. She uses secondary characters to round out the story. Joan Crawford’s constantly comparing herself with Marilyn, for example. I also appreciated learning about Arnold’s friendship with Gordon Parks.
And can I say what a pleasure it was to have a historical fiction told in a linear manner?
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing for an advance copy of this book.

[DeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Real Marilyn Monroe

We all know Marilyn Monroe, but how about Eve Arnold, the photographer who became her personal photographer and friend? Meticulously researched, this story brings to life a new side of Marilyn Monroe.

Eve took a documentary approach to her photography, avoiding studio shots and artificial lighting, and her photos are unique. Her subjects come to life in her photos, making them memorable. I enjoyed this tale of two women forging their way through life with a complicated relationship that ultimately benefited both.

Countless famous people spun through these women’s orbits, and Eve photographed many of them. Eve Arnold is worth learning about, and check out her photos!

My thanks to BookBrowse and Berkley for the opportunity to read and review this one. Scheduled to release on 1.20.2026.

[Joanne Slotterback]

Shining the Light on Two Icons
I enjoy historical fiction books about events and/or people I know little about. When We Were Brilliant by Lynn Cullen perfectly fits the bill. Although I knew the basics about Marilyn Monroe prior to reading the book, I was not at all familiar with Eve Arnold, a trailblazer in the male-dominated world of photojournalism. Cullen did an amazing job of not only introducing me to Eve, but giving me the opportunity to get to know her and her work through this story. However, this book is about much more than two famous two women. It is a look at female friendship, the difficulties faced by women who desired a career in the 1950s and 60s, and the big stories of that time period. I will definitely be checking out Cullen's other works.

[Leanne Malone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well written book with a very different take on Marilyn Monroe and a main character as a working woman in the 50's/early 60's and the sacrifices made for her career. It's not my normal pick for genre since it was fiction with history mixed in but overall it was a good read and could give you some insight on a working woman's life in the 50's, something we (as a female) take for granted.

[Reca · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique perspective on Marilyn Monroe and her friendship with photographer Eve Arnold. Told from Eve's point of view, I enjoyed learning more about Eve. And of course, the misogyny of the time makes me wonder how much each woman could have accomplished had the misogyny been as bad as it was.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

An intimate , thought provoking and "hypothetical" examination of the life of two powerful women, Eve Arnold, photographer and Marilyn Monroe. This is a woman's take (Cullen)on a woman's take (Arnold) on being the blonde bombshell with much more emphasis on just being a woman.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, immaculately researched, and vivid historical fiction. I honestly went into this wondering what was left to be said about Marilyn, but this exploration of her relationship with photographer Eve Arnold was a fascinating glimpse at both the image and the real woman the image concealed.

[Bookaddictpnw · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars - interesting background of both female leads, don’t care for the second person POV references to MM, ending felt a bit abrupt

[Leslie Zemeckis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Engaging story of two women forging their way in a man’s world - photographer and actor forge an unlikely friendship and understanding of the sacrifices they must make