The sash. The tears. The glittering crown. And of course, that soaring song. For all its pomp and kitsch, the Miss America pageant is indelibly written into the American story of the past century. For two years, Washington Post reporter Amy Argetsinger visited pageants and interviewed contestants to unveil this iconic institution. Profiling some of the most memorable winners as well as some now forgotten, Argetsinger also notes the scandals that have repeatedly threatened to kill the pageant—and highlights the sisterhood of Miss Americas fighting to keep it alive.