Super Short Summary

The Queen: The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth by Josh Levin chronicles the life of Linda Taylor (real name Martha White), a woman whose extensive welfare fraud in the 1970s earned her national attention as the original "welfare queen." The biography details Taylor's numerous aliases, scams, and run-ins with law enforcement, while exploring her complex background and the racial and societal issues she navigated and exploited throughout her life. This book includes descriptions of fraud, criminal activity, and suspicious deaths.