The Queen

The Forgotten Life Behind an American Myth

By: Josh Levin

Narrated by: January LaVoy

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography

In this critically acclaimed true crime tale of "welfare queen" Linda Taylor, a Slate editor reveals a "wild, only-in-America story" of political manipulation and murder (Attica Locke, Edgar Award-winning author).

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 exposé 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. "In the finest tradition of investigative reporting, Josh Levin exposes how a story that once shaped the nation's conscience was clouded by racism and lies. As he stunningly reveals in this "invaluable work of nonfiction," the deeper truth, the messy truth, tells us something much larger about who we are (David Grann, number one New York Times best-selling author of Killers of the Flower Moon).

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2019 Josh Levin (P)2019 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

Longlisted for the PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography

TheRoot's Favorite Reads of 2019

Washington Post's 50 Notable Works of Nonfiction

Boston Globe's Best Books of 2019

Buzzfeed's Best Books of the Year

Mother Jones's Favorite Books of 2019

The National Book Review's Ten Best Nonfiction Books of the Year

Star-Tribune's Best Nonfiction of 2019

NPR Code Switch's Holiday Book Guide

New York Times Book Review Editor's Choice Pick

Chicago Public Library Best Books of 2019

Crimereads's Best True Crime Books of 2019

PopSugar's 45 Best Nonfiction Books of 2019

Book Riot's 50 Great Books about True Crime

Inspired an Esquire Best Podcast of 2019

"Josh Levin's account of the bizarre life of the woman who became known as "the welfare queen" is a triumph of research, insight and evenheadedness...January LaVoy narrates this multilayered biography with clarity and compassion."—Washington Post, audiobook review

"An upcoming biography by journalist Josh Levin about Linda Taylor, the Chicago woman whose complicated story was demonized and manipulated by politicians and press (namely, the Chicago Tribune, according to Levin's account) until she was Ronald Reagan's infamous 'welfare queen'...It's tempting to describe Levin's masterful book as alternate history of 1980s Chicago. But no - again, it's this Chicago, on this planet, not twisted on its head, only righted."—Christopher Borrelli, The Chicago Tribune

"It's about Linda Taylor, the 'Cadillac-driving welfare queen in Chicago'' that Pres. Reagan referenced in a 1983 speech about rampant defrauding of government anti-poverty programs...Her story helped popularize stereotype about lazy Black people on the dole...But the focus on her welfare grifting meant people mostly ignored the more sinister crimes she was implicated in - like kidnappings and murders! Anyway, it's a wild book."—Gene Demby, NPR Books

Gripping!!!

I am not typically a crime novel person, but this story was absolutely gripping! I couldn’t stop listening to it. I loved this. Josh Levin is an incredible author, and this story had me hooked, especially as a native Chicagoan (who has lived on welfare 💁🏻‍♀️) I love it. Absolutely recommend it. 10/10.

The Welfare Queen

i learned a lot about Welfare and about a woman who was a coniving cheat and freeloader all her life.
The book was read fast with some passion about the subject as if she was reading an interesting article out of the newspaper but only had a certain amount of time to get it all out.
I believe the story was interesting, I am glad I read it but not one I would probably recommend to anyone else unless.

You must hear this book.

If you are interested in politics, public policy, personality disorders or just good human stories you must not miss this book. It is another story that demonstrates truth is stranger than fiction. In my work and life I have had contact with quite a few people with personality disorders but never anyone who was able to perpetrate as much evil and mayhem as this woman. Welfare fraud was just a fraction of her actions.

A captivating story!

I loved the way the book has displayed factual information in such an Eloquent way! Being a African American women and the diversity in her ethnicity gave her access,privileges, and power. However, it also displays how mental health and trams is important to address as it resulted in a series of illegal behavior ! Thank you sharing this story!

Truths untold

Denying the truth of Linda Taylor, the grifter, kidnapper, and murder, just to broad brush the underprivileged with a tired trope. This is who the beloved Ronald Reagan really is.

I learned so much!!!

It's a fascinating, well told story that gives insight into the catastrophic changes made to the wellfare system by Reagan and subsequent presidents. The book gets a little slow in some places, but it's worth sticking with. I actually finished this book weeks ago and I'm still thinking and talking about it.

Very interesting, very dense

The writing and the performance were excellent, and if you find this kind of thing interesting (which I do), it’s a VERY in-depth look at the details of a story of infamy that anyone of a certain age will remember. It meanders a bit when discussing the impact, but I liked that it addressed how one person’s story was patched onto for political ends. At times. It felt like a litany of abuses of the system, just over and over and over. It was almost too much detail. Could have had the same impact in half the length. But it left no stone unturned in this fascinating situation. Would recommend.

interesting story, stretched as a book

I enjoyed the subject matter but it felt stretched as a book, with a fair amount of repetition and not really enough story to carry for 13 hours.

This was a great book.

I must say the writer did a great job with the story line I love the way he laid her life out which gives an understanding of on how a lot of people turn into criminals trying to survive. Greed once the get a little they have to find the next trick to get more great book

Thought Provocating.

Very interesting. What a wonderful story with such a rich historical background. I love d it. Thank you for your amazing detective work.