An unexpected friendship and a fictionalized peek behind the curtains of old Hollywood. Pauline is working a a maid at a motel when she meets Marilyn Monroe, in town to film the Misfits. The two build a relationship that surprises both of them. This is also about the wild horses of Nevada and that part of the story was actually more interesting to me than the Monroe plot line if only because Monroe has been written about so extensively. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. For fans of historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this advanced reading copy of Blonde Dust in exchange for my honest opinion.

Blonde Dust will be available at retailers on June 3, 2025.

Blonde Dust is a historical fiction that sticks with you. I love this type of historical fiction: real people and a real event, but a fictional plot and fiction FMC. Pauline and Mrs. Miller’s friendship was beneficial to both sides. Mrs. Miller gained a friend, and Pauline gained a guardian angel. Pauline had someone who believed in her that helped give her wings. So much hope and promise in this book!

This was an easy read and I finished it within 2 days of starting. Now I want to research Reno, the Mapes hotel, and the Misfit film. A great, 4 ⭐️ read!

Blonde Dust by Tatiana de Rosnay is a historical fiction novel that showcases the author's signature blend of suspense and deep psychological insight. With elegant prose and a compelling narrative, de Rosnay explores memory, loss, and the complexities of identity. It's a captivating read featuring the friendship between Marilyn Monroe and a housekeeper, that lingers long after the final page.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this digital e-arc.*

Thank you to Net Galley and Hachette Book Group for an early copy of Blonde Dust by Tatiana de Rosnay

The back story behind a movie can add so much to one's relationship with the actors, the setting and the action. This is certainly true in Tatiana de Rosnay's remarkable insight into the making of The Misfits in Reno, Nevada in 1960.

In experiencing this novel, it was at the three-quarters point of the book that I stopped and watched The Misfits. This experience added so much to the text of Blonde Dust. Actors Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Montgomery Clift, Eli Wallach, Thelma Ritter along with acting coach Paula Strasberg seemlessly brought the writing to life.

Marilyn Monroe is so much more than the sexy blonde actress with several marriages and a penchant for drugs and alcohol. de Rosnay brings Monroe to life when the actress befriends Pauline Bazelet, a maid at the Mapes Hotel in Reno where Monroe is staying with then husband Arthur Miller during the filming of The Misfits. Pauline was born in Paris, but her mother's marriage to an American following the war brought the family to his United States home. There, Pauline will also fall in love with ranching and the wild mustangs of Nevada and dream of becoming an equine veterinarian.

The parallels between the mustangs which struggle to survive in the wild and Monroe's own tragic life give the reader such a deep feeling for what is important in one's life and the ways perception can deceive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the ARC. What a fun historical fiction novel about a friendship with Marilyn Monroe. Had old Hollywood vibes but set in Reno, NV. The main female character’s view was told in several timelines but it was well woven together. It has been a while since I have read a Tatiana de Rosnay book and I definitely need to go back and catch up with the older stuff.

What a great story! Tatiana de Rosnay first came on the scene with Sarah's Key, a heart wrenching story that takes place during WW2, so I was totally surprised when I began this book to realize that it takes place in Nevada in the 1960s and is a tale about Marilyn Monroe. A great story about Marilyn Monroe and the people who worked in the hotel where she was staying as well as other cast members. The story also explores the local environment where wild mustangs are part of the scenery and there is a battle between those trying to save them and those trying to capture them.
It is great to see an author be able to write across various locations and story lines. I am recommended this book to all my book loving friends.

Pauline is a young maid at the Mapes Hotel in Reno, NV. One day she is told to clean suite 614. As she starts cleaning, she discovers that Mrs. Miller, the suite’s guest, is still there. Unbeknownst to Pauline, Mrs. Miller is Marilyn Monroe who is staying there while she films The Misfits. An unlikely friendship between a maid and star ensues. This is Pauline’s story mixed with a touch of Hollywood.

I have never read anything about Marilyn Monroe, so I enjoyed learning a little about her and found those parts of the novel interesting. Other parts that detailed Pauline’s family life were sometimes a little slow. The ending was well done.

This is a well-written historical fiction book, and I like when authors mix real people and events with fictional ones as de Rosnay does here.

If you’re a fan of Marilyn Monroe or you’re curious about her, I would recommend this book.

I enjoyed reading Blond Dust by Tatiana de Rosnay. I have not read a book by her since Sarah’s Key, which haunts me to this day. Blond Dust was not quite as good or as heavy as Sarah’s Key but it was a quick, informative, enjoyable read about Marilyn Monroe. The story is about Pauline a fictitious chambermaid to Marilyn Monroe at the famous Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada. I did not know much about the famous actress and found the story informative. I loved Pauline’s character and how she grew from the beginning of the book to the end. I loved how a simple chambermaid and a famous movie star could form a bond and help each other.

Thank you NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Blonde Dust. Tatiana de Rosnay has a great way of creating atmosphere—you can almost feel the tension in the air and see the scenes she describes. The story blends past and present in a way that kept me curious the whole time, and the main character felt real and relatable, flaws and all.
It’s not a fast-paced read, but that actually worked well for the story. There’s a quiet intensity that builds as things unfold, and I found myself pulled in more and more.
Still, this is a beautifully written, emotionally rich book that stays with you. If you like literary fiction with a hint of mystery and strong character development, Blonde Dust is definitely worth picking up.

A coming of age story that was fun to read. It was a quick read. I loved the dual time line except it would been better with 2 instead of the 3 (keeping the other chronically). It definitely kept my interest

thank you to Netgalley for the ARC

BLONDE DUST BY TATIANA DE ROSNAY

Really enjoy reading about Old Hollywood so when I had the opportunity to read an advanced copy of Blond Dust I jumped on it.

The synopsis told me that this was the story of the fabulous Marilyn Monroe and her friendship with a first generation French woman Pauline who worked as a maid in a Reno, Nevada hotel.

I ate this book up. It took me behind the glamour and glitz of a real Hollywood mega star. She literally stripped Marilyn of all her outer glamour… her makeup, expensive perfume and fabulous clothing. De Rosnay also exposed Marilyn's huge heart.

Other than a terrific storyline there is nothing I appreciate more than great character development. The character Pauline had a complicated and well developed back story.
Basically this is tale of how one individual's care and consideration of another can change a life.

If I had studied the cover prior to jumping into my reading I might have been clued into the fact that horses were somehow involved in this novel. I was quite taken with the telling of the story of wild mustang horses of the western United States. De Rosnay portrayed the majestic animals so beautifully. If you love animals and horses in particular here is another reason to pick up this book. My heart warmed to the story of the wild Mustangs with one in particular actually becoming a key character in the novel.

It looks like I will look into the author's catalog to discover what else she has written. Perhaps I will try her historical fiction piece, Sarah's Key written in 2008.

Sending thanks out to the author Tatiana de Rosnay, her publisher Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this advanced copy of Blonde Dust.

A very interesting look at Reno, Nevada in the early days through the eyes of a young girl from Paris growing up there after her mother marries an American GI she meets and marries in Paris. Pauline and her mother travel to Reno, Nevada on the late 40's and start a new life.
In the 60's she works as a maid at the grand Mapes hotel, which becomes a significant part of her life. She meets and has an affair with the assistant manager of the hotel who fathers her daughter.
More importantly is the role of being a maid in the hotel and by chance being assigned to clean the suite of rooms Marilyn Monroe is living in while she is filming what is to become her last movie: The Misfits.

We witness the personal toll the movie takes on its actors:: Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable and Montgomery Clift who all die within a few years ater the movie is filmed.

The Mapes hotel was a grand structure which provided jobs for many people. Pauline is employed there while the movie is filmed and after the filming is complete and the stars leave Reno Pauline leaves Reno to pursue her dream of becoming and Equine vet

We see Reno and the grand hotel in its heydey before the onslaught of hotels and casinos, which causes the Mapes Hotel to close down.

We are brought back to Reno for the implosion of the Mapes hotel and to be caught up on the lives of Pauline and several others as they are there to witness the implosion.

Blonde Dust refers to the blonde like dust of the hotel after its implosion.

Pauline is a young maid at the Mapes Hotel in Reno when she’s asked to clean Suite 614. She doesn’t understand the mystery behind the room and its guests until she stumbles upon Mrs. Miller, aka the famous actress Marilyn Monroe.

If you’re a Marilyn Monroe fan, I definitely suggest you read this. If not, you may enjoy it if you’re into western stories and horses. For me, I found everything except Marilyn and Pauline’s friendship a little slow. I did like how two very unexpected women came together and supported each other. I enjoyed their conversations but I am not enough of an old Hollywood fan to adore this one.

“Who was the woman in Suite 614, that lost and languid creature?”

Blonde Dust comes out 6/3.

After reading the first few chapters of Blonde Dust by Tatiana de Rosnay, I fell in love with the beautiful setting of the novel as well as the characters of the book. I particularly loved the main character, Pauline, who in the beginning of the book works as a cleaning lady at the renowned Mapes Hotel in Reno, Nevada before later pursuing her dream of becoming a vetrirarian who works with horses. I liked how the author introduced Marilyn Monroe to us readers and how heartfelt the relationship between her and Pauline ended up being. I also really enjoyed reading the parts of the story that depicted Pauline’s deep love of mustangs and her efforts to rescue them from harm. I liked how connected she felt to the horse that was named Commander and how central of a role he played in Pauline feeling strong and confident whenever she thought about him. Blonde Dust is definitely one of my favorite books of the year so far. This is the second novel I have read by this author and I truly enjoy her writing; I find it to be beautiful and she really does a great job bringing the characters and settings of her stories to life for us readers. I think a lot of people will enjoy this book just as much as I did.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Pauline is a struggling single mom struggling to raise her daughter while working as a chambermaid at Reno's landmark Mapes Hotel . Her life undergoes an amazing impact when she is unexpectedly assigned to Suite 614. She is surprised to encounter a disheveled sleepy woman in the nude as she vacuums. Her interaction and ensuring friendship with Mrs. Miller in the weeks ahead will leave her with warm memories and a change in the course of her life. In the summer of 1960 Marilyn Monroe's marriage to Arthur Miller is on the rocks and the filming of "The Misfits" is fraught with discord and upheaval. It would be her last completed film. The novel's premise of a developing support system between the troubled star and an insecure and hesitant young woman is heartwarming and inspiring. I was only 10 when Monroe's flame was extinguished so I have no clear memories of her or her career. I have however been intrigued by her story. I enjoyed this re-imagining of an interval in her life and career that according to accounts that I have read elsewhere was very challenging for her. Pauline is an engaging character and her story reflects that of many women during the 1960s. Pauline's dream of becoming a veterinarian and working with Nevada's wild mustangs is derailed by a teen age pregnancy. Despite her own issues the Hollywood legend inspired Pauline to fight for her dream and achieve her goal. This historical fiction novel would appeal to anyone who enjoys a Hollywood read.

Oh this book had such beautiful writing. I love how it was written in more of a storytelling style, without a lot of dialogue, because for some reason it really made this feel more like memories into the past. I could imagine Pauline watching The Mapes Hotel fall and having all these memories of her past flash behind her eyes.

I loved Pauline so much; her passion for the horses and her daughter was lovely to read about. I really enjoyed all the scenes with the horses and feel like I learned a lot about the Mustangs. Pauline is so brave - moving from Paris to Reno with her mother and growing up so quickly in her new environment. She embraced it fully and persevered through everything.

Even though her time with Marilyn was short, it was so poignant and it helped turn her life around so she could follow her dreams. The fact that Marilyn was struggling so badly, but fought through her depression to push Pauline to never give up made me appreciate her even more (even as my heart broke for her). And even though it seemed like such a short acquaintance, it was one of those moments that everyone has in their life that stays at the top of your mind and in your heart even long after, which feels so relatable (even if you haven't met a celebrity).

Thanks to Netgalley & Grand Central Publishing for the E-ARC! Really enjoyed! Great concept & well-done characters. Beautiful writing style too. Will read more from this author.

Blonde Dust was enticing to me because I remember watching the Misfits at the theater when I was a child. I also remember that it was the last movie that Clark Gable filmed as well as the last complete movie that Marilyn Monroe was in. Montgomery Clift was also in the cast and his career was fading fast. These Hollywood legends made this movie and there were multiple rumors around the hardships of making this movie, so the author’s story about Pauline and her family and their struggles, as well as the Mustangs and their treatment, fit right into the plot and gave the reader several levels of conflict that they were all dealing with. It symbolized endings for the actors and horses and a new beginning for Pauline. I thought the book was really interesting and I loved the story of Pauline and her family and how it ties in to the making of the movie in Reno. I’ve read a number of books about Marilyn Monroe, and this story seemed to focus on the “Marilyn” that was relatively unknown to the public and her struggles in her personal life and career. De Rosney spins the story of Pauline, with her personal problems into the story of Marilyn in an engaging and realistic way. It had a noir vibe and reminded me of a classic movie plot. I highly recommend this novel.

In this unique Historical Fiction novel we are drawn into the world of Marilyn Monroe. I will admit thay this was the first novel that I ever read about Marilyn Monroe so I'm slightly rusty when it comes to her as a person. However, this is mostly about her friendship with a maid at a Nevada hotel named Pauline. Marilyn was in Neveda at the time working on a movie with her husband. Reading a story about a celebrity beibg friends with an average person is something unique and lovely to read about because it shows that they are normal people too.
I received an ARC copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

Wonderful historical fiction about an unlikely friendship between Marilyn Monroe and a maid. Most of the story was about Pauline's life and the amazing turn things took when she met Marilyn. I was truly hooked on Pauline's story overcoming some pretty big obstacles to achieve her dreams. This was beautifully written.