Queen Bess

This “fascinating” biography details the rise of the first Jewish Miss America, TV star, and political player—and the scandal that toppled her career ( The New York Times ). When Bess Myerson, the Bronx-born daughter of Jewish immigrants, was crowned Miss America in 1945, she was determined to break down gender barriers and be more than a beauty queen. Amid rampant anti-Semitism, she took advantage of her reign to call for an end to bigotry and hate. Then, after more than two decades as a glamor