First published 2023
Marguerite Higgins storms into male-dominated newsrooms and war zones with fierce determination. She breaks barriers reporting from Dachau's liberation, then fights military officials who insist combat zones remain off-limits to women. Her bold tactics and competitive drive earn both acclaim and enemies among fellow correspondents. Male rivals spread rumors that she trades sexual favors for exclusive stories. Higgins pushes forward anyway, filing dispatches from Korea that win her a Pulitzer Prize. She cultivates relationships with powerful figures including the Kennedy brothers while facing constant accusations and professional sabotage. Jennet Conant examines how Higgins navigated a profession that alternately celebrated and punished her ambitions. The biography reveals a woman who refused to moderate her goals to satisfy gender conventions, paying a personal cost for her professional victories.
Genres: biography, 20th-century, non-fiction, journalism
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: gender-identity, professional-ambition
Setting: Dachau, Korea
Period: 20th Century
416 pages · Hardcover · W. W. Norton & Company