Bessie

Bess Myerson, Miss America 1945, was the inspiration for this wonderful story. I remember Myerson from her appearances wearing a mink coat on early television shows. She was the epitome of beauty, glamour and sophistication. Ironically, Bess never felt beautiful, glamorous, or sophisticated. Two biographies have been written about Myerson over the years.

Author Linda Kass made the past come alive in Bessie. Bess Myerson’s parents immigrated from Russia with their families when they were children. Bessie grew up in Shalom Aleichem Cooperative Houses, a government apartment complex in Northern Bronx, New York City. This enclave of Eastern European Jews gave her a lifetime passion for Jewish traditions.

Bessie’s parents, especially her mother, demand perfection, education, and the pursuit of scholarships. Her mother insists on hours of piano practice every day. Her father is the kinder and warmer parent. An older brother died at age three, before Bessie was born. Bessie and her older sister, Sylvia, and a younger sister, Helen, grow up in the shadow of their brother’s short life.

Bessie is 5 feet, 10 inches tall by age 12 and is very self-conscious of her height. But her classical piano teacher, a devoted Christian woman who lives across town, teaches her to always hold her head high and stand straight when she enters a room.

When Bessie is in middle school she gets her first acting role school—playing Olive Oyl because of her height. The pretty shorter girls play dainty roles like Bo Peep and Snow White. When Bessie announces at dinner that she does not want to play Olive Oyl even though it’s the lead, her mother shouts, “What? A lead role? Why wouldn’t you want that? This is acting, Bess. You can make believe you’re someone else.” Sylvia nods in agreement, and reaches under the table to squeeze Bessie’s hand.

Thanks to her beloved piano teacher, Bess obtains a scholarship to a prestigious private music high school in NYC. Later she receives more scholarships to earn a music degree at Hunter College.

The pain Bess and her family feel when following the news about the German and Polish Jews during WWII is palpable. She becomes the first Jewish Miss America based on her beauty, poise, and intelligence as well as her musical skills on the piano and flute. The religious bias in America at that time prevents her from entering places she is to be the featured speaker as Miss America. This shook her to the core and she finishes out her reign by speaking out against hate and bigotry.

Her career in modeling, television quiz shows, and acting also make interesting reading. This is the third novel by Linda Kass and all three have garnered great reviews. I gained insight into a Jewish woman’s mindset in this well-researched and well-written novel, and I highly recommend it to other curious readers.