The Orderly Disorderly House

by Carol Erwin

"I'm quitting," I said. "I don't like the way you run a house."

"And I didn't. I thought to myself that I could run a house where nobody was rolled or cheated or double-crossed. I could run a house that was clean and respectable and friendly. Andi I decided that one day I would."

And she did. And this is Carol Erwin's own brash, uninhibited story - of lusty boom towns, politicians, policemen, bluenoses and racketeers, parties and girls.

Here are all the customs, customers and chums - among them "Legs" Diamond, and "Pretty Boy" Floyd - of a fun-loving, successful and respectable madam. Here is how a disorderly house should be run.

223 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1960

Reviews

[Ann]

This is an amazing memoir by a woman who was, among other things, a hobo and a whorehouse owner. I stumbled upon it; I think it is out of print but so worth reading. I can't really do it justice. Just read it! And I have a copy if anybody wants to borrow it...

[Dan]

What an amazing story! Made even more special by it being a hidden gem of a book - as far as I can tell, never republished since 1961, and no further information on Carol Erwin online.