A beguiling memoir that reads like a fable, My Week With Marilyn is above all a love letter to one of our most enduring icons.

Colin Clark (1932-2002) was a British writer and filmmaker. When filming on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl began to break down, the troubled Monroe turned her attention to the young assistant, Clark, who gave her comfort and solace. Clark was perceptive in his assessment of what seemed to be wrong in Monroe’s life: too many hangers-on, intense insecurity, and too many pills. Before long, they escaped the set and a remarkable true adventure took place. They spent an innocent week in the English countryside and Clark became her confidant and ally. Understanding how best to handle Monroe, Clark became Olivier’s only hope of getting the film finished. And, like any man would be expected to, he fell a bit in love. But before long, young Colin was in over his head, and his heart may well have been broken by the world’s biggest movie star.