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The Queen
The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth | Josh Levin
9 posts | 9 read | 9 to read
Slate editor Josh Levin's masterful account of the life and crimes of America's original "welfare queen" is "an invaluable work of nonfiction" (David Grann, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Killers of the Flower Moon). On the South Side of Chicago in 1974, Linda Taylor reported a phony burglary, concocting a lie about stolen furs and jewelry. The detective who checked it out soon discovered she was a welfare cheat who drove a Cadillac to collect ill-gotten government checks. And that was just the beginning: Taylor, it turned out, was also a kidnapper, and possibly a murderer. A desperately ill teacher, a combat-traumatized Marine, an elderly woman hungry for companionship-after Taylor came into their lives, all three ended up dead under suspicious circumstances. But nobody-not the journalists who touted her story, not the police, and not presidential candidate Ronald Reagan-seemed to care about anything but her welfare thievery. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, Taylor was made an outcast because of the color of her skin. As she rose to infamy, the press and politicians manipulated her image to demonize poor black women. Part social history, part true-crime investigation, Josh Levin's mesmerizing book, the product of six years of reporting and research, is a fascinating account of American racism, and an expose of the "welfare queen" myth, one that fueled political debates that reverberate to this day. THE QUEEN tells, for the first time, the fascinating story of what was done to Linda Taylor, what she did to others, and what was done in her name. "THE QUEEN is a wild, only-in-America story that helped me understand my country better. It's a fascinating portrait of a con artist and a nation... and the ways the United States continually relies on oversimplified narratives about race and class to shape public policy, almost always at the expense of brown people and poor people." (Attica Locke, author of the Edgar Award winning Bluebird, Bluebird)
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Cinfhen
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#AudibleSale
Added 2 more
Thanks @Megabooks 😉😘
I have no self control @britt_brooke 😆

Cinfhen Mixed reviews on Litsy for tagged book, but I was willing to take a chance 3y
Crazeedi I read Z, it was good, think you may like it! 3y
Bookwormjillk I liked The Queen but thought he could have gone deeper into the parallels between then and now. 3y
See All 11 Comments
britt_brooke You have my full support! 😂💸 3y
Megabooks Yay! Excited for our buddy read! 3y
Librariana Cindy, this time, I did see the email for the sale 😉 Haven't taken the bait, tho. If I remember correctly, I was slightly overwhelmed by the sheer volume of options! 3y
Cinfhen It seems most people felt the same way you did @Bookwormjillk !!! Will keep my expectations in check 😁 3y
Cinfhen OMG!! I literally spent 3 hours @Librariana going through all the titles!!!! SO MANY 3y
Cinfhen Thanks @britt_brooke I‘m all set to use you as my defense attorney if hubby says anything 😘 (edited) 3y
Cinfhen Me too @Megabooks maybe in May?? 3y
80 likes11 comments
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Bookwormjillk
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Mehso-so

This book was pretty wild- the story of Regan and his campaign rhetoric based on his version of Linda Taylor‘s, the original welfare queen‘s, story. Turns out welfare fraud was the least of her crimes. However once you get past that there‘s not as much information as I would have wanted about the politics and ties to present day. I‘ve been listening to the Audie Award history nominees. #NonfictionNovember #BookspinBINGO #CrushTheRush

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick Sorry it wasn't great but it's another book finished toward your goals! YAY! 3y
TheAromaofBooks Great progress!!! 3y
43 likes2 comments
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keithmalek
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Panpan

I hated this book. The only reason I didn't bail on it was because I was at work and had nothing else to do, so I RELUCTANTLY finished it. The first third of the book is pretty interesting, as it tells of Taylor's welfare schemes. But it barely touches upon the political backlash, and the rest of the book tells the background story of her and her family. The problem is that they weren't the least bit interesting, and so, neither was this book.

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amma-keep-reading
Pickpick

I appreciate the time and detail the author put into this book. I learned so much and experienced a mix of emotions. Such thoughtful writing.

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Hooked_on_books
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Mehso-so

While running for President, Reagan seized upon (and grossly embellished) the story of a con artist who bilked the system to get excessive public aid money. This is her actual story. I love this idea, but I wanted more of the tie in to politics (what was there was great) and a better idea of what drove her. This reads more like reporting than biography so that I feel I have the facts but still don‘t know the woman.

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DogEaredBooks
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Pickpick

Wow. This book covers a lot. Mostly focusing on the life and aftershocks of one woman it also dives deep into the sociological effects in US society.

One of timely coincidences is that this books also has a lot to say about Reagan and his presidency (and it‘s uncomfortably similar to a Cheeto in charge).

Sum up: read this if you loved Mastermind or love sociological narratives with true crime mixed in

Hooked_on_books I just finished this one and I was thinking exactly what you mentioned about Reagan and the Cheeto. Scary. 😱 5y
DogEaredBooks @Hooked_on_books it really is. 🤮. Also what did you think of the book? 5y
Hooked_on_books @DogEaredBooks Frankly, I wanted more from it. It felt more like reporting than a true biography. We got the facts of her life but I still don‘t feel like I know her. I also wanted more of the tie-in to the political scene. 5y
DogEaredBooks @Hooked_on_books I can see those points. I think he could have done more to tie in the effects of this on a political level. And I too wanted more about her in a more sociological or psychological background but I think from his citations that may not have been possible. 5y
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DogEaredBooks
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Pickpick

In the past two days I finished these two amazing (and very different books) ironically ending my two month streak of reading only female authored books. I didn‘t realize the common theme 👑until I gather my library returns.

I recommend both of the books so strongly and I think they both generate deep conversations.

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Lauren.Archer
Mehso-so

This one started off really strong. It was extremely intriguing, but then it kind of lost me, as it started going on about her parents and early years. She was a piece a work that is for sure.

keithmalek I agree. I'm 55% of the way through it, and I'm thinking of bailing on it 4y
54 likes1 comment
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Lauren.Archer
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This story sounds so interesting and I have never heard of it before.

75 likes4 stack adds