The Night She Won Miss America

From the author of Searching For Grace Kelly, a 1950 lovestruck beauty queen finds herself in dangerous company--and on the run.

Betty Jane Welch reluctantly enters the Miss Delaware contest only to make her mother happy, but to her surprise, she's the judges' top choice. Just like that, she's catapulted into the big time: the Miss America Pageant in Atlantic City.

Luckily, her pageant-approved escort for the week is the dashing but mercurial Griffin McAllister, and she falls for him hard. But when the spirited Betty unexpectedly wins the crown and sash, she finds she may lose what she wants most: Griff's love. To stay together, she impulsively agrees to run away with him. And then the chase is on: from the shadowy streets of Manhattan to a cliffside mansion in Newport, as the cops, a cunning socialite, and a scrappy young reporter secretly in love with the beauty queen threaten to unravel everything--and expose Griff's darkest secret.

"Inspired by a true story, The Night She Won Miss America is part love story, part true-crime saga, written with spirit and panache."--Vanity Fair

&#8220Expect glamour, grit, and some truly unpredictable twists and turns."--Town & Country

“"Romance, intrigue, suspense--Michael Callahan's latest has it all, and that's not even counting the glorious, heady world of the Miss America pageant in its heyday. Loosely inspired by real events, The Night She Won Miss America grabs you from the first chapter and takes you on a wild journey beginning in Atlantic City and ending in a showdown on a rocky cliff worthy of Hitchcock. But the heart of the book always remains its remarkable protagonist, a nave young woman whose passions come to the surface with remarkable ferocity the moment the crown is placed on her head and never really let her--or us--go."-- Melanie Benjamin, New York Times best-selling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue "I can't remember the last time I got so caught up in a novel. Michael Callahan's gorgeous prose brings to life an intoxicating world of beauty queens and thwarted dreams that will sweep you away in a whirlwind of intrigue, passion, and secrets."-- Matthew Pearl, best-selling author of The Dante Club and The Last Bookaneer "A heady whirl of gowns, gloves, chaperones, lipstick, escorts, cocktails, and romance. This engaging tale paints an evocative picture of a bygone era and the post-war ideal of young American womanhood."-- Helen Bryan, author of the international bestseller War Brides”

"Inspired by a true story, this delightful novel is like an old black-and-white movie translated to the page, perfectly capturing the era as it serves up breathless romance and a heart-pounding plot."--People Magazine "The latest from Searching for Grace Kelly author (and former T&C editor) Michael Callahan, The Night She Won Miss America, follows a reluctant beauty queen as she falls in love with her pageant escort and finds herself on the run from ho-hum Delaware to Manhattan, Newport, and beyond. Expect glamour, grit, and some truly unpredictable twists and turns."--Town & Country "A cinematic tale in the tradition of a Douglas Sirk movie, and the perfect book to pack away in your beach bag."--Adweek "Callahan transports us back to post-war America, nailing the politics, fashion, cars and social mores. As real as this story of Betty's brief and scandalous reign is, it's the best kind of fiction; so believable that I was wondering about its authenticity until the author's note."--Newark Star-Ledger "Callahan clearly enjoys the camp, loading his book with period details and midcentury slang."--New York Times Book Review "Callahan nimbly guides the reader from the rounds of the Miss America competition to Times Square to a climax on a seaside cliff during a masquerade ball. The Night She Won Miss America is a delightfully dramatic and fast-paced summer read, with just the right amount of darkness to balance out the fluff."--BookPage AVanity Fair "Hot Type" selection, April 2017 "A must-read"--The New York Post "Highly recommended"--New York Journal of Books "Truth plus fiction equals an entertaining read"--Philadelphia Magazine "A page-turner"--New Jersey Monthly "A wild tale ... Early in her pageant experience, Betty muses that 'Miss America does odd things to people.' Clearly, she had no idea. Callahan creates a story that is brisk-paced and fluid."--Kirkus Reviews "Callahan has crafted an intriguing suspense story marrying the frothy, fashion-fueled pageant world with the secrets people have to live with."--?Booklist "This plot-driven story blends aspects of romance, mystery, and thriller... Fans of mid-century drama, beauty queens, and gripping romance will enjoy this adventurous read." --School Library Journal "Romance, intrigue, suspense--Michael Callahan's latest has it all, and that's not even counting the glorious, heady world of the Miss America pageant in its heyday. Loosely inspired by real events, The Night She Won Miss America grabs you from the first chapter and takes you on a wild journey beginning in Atlantic City and ending in a showdown on a rocky cliff worthy of Hitchcock. But the heart of the book always remains its remarkable protagonist, a naïve young woman whose passions come to the surface with remarkable ferocity the moment the crown is placed on her head and never really let her--or us--go."--Melanie Benjamin, New York Times best-selling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue

MICHAEL CALLAHAN is a contributing editor at Vanity Fair. A former deputy editor at Town & Country and Marie Claire, he has written for more than two dozen national and international publications, including Elle, the Hollywood Reporter, and the New York Times.

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