Madam: A Novel of New Orleans

In Madam: A Novel of New Orleans you will find yourself transported to a time when the grime and grit of the city would shock even the most liberal of us. The novel follows Mary Deubler, a rough but scrupulous young prostitute, caught in a business of selling herself to support her brother’s family. Things take a turn when her place of employment – The Alley, as they call it – is threatened by changing city ordinances, but the change brings about an opportunity for Mary to embrace the old American adage of pulling oneself up by one’s bootstraps. As easy to read as it is entertaining, this is a great book for a look back at a time in our history when men were men and women were practically disposable. While there are some plot holes, the book sends you hurtling into New Orleans in the late 1800s, so that you can almost smell the dank alleyways and hear the shouting of the newsies on the rough streets. Many of the characters are rich in detail and the historical details will undoubtedly leave you wondering where history leaves off and fiction begins.