"This is the story of how an awkward, ambitious suburban teen from humble beginnings transformed herself into a high school homecoming queen, and later, the most celebrated actress of our time. Meryl Streep came of age during the women's movement of the seventies, and has worn her activism on her sleeve even when it was unfashionable. As she reached forty, the age when many leading ladies fade away, Streep plunged forward, leaping into roles that interested her and winning a pile of awards along the way. Meanwhile, she remained an unlikely box-office draw, steering The Devil Wears Prada to blockbuster success and critical acclaim. She never tackles the same character twice. Instead, she leverages her rarified platform to channel a range of dynamic, complicated women--Joanna Kramer, Karen Silkwood, Julia Child, Margaret Thatcher, and Katherine Graham, to name a few--rather than play second fiddle to the male lead. Her Streepness will have none of that. Journalist and author Erin Carlson documents all of Meryl's Oscars, accents, causes, memes, friendships, and feuds. Curated with illustrations by artist Justin Teodoro, along with unexpected sidebars, lists, and intermissions, Queen Meryl is a captivating and inspiring portrait of an artist and trailblazer still at the top of her game"--Page 4 of cover. Streep came of age during the women's movement of the seventies, and has worn her activism on her sleeve even when it was unfashionable. At an age when many leading ladies fade away, Streep plunged forward, leaping into roles that interested her and winning a pile of awards along the way. She never tackles the same character twice, but leverages her rarified platform to channel a range of dynamic, complicated women rather than play second fiddle to the male lead. Carlson provides a captivating portrait of an artist and trailblazer still at the top of her game. -- adapted from back cover

Introduction: Gird your loins! -- From geek to Streep -- Runaway Meryl -- Mother Meryl -- Meryl goes nuclear -- Meryl the lion -- Meryl the heartbreaker -- Meryl the martyr -- Middle-aged Meryl -- Meryl the immortal -- Meryl the river goddess -- Meryl the romantic -- Mozart Meryl -- Meryl the wallflower -- Meryl the shape-shifter -- Meryl the editrix -- Meryl the nun -- Meryl masters the art of French cooking -- Meryl the stateswoman -- Meryl the superhero -- A Streeping genius.