Looking for Miss America: A Pageant's 100-Year Quest to Define Womanhood

Looking for Miss America is a captivating narrative history of an iconic institution that has been shaping American culture for nearly a century.

Margot Mifflin's meticulously researched book delves into the pageant's evolution, highlighting memorable contestants, protests, and scandals while also examining how the pageant has served as an unintended indicator of feminist progress.

From Yolande Betbeze to Vanessa Williams, the book spotlights individuals who defied expectations and made hard bargains even as they used the pageant for economic advancement.

The author rigorously examines each decade of the pageant, unpacking the complex blend of capitalism, patriotism, class anxiety, and cultural mythology that has fueled this American ritual.

With vivid storytelling and a keen eye for detail, Mifflin provides a comprehensive and engaging account of an institution that has both reflected and shaped American society.