Even though this was a very short book, it seemed long-winded and drawn out. There really was not any information from what I already gathered in other articles and blogs. The book was very repetitive. Yet, it does make one wonder what does Miss America stand for.

A very interesting and well written book about miss America I would have liked a little more information about some of the contestants

Something you may not know about me: two of my favorite movies are Miss Congeniality and Drop Dead Gorgeous, two films that poke fun of pageantry. So when I saw this book up on NetGalley, I jumped at the chance to read more about the pageant that inspired it all.

As we approach the centennial of the Miss America pageant, Looking for Miss America is a fascinating and eminently readable decade-by-decade history of the titular pageant, its organizers, its notable winners, and its entanglements with historical movements, most notably feminism. Mifflin expertly synthesizes interviews and research throughout the decades to craft an image of a pageant constantly in flux about its own image: is it a bathing beauties showcase? a scholarship vehicle? a swimsuit-centric objectification invitation? a place for beautiful women to showcase their talents and platforms?

For me, the most compelling parts of this book were when Mifflin discussed the intersections of emergent feminist movements with the Miss America pageant and how many of the "progressive" changes to the pageant (excuse me: competition) came from the women competing. She also nicely captures the tensions of the pageant itself: it obviously prizes beauty but awards scholarships; it requires women to be unmarried and childless Madonnas but (until recently) judged their bodies in an objectifying bikini contest; it claims to empower women but implicitly and explicitly discriminated (and discriminates) against women of color.

Overall, a compelling and well-researched read!

While there are few things in the world today less relevant than the Miss America pageant, Mifflin manages to make this history of the pageant both interesting and engaging.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC copy for my review.

***Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Expected publication date August 4, 2020.***

3 - 3.5 stars
✨✨✨

As a child, I enjoyed watching Miss America with my mother, especially the interview portion. This was a nice reminder of the pageantry and dreaming of ways of changing the world.

A wonderful behind the scenes look at the Miss America page turner.This page turner for a few generations was must see tv.There are interviews anecdotes informative as Inonce really enjoyed the pageant this was a really interesting read for me.# netgalley #counterpointpress

Fascinating and engaging. Each story about a known or little-known woman in the Miss America world delivered gems of realism, thanks to Mifflin's wisdom in including scenery, sensory details, relatable pockets of description. We get so much more than a glimpse at feminism of the day. We get experientials of the day. A new way to appreciate what the pageant was designed to do, evolving into what it is today. This book is everything I hoped it would be.

My dad was an industrial arts teacher when I was growing up. Before my sister and I were allowed to take driver ed, we were required to change the oil, spark plugs and tires on our beat up 1968 VW Beetle.. Looking back, I realize my dad was the first true feminist I ever knew.

As a family, we'd absolutely watch the Miss America pageant each year, but we treated it more like a sporting event than anything else. We'd choose teams of contestants, and cheer wildly when one of our picks did well. It was a much-anticipated event, yet to this day, I can't conjure a single image of a contestant in a swims suit or recall internalizing any comparisons between them and me.

Which gets me to Looking for Miss America by Margot Mifflin, a well-written and accessible non-fiction look at the history of Miss America through personal, social, economic, racial and feminist lenses. It is brilliant. Brilliantly written and scoped and voiced. The author is careful to temper the often-heard angry scree of activism surrounding the pageant with more lighthearted and intimate glimpses of it through insight from former participants - both winners and losers. The result is the best possible outcome for any non-fiction book - it lays out the story without overtly pushing a hard agenda, and lets the reader shuffle the information and take what the can out of it.

It's clear from the get-go Margot Mifflin is a skilled wordsmith. She flows seamlessly from interviews and first person accounts to more research-based information, layering in important historical and social context, all while creating a truly engaging story.

I'm not a fangirl of pageants. They rarely even enter my consciousness, but Looking for Miss America sincerely and gently got me thinking about the deeper historical meaning of beauty - what it is, how it is determined and by whom, how it changes and why, and why it matters - if it actually does. Plus, the history of the pageant itself is a delightful look at changing times and norms.

Looking for Miss America was a surprisingly thought-provoking read, and one that will stay with me. And I've already downloaded Mifflin's other books in hopes they'll do the same.

If you're looking for a diatribe about all this evil about beauty pageants and specifically Miss America, you will be disappointed in Looking for Miss America by Margot Mifflin. If, on the other hand, you're looking for a well-written, well-balanced and well-grounded look at Miss America as a cultural marker, then you - like me - will greatly enjoy this book.

This review is based on an advanced copy reading.

This is a very well done little book. It really tells the story of the pageant, regardless of what you think of it.

This was such an interesting novel! It's about exactly what you think it would be about.. the history of the Miss America Pageants. It features anecdotes from past participants, as well as providing a background of the pageants. There was a lot more information as well. While it was non-fiction, I found it to be a quick read, while also being informative. I'd recommend this to anyone interested in learning more about the Miss America pageantry world.