The most stunning woman in all of Jerusalem is Gabriela's mother, Luna, yet she seems to reserve her legendary beauty and charm for no one but her daughter. Since Gabriela can remember, she and Luna have had a hard time getting along. When tragedy strikes, though, Gabriela senses that her mother is more than just pretty nails and lips. Gabriela weaves together the tales of her family's earlier generations, including Great-Grandmother Mercada, a renowned healer, Grandma Rosa, who cleaned homes for the English, and Luna, who had the best legs in Jerusalem, in an effort to understand their relationship. But Gabriela must confront a past and present that are considerably more complicated than she could have ever anticipated. Spanning decades, The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem follows generations of unforgettable women as they forge their own paths through times of dramatic change, and paints a dazzling portrait of a family and a young nation as they struggle to find their way even as others try to carve it out for them.