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The Virgin Cure
From the author of the number one Canadian bestseller The Birth House comes the story of a young girl abandoned to the streets of post-Civil War New York City.
"I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart." So begins The Virgin Cure, a novel set in the tenements of lower Manhattan in the year 1871. As a young child, Moth's father smiled, tipped his hat and walked away from her forever. The summer she turned twelve, her mother sold her as a servant to a wealthy woman, with no intention of ever seeing her again.
These betrayals lead Moth to the wild, murky world of the Bowery, filled with house-thieves, pickpockets, beggars, sideshow freaks and prostitutes, where eventually she meets Miss Everett, the owner of a brothel simply known as "The Infant School." Miss Everett caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for companions who are "willing and clean," and the most desirable of them all are young virgins like Moth.
Through the friendship of Dr. Sadie, a female physician, Moth learns to question and observe the world around her, where her new friends are falling prey to the myth of the "virgin cure" - that deflowering a "fresh maid" can heal the incurable and tainted. She knows the law will not protect her, that polite society ignores her, and still she dreams of answering to no one but herself. There's a high price for such independence, though, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.
"I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart." So begins The Virgin Cure, a novel set in the tenements of lower Manhattan in the year 1871. As a young child, Moth's father smiled, tipped his hat and walked away from her forever. The summer she turned twelve, her mother sold her as a servant to a wealthy woman, with no intention of ever seeing her again.
These betrayals lead Moth to the wild, murky world of the Bowery, filled with house-thieves, pickpockets, beggars, sideshow freaks and prostitutes, where eventually she meets Miss Everett, the owner of a brothel simply known as "The Infant School." Miss Everett caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for companions who are "willing and clean," and the most desirable of them all are young virgins like Moth.
Through the friendship of Dr. Sadie, a female physician, Moth learns to question and observe the world around her, where her new friends are falling prey to the myth of the "virgin cure" - that deflowering a "fresh maid" can heal the incurable and tainted. She knows the law will not protect her, that polite society ignores her, and still she dreams of answering to no one but herself. There's a high price for such independence, though, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.
356 pages, Hardcover
First published October 25, 2011
599 people are currently reading
10589 people want to read
About the author
Ami McKay
8 books2,048 followersAMI McKAY is the author of three bestselling novels–The Birth House, The Virgin Cure, and The Witches of New York—as well as the novella, Half Spent Was the Night. Her memoir, Daughter of Family G was named a CBC Best Book of 2019. McKay is also a playwright, composer, and essayist. Born and raised in the Midwest, she now lives in Nova Scotia.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,521 reviews
August 5, 2020
Update I've had three trolls on this extremely inoffensive review. What is there about it that attracts these negative people to tell me how I should/should not write a review? I kittenised the last one. That usually pisses them off. This is a book I will not read. I have to tread on thin ice here since my last 'will not read' review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... was hidden (although probably not by the author's request. By someone who calls themselves A Hole, I was told). So thin ice it is.
I read a review of this book that made me think I would enjoy it so I looked up the book page and whoever wrote the synopsis had written the ENTIRE story out. A 45-line synopsis of the story indeed! A blurb would have sufficed. So if I bought the book at $25.99 (it isn't available in the US in paperback) I would know exactly what I would be getting, from the 'heroine's' unfortunate birth and upbringing through her introduction to and career on the streets through to her expected redemption-with-difficulties. All I would be getting if I paid out is the fleshing out of this story with details and dialogue. If this was great literature, if this was a long saga, that much detail would be unacceptable, how much more so in what is described by a friend in her review, "This was a quick enjoyable read, pure if predictable storytelling"?
Perhaps I am in a minority of not wanting to know the entire story before I buy a book, of feeling that a blurb is quite sufficient, but to my mind, the synopsis writer has not done the author a good service at all.
I read a review of this book that made me think I would enjoy it so I looked up the book page and whoever wrote the synopsis had written the ENTIRE story out. A 45-line synopsis of the story indeed! A blurb would have sufficed. So if I bought the book at $25.99 (it isn't available in the US in paperback) I would know exactly what I would be getting, from the 'heroine's' unfortunate birth and upbringing through her introduction to and career on the streets through to her expected redemption-with-difficulties. All I would be getting if I paid out is the fleshing out of this story with details and dialogue. If this was great literature, if this was a long saga, that much detail would be unacceptable, how much more so in what is described by a friend in her review, "This was a quick enjoyable read, pure if predictable storytelling"?
Perhaps I am in a minority of not wanting to know the entire story before I buy a book, of feeling that a blurb is quite sufficient, but to my mind, the synopsis writer has not done the author a good service at all.
July 26, 2022
1871 in New York: Hier wächst das Mädchen "Moth" in bitterer Armut auf. Der Vater hat die Familie verlassen, und die Mutter behandelt Moth sehr lieblos. So träumt das 12-jährige Mädchen von einem besseren Leben, von Geborgenheit und Reichtum. Mit 13 möchte Moth von ihrer Mutter fortgehen und ihr Leben selbst in die Hand nehmen, doch ihre Mutter hat andere Pläne und kommt ihr zuvor. Sie verkauft Moth an Mrs. Wentworth, bei der sie künftig als Hausmädchen arbeiten soll. Doch die Hausherrin behandelt Moth schlecht und schlägt sie, und so flieht das Mädchen. Sie möchte zurück zu ihrer Mutter, doch die ist fort. Nun muss Moth sehen, wie sie überleben kann.
*
Meine Meinung
Die Geschichte von Moth hat mich sehr bewegt. Man muss das Mädchen einfach ins Herz schließen.
Es ist sehr erschreckend, was Moth auf ihrem Weg alles erlebt. Zwar ist die Geschichte erfunden, doch die Hintergründe - das Leben damals in New York in den Slums - sind durchaus der Realität nachempfunden. Das macht für mich die Geschichte noch bewegender.
Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm; man kann das Buch schnell und flüssig lesen. Auch ist die Geschichte aus Sicht von Moth packend erzählt.
Optisch ist es sehr schön aufgemacht, denn es gibt immer wieder kleine Randbemerkungen, Briefchen und Zeitungsanzeigen. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen.
Auch das Cover finde ich wunderschön mit den zarten Farben und den Rosenblüten. Allerdings befürchte ich, dass viele Leser anhand es Covers auf eine schöne leichte "Wohlfühlgeschichte" schließen werden, und das ist irreführend. Was hier erzählt wird, geht manchmal ganz schön unter die Haut und ist sehr aufwühlend. Gewalt, Armut und Prostitution sind die zentralen Themen. Wer davor nicht zurückschreckt, dem kann ich das Buch allerdings wirklich empfehlen.
*
Meine Meinung
Die Geschichte von Moth hat mich sehr bewegt. Man muss das Mädchen einfach ins Herz schließen.
Es ist sehr erschreckend, was Moth auf ihrem Weg alles erlebt. Zwar ist die Geschichte erfunden, doch die Hintergründe - das Leben damals in New York in den Slums - sind durchaus der Realität nachempfunden. Das macht für mich die Geschichte noch bewegender.
Der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm; man kann das Buch schnell und flüssig lesen. Auch ist die Geschichte aus Sicht von Moth packend erzählt.
Optisch ist es sehr schön aufgemacht, denn es gibt immer wieder kleine Randbemerkungen, Briefchen und Zeitungsanzeigen. Das hat mir sehr gut gefallen.
Auch das Cover finde ich wunderschön mit den zarten Farben und den Rosenblüten. Allerdings befürchte ich, dass viele Leser anhand es Covers auf eine schöne leichte "Wohlfühlgeschichte" schließen werden, und das ist irreführend. Was hier erzählt wird, geht manchmal ganz schön unter die Haut und ist sehr aufwühlend. Gewalt, Armut und Prostitution sind die zentralen Themen. Wer davor nicht zurückschreckt, dem kann ich das Buch allerdings wirklich empfehlen.
May 23, 2012
The Virgin Cure is packed with interesting bits of history, period advertisements, and lush descriptions of dresses from Harper's Bazaar. It's a bit like leafing through a wonderful old scrapbook. It also makes me want to go out and buy a corset and gloves. Okay, maybe not the corset. (The descriptions of it are frightening).
I'm not yet finished reading the novel, but the relationship between the female physician (based on McKay's own great grandmother) and the young girl, Moth, is compelling and the details of the underside of 19th century New York are fascinating. It's clear that McKay loves her subject matter.
I'm not yet finished reading the novel, but the relationship between the female physician (based on McKay's own great grandmother) and the young girl, Moth, is compelling and the details of the underside of 19th century New York are fascinating. It's clear that McKay loves her subject matter.
May 13, 2012
I was looking forward to reading this, the story sounded interesting, granted disturbing but also interesting. I like reading novels set in this time period, 1871. Most of what I read during this period takes place in England so I was looking forward to reading about the filth and slums of New York City.
Moth is twelve years old, abandoned by her father and sold into servitude by her mother, she becomes a maid to the disturbed and abusive Mrs. Wentworth. Moth quickly realizes she must find another place where she can make a living.
She eventually finds her way to Miss Emma Everett who runs a specialized brothel selling virgins for a hefty profit. Dr. Sadie is the female physician who attends to all of Miss Everett's girls and she develops a special fondness for Moth.
I was disappointed by the lack of depth of this story. The author chose to insert the thoughts of Dr. Sadie at various points in the story and they often are inset into the narration on the page. Sometimes fictitious articles from the newspapers are given a spotlight on a page here or there and the author also begins each chapter with a poem or passage of writing. All of this extra material detracted from the main story and interrupted the flow of narration. The middle of the story seemed to drag on and the ending seemed a bit too neat and tidy for my tastes.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the story when Moth is trying to find her way in Mrs. Wentworth's household. She developed a friendship there that was one of the most engaging and satisfying parts of the book for me, but that relationship didn't continue through the rest of Moth's story. Certain events that happen in Moth's life while she's living with Miss Everett seem incongruous with the rest of what's going on in the story. It felt like the author couldn't decide which story she wanted to tell so instead of choosing one she told both.
I liked some of the details and some of the relationships between the characters but overall I was left wanting to hear more about Moth's experience and her feelings.
Moth is twelve years old, abandoned by her father and sold into servitude by her mother, she becomes a maid to the disturbed and abusive Mrs. Wentworth. Moth quickly realizes she must find another place where she can make a living.
She eventually finds her way to Miss Emma Everett who runs a specialized brothel selling virgins for a hefty profit. Dr. Sadie is the female physician who attends to all of Miss Everett's girls and she develops a special fondness for Moth.
I was disappointed by the lack of depth of this story. The author chose to insert the thoughts of Dr. Sadie at various points in the story and they often are inset into the narration on the page. Sometimes fictitious articles from the newspapers are given a spotlight on a page here or there and the author also begins each chapter with a poem or passage of writing. All of this extra material detracted from the main story and interrupted the flow of narration. The middle of the story seemed to drag on and the ending seemed a bit too neat and tidy for my tastes.
I really enjoyed the beginning of the story when Moth is trying to find her way in Mrs. Wentworth's household. She developed a friendship there that was one of the most engaging and satisfying parts of the book for me, but that relationship didn't continue through the rest of Moth's story. Certain events that happen in Moth's life while she's living with Miss Everett seem incongruous with the rest of what's going on in the story. It felt like the author couldn't decide which story she wanted to tell so instead of choosing one she told both.
I liked some of the details and some of the relationships between the characters but overall I was left wanting to hear more about Moth's experience and her feelings.
February 16, 2015
A very interesting, enjoyable and informative historical novel set in the mid-1800's detailing the plight of families struggling to survive the slum houses of lower Manhattan based on actual facts from research of author McKay's Great Great Grandmother's life as a doctor during the era.
Moth is a 12 year old girl abandoned by her father and sold by her gypsy fortune teller mother to serve as a ladies maid to the unbalanced and abusive Mrs. Wentworth. Moth eventually escapes the house and finds her mother is gone from the tenement. Living on the streets wondering why her mother has left without a word, a starving Moth meets up with Mae who introduces her to Miss Everett's brothel for young virgin girls. During her initial physical examination, she meets Dr. Sadie who tries to convince her of the many dangers of life as a whore which eventually leads Moth to find out about "The Virgin Cure".
There is so much more to tell in this story with many great character's.(loved Mr. Dink) I was hooked early on. Don't know why I didn't rate it five stars!
Moth is a 12 year old girl abandoned by her father and sold by her gypsy fortune teller mother to serve as a ladies maid to the unbalanced and abusive Mrs. Wentworth. Moth eventually escapes the house and finds her mother is gone from the tenement. Living on the streets wondering why her mother has left without a word, a starving Moth meets up with Mae who introduces her to Miss Everett's brothel for young virgin girls. During her initial physical examination, she meets Dr. Sadie who tries to convince her of the many dangers of life as a whore which eventually leads Moth to find out about "The Virgin Cure".
There is so much more to tell in this story with many great character's.(loved Mr. Dink) I was hooked early on. Don't know why I didn't rate it five stars!
March 15, 2014
What a unique book! A story based on a dark time in early American history. Young girls were sold/taken in and then their virginity was brokered by a "Madam" for a high fee. What happened to these girls next was anyone's guess. They turned into prostitutes selling themselves away piece by piece. In the later 1800s men carrying Syphilis, often thought that they could be cured by sleeping with an innocent virgin. Her innocent blood would "cure" him, hence the Virgin Cure.
Interesting subject matter, and at times it was tough to read. Moth is a strong protagonist who manages her way through New York City, while trying to secure a better life for herself outside the slums of Chrystie Street. Throughout this book, there were little anecdotes, and news articles supporting the story that was being told through Moth's eyes.
The ending was a little too abrupt and tied up for me. I felt like the last chapter was un-necessary, and didn't really add anything to the story for me.
Interesting subject matter, and at times it was tough to read. Moth is a strong protagonist who manages her way through New York City, while trying to secure a better life for herself outside the slums of Chrystie Street. Throughout this book, there were little anecdotes, and news articles supporting the story that was being told through Moth's eyes.
The ending was a little too abrupt and tied up for me. I felt like the last chapter was un-necessary, and didn't really add anything to the story for me.
July 31, 2012
Where do I begin with this? Moth and her fortune-telling mother live in poverty among the mean streets of lower Manhattan. To buy food and sometimes liquor Moth's mother will sell just about anything of value she has to survive, including Moth. 12-year old Moth is brave and street smart, but naive when she is sold to a wealthy, but deranged woman. Believing that she will get to live in a grand house, she endures cruelty and torment from the lady of the house. Once she escapes she encounters Mae, a young girl in training to lose her virginity to the highest bidder among wealthy men. Without giving away amymore plot, I have to say that this ended up being one of favorites this year. Everytime I opened this book I felt like I was transported to that time and place of Moth's world. This was descriptive and informative with anecdotes of information among the pages of the story. Well written and engrossing!
May 18, 2020
How could you not fall in love with a child of 12 with the name of Moth who begins her story with the words: ‘Mama sold me the summer I turned twelve’.
This is a poignant, touching story telling of the way things were for many people in New York in the late 1800’s.
It is historical fiction well researched to the point of giving the reader a true rendering of what life for a child such as Moth could very well have been, bringing to light some startling revelations about myths that were very popular at that time.
Beautifully written, easy to read with depictions of notices & advertisements of the day.
I wanted to give 5 stars but would have liked a bit more out of the ending. I felt the stories about some of the secondary characters were not complete. I would like to have known their fate.
Otherwise this book is well worth the time to read.
This is a poignant, touching story telling of the way things were for many people in New York in the late 1800’s.
It is historical fiction well researched to the point of giving the reader a true rendering of what life for a child such as Moth could very well have been, bringing to light some startling revelations about myths that were very popular at that time.
Beautifully written, easy to read with depictions of notices & advertisements of the day.
I wanted to give 5 stars but would have liked a bit more out of the ending. I felt the stories about some of the secondary characters were not complete. I would like to have known their fate.
Otherwise this book is well worth the time to read.
November 7, 2011
Like the large bar of dark chocolate I intended to mete out a piece at a time but instead polished off in two days, I planned to read Ami McKay's new book, The Virgin Cure, slowly. Despite my best efforts, I finished it within a week and am left awed and yet still hungry. I hope blogging and talking about it with fellow readers bring me the satiety I seek.
The Virgin Cure is the Dickensian-style story of Moth, a 12-year old girl living on Manhattan's rat-ridden Chrystie Street in 1874. To say Moth's is a hard scrabble life is an understatement. Abandoned by Moth's father, Moth's mother supports the family as a psychic, but she shows a shocking lack of foresight for one who purports to see the future. Deciding Moth is old enough to start supporting her, she kicks Moth out of their home, into a situation even more rife with abuse than the one Moth is leaving.
Moth is merchandise, bought and sold several times in the story. Poor people are depicted throughout the book as inconvenient and an easy target for upper classes that choose to criticize rather than help them. The complete lack of sympathy and social services makes for an interesting, if upsetting, anthropology lesson. (Much of the historical context is provided through explanatory notes, newspaper excerpts and ads that are included in the margins of the book. While fascinating, I admit I found they distracted from the narrative.)
The first person to show Moth real tenderness is Dr. Sadie, a kindly physician she befriends. I learned at the book launch that McKay modeled Dr. Sadie on her own great-great-grandmother, who worked treating destitute children and safeguarding "fresh maids" against the virgin cure. (Be sure to read the epilogue for more on this.)
Seeing McKay read from the book and talk about her personal connection to the story deepened my appreciation and respect for her as a person and author. I feel so grateful to this fellow Nova Scotia after reading The Birth House and now The Virgin Cure for choosing such important and compelling subject matter when sharing her abundant story-telling talents with us.
Lastly, while reading The Virgin Cure, iTunes was shuffling through my 2,000-song library and played Hawksley Workman's song A Moth is Not a Butterfly. Coincidence perhaps, but the lyrics help explain why Moth is the perfect name for McKay's protagonist. Two of Workman's stanzas for me, capture the bleak yet hopeful plight of this tenacious insect.
A moth is not a butterfly
And I know why, I know why
It kind of makes you want to cry
That a moth is not a butterfly
Bus some are happy in the bluest sky
And others search in the dark of night
And sadness is a silent right
A moth is not a butterfly
If you've read The Virgin Cure, or plan to, please share your thoughts in the comments section. My experience with it has been too brief thus far, and I'd love some dialogue.
The Virgin Cure is the Dickensian-style story of Moth, a 12-year old girl living on Manhattan's rat-ridden Chrystie Street in 1874. To say Moth's is a hard scrabble life is an understatement. Abandoned by Moth's father, Moth's mother supports the family as a psychic, but she shows a shocking lack of foresight for one who purports to see the future. Deciding Moth is old enough to start supporting her, she kicks Moth out of their home, into a situation even more rife with abuse than the one Moth is leaving.
Moth is merchandise, bought and sold several times in the story. Poor people are depicted throughout the book as inconvenient and an easy target for upper classes that choose to criticize rather than help them. The complete lack of sympathy and social services makes for an interesting, if upsetting, anthropology lesson. (Much of the historical context is provided through explanatory notes, newspaper excerpts and ads that are included in the margins of the book. While fascinating, I admit I found they distracted from the narrative.)
The first person to show Moth real tenderness is Dr. Sadie, a kindly physician she befriends. I learned at the book launch that McKay modeled Dr. Sadie on her own great-great-grandmother, who worked treating destitute children and safeguarding "fresh maids" against the virgin cure. (Be sure to read the epilogue for more on this.)
Seeing McKay read from the book and talk about her personal connection to the story deepened my appreciation and respect for her as a person and author. I feel so grateful to this fellow Nova Scotia after reading The Birth House and now The Virgin Cure for choosing such important and compelling subject matter when sharing her abundant story-telling talents with us.
Lastly, while reading The Virgin Cure, iTunes was shuffling through my 2,000-song library and played Hawksley Workman's song A Moth is Not a Butterfly. Coincidence perhaps, but the lyrics help explain why Moth is the perfect name for McKay's protagonist. Two of Workman's stanzas for me, capture the bleak yet hopeful plight of this tenacious insect.
A moth is not a butterfly
And I know why, I know why
It kind of makes you want to cry
That a moth is not a butterfly
Bus some are happy in the bluest sky
And others search in the dark of night
And sadness is a silent right
A moth is not a butterfly
If you've read The Virgin Cure, or plan to, please share your thoughts in the comments section. My experience with it has been too brief thus far, and I'd love some dialogue.
October 25, 2011
Ami McKay's first novel The Birth House was a phenomenal success. I have no doubt that her newly released second novel - The Virgin Cure - will also be bestseller. And, it's one of my favourite reads for 2011.
I was hooked from the opening line..."I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart."
And so begins the story of Moth, born into the slums of Manhattan in New York City. In 1871 Moth's mother sells her - to a wealthy woman looking for a young servant. When that situation becomes untenable, Moth runs away and finds herself alone on the streets with no prospects. Until the owner of a brothel in the Bowery that 'caters to men looking for young companions who are 'willing and clean' takes her in. In Miss Everett's "Infant School", the most desirous of all are virgins, for it is said that a virgin can cure a man of that most scurrilous of diseases - syphilis.
One bright light in Moth's life is Doctor Sadie, one of the first female physicians in New York City, who attends the girls at Miss Everett's establishment. The idea for the Virgin Cure was based on McKay's search into her own roots. Her great-great grandmother was a physician in New York City.
What did I love so much about this book? Well, everything! McKay's characterizations are rich, detailed and believable. I became so invested in Moth and Dr. Sadie, sharing their fears and dreams. Both of these characters are strong, strong female leads, staying true to themselves despite the obstacles put before them.
The setting is just as much of a player in the novel. McKay's depiction of 1870's New York conjured up vivid scenes crackling with detail. McKay includes historical side notes, newspaper articles, pictures and more throughout the book. I found myself on the Internet many times following up with the history she presented.
Ultimately - it's a book that is so engrossing, so readable, so fascinating that I wish I could give it six stars. I just can't seem to articulate what a great read this is from such a skilled Canadian story teller. Highly, highly recommended!
I was hooked from the opening line..."I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart."
And so begins the story of Moth, born into the slums of Manhattan in New York City. In 1871 Moth's mother sells her - to a wealthy woman looking for a young servant. When that situation becomes untenable, Moth runs away and finds herself alone on the streets with no prospects. Until the owner of a brothel in the Bowery that 'caters to men looking for young companions who are 'willing and clean' takes her in. In Miss Everett's "Infant School", the most desirous of all are virgins, for it is said that a virgin can cure a man of that most scurrilous of diseases - syphilis.
One bright light in Moth's life is Doctor Sadie, one of the first female physicians in New York City, who attends the girls at Miss Everett's establishment. The idea for the Virgin Cure was based on McKay's search into her own roots. Her great-great grandmother was a physician in New York City.
What did I love so much about this book? Well, everything! McKay's characterizations are rich, detailed and believable. I became so invested in Moth and Dr. Sadie, sharing their fears and dreams. Both of these characters are strong, strong female leads, staying true to themselves despite the obstacles put before them.
The setting is just as much of a player in the novel. McKay's depiction of 1870's New York conjured up vivid scenes crackling with detail. McKay includes historical side notes, newspaper articles, pictures and more throughout the book. I found myself on the Internet many times following up with the history she presented.
Ultimately - it's a book that is so engrossing, so readable, so fascinating that I wish I could give it six stars. I just can't seem to articulate what a great read this is from such a skilled Canadian story teller. Highly, highly recommended!
November 28, 2012
This was a hard one for me to rate. I liked this book very much, but there were several things that kept me from loving it.
I really liked the character Moth. I loved her spunky ways and pragmatic outlook. There was just something about the way she was written that kept me from totally connecting with her. I liked her and cared about what happened to her, I just didn't feel her pain as my own. I liked her, but didn't love her.
I felt the same way about the female physician in the book. She did what she could for her patients and for the women she knew, but I didn't feel like I really knew much about her inner life. I didn't really understand her. She didn't feel like a completely fleshed out character to me. I liked her but it kept me from loving her.
The story as a whole held my interest, but it didn't really engage me emotionally as I think it could have. If executed really well, the plot should have left me unable to put it down and sobbing at the end, but it didn't. I also thought that the events that happened regarding the title of the book should probably have happened to Moth, not a secondary character. It would have been much more depressing, but it also would have given the book some emotional punch.
I really liked the character Moth. I loved her spunky ways and pragmatic outlook. There was just something about the way she was written that kept me from totally connecting with her. I liked her and cared about what happened to her, I just didn't feel her pain as my own. I liked her, but didn't love her.
I felt the same way about the female physician in the book. She did what she could for her patients and for the women she knew, but I didn't feel like I really knew much about her inner life. I didn't really understand her. She didn't feel like a completely fleshed out character to me. I liked her but it kept me from loving her.
The story as a whole held my interest, but it didn't really engage me emotionally as I think it could have. If executed really well, the plot should have left me unable to put it down and sobbing at the end, but it didn't. I also thought that the events that happened regarding the title of the book should probably have happened to Moth, not a secondary character. It would have been much more depressing, but it also would have given the book some emotional punch.
November 18, 2011
Story Description:
“I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart.”
So begins THE VIRGIN CURE, bestselling author Ami McKay’s much-anticipated new novel. Set in the tenements of lower Manhattan in 1871, where the author’s own great-great-grandmother once worked as a groundbreaking female physician, the novel is told in the voice of Moth, the daughter of a Gypsy fortune teller and a ne’er-do-well who abandons them both a smile and a tip of his hat. Left to struggle on their own, Moth and her Mama lead a hard life, one that requires Moth to become more streetwise with each passing day. Although she comes to believe she’s seen it all, nothing prepares Moth for the terrible surprise her mother gives her when she turns twelve: the news that she must leave her home to live as a servant in the house of Mrs. Wentworth, a lady of station and means (and, as Moth soon discovers, inventive cruelty).
These betrayals lead Moth to the Bowery, a wild, murky thoroughfare filled with house-thieves, pick-pockets, beggars, sideshow freaks, and prostitutes. Hungry, desperate, and haunted by a sexual predator, Moth sees an introduction to Miss Everett, the owner of a nearby brothel, as her way to a better life or, at the very least, a soft bed and a full belly. To Miss Everett, Moth is simply another chance for profit, as her establishment is known as an infant school, caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for companions who are “willing and clean,” the most desirable of them all, young virgins like Moth.
In this new life, Moth finds friendship with the other girls in the house as well as with Dr. Sadie, a visiting physician who has followed her social conscience into working with prostitutes and the poor. While Moth’s housemates risk falling prey to the myth of the “virgin cure” – the belief that deflowering a girl can heal the incurable and tainted, Dr. Sadie warns Moth to question and observe the world around her so she won’t share the same fate. Still, Moth dreams of her own big house on Gramercy Park and of answering to no one but herself. There’s a high price for such independence, though, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.
My Review:
Moth and her mother live alone in a stark and dirty tenement after her father left them when she was just three-years-old. He left with the bit of money saved in a cookie tin and her Mom’s only piece of silver she owned, which was a tarnished sugar bowl.
Moth wanted affection from her mother. She wanted to hold her mom’s hand, sit on her lap and kiss her cheeks like all little girls do but her mother pushed her away telling her: “…when you were a baby, I held you until I thought my arms would fall off. Oh, Child, that should be enough.” Moth said she didn’t mind because she loved her mom anyway.
The summer Moth turned twelve, her mother sold her to a woman named Mrs. Wentworth and shed no tears when she was taken by this woman as her mother wouldn’t stand for it. She always said: “American girls don’t whimper.” Moth took a seat in Mrs. Wentworth’s carriage but couldn’t see where they were going as all the curtains were closed. After a while the carriage rolled to a stop and all Mrs. Wentworth said was: “You’re to go right to bed…I want you rested for tomorrow.” As Moth was falling asleep in her new residence she whispered out loud into the room: “How much did you get for me, Mama”? What a sad thought to know that you’ve been ‘SOLD’ by your own mother!
Mrs. Wentworth began whipping Moth’s wrists on the soft side of her arms leaving bruises the colour of a rainbow. She then began slapping her across the face for the smallest of infractions. She was jealous of Moth’s beauty and she was out to destroy that beauty. Moth suffered so much pain for such a young girl.
Can you imagine growing up poor, living in a filthy dirty tenement, your mother is a Gypsy fortune-teller, you have hardly any food and then you’re sold by the very woman who gave birth to you!
I was immediately drawn in by this story, I was mesmerized and could picture in mind’s eye the brothel, the rooms and could actually “feel” Moth’s embarrassment at having to undress for the men. I was so attuned to Moth’s psyche that I could feel what she felt and shared her heartbreak and pain at every turn and that makes for some very good writing. To enable a reader to get into the mind of the character is no easy feat but Ms. McKay pulls it off without a hitch.
The book definitely lived up to long wait and I’d highly recommend it to everyone and plan on keeping this as part of my permanent collection.
“I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart.”
So begins THE VIRGIN CURE, bestselling author Ami McKay’s much-anticipated new novel. Set in the tenements of lower Manhattan in 1871, where the author’s own great-great-grandmother once worked as a groundbreaking female physician, the novel is told in the voice of Moth, the daughter of a Gypsy fortune teller and a ne’er-do-well who abandons them both a smile and a tip of his hat. Left to struggle on their own, Moth and her Mama lead a hard life, one that requires Moth to become more streetwise with each passing day. Although she comes to believe she’s seen it all, nothing prepares Moth for the terrible surprise her mother gives her when she turns twelve: the news that she must leave her home to live as a servant in the house of Mrs. Wentworth, a lady of station and means (and, as Moth soon discovers, inventive cruelty).
These betrayals lead Moth to the Bowery, a wild, murky thoroughfare filled with house-thieves, pick-pockets, beggars, sideshow freaks, and prostitutes. Hungry, desperate, and haunted by a sexual predator, Moth sees an introduction to Miss Everett, the owner of a nearby brothel, as her way to a better life or, at the very least, a soft bed and a full belly. To Miss Everett, Moth is simply another chance for profit, as her establishment is known as an infant school, caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for companions who are “willing and clean,” the most desirable of them all, young virgins like Moth.
In this new life, Moth finds friendship with the other girls in the house as well as with Dr. Sadie, a visiting physician who has followed her social conscience into working with prostitutes and the poor. While Moth’s housemates risk falling prey to the myth of the “virgin cure” – the belief that deflowering a girl can heal the incurable and tainted, Dr. Sadie warns Moth to question and observe the world around her so she won’t share the same fate. Still, Moth dreams of her own big house on Gramercy Park and of answering to no one but herself. There’s a high price for such independence, though, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.
My Review:
Moth and her mother live alone in a stark and dirty tenement after her father left them when she was just three-years-old. He left with the bit of money saved in a cookie tin and her Mom’s only piece of silver she owned, which was a tarnished sugar bowl.
Moth wanted affection from her mother. She wanted to hold her mom’s hand, sit on her lap and kiss her cheeks like all little girls do but her mother pushed her away telling her: “…when you were a baby, I held you until I thought my arms would fall off. Oh, Child, that should be enough.” Moth said she didn’t mind because she loved her mom anyway.
The summer Moth turned twelve, her mother sold her to a woman named Mrs. Wentworth and shed no tears when she was taken by this woman as her mother wouldn’t stand for it. She always said: “American girls don’t whimper.” Moth took a seat in Mrs. Wentworth’s carriage but couldn’t see where they were going as all the curtains were closed. After a while the carriage rolled to a stop and all Mrs. Wentworth said was: “You’re to go right to bed…I want you rested for tomorrow.” As Moth was falling asleep in her new residence she whispered out loud into the room: “How much did you get for me, Mama”? What a sad thought to know that you’ve been ‘SOLD’ by your own mother!
Mrs. Wentworth began whipping Moth’s wrists on the soft side of her arms leaving bruises the colour of a rainbow. She then began slapping her across the face for the smallest of infractions. She was jealous of Moth’s beauty and she was out to destroy that beauty. Moth suffered so much pain for such a young girl.
Can you imagine growing up poor, living in a filthy dirty tenement, your mother is a Gypsy fortune-teller, you have hardly any food and then you’re sold by the very woman who gave birth to you!
I was immediately drawn in by this story, I was mesmerized and could picture in mind’s eye the brothel, the rooms and could actually “feel” Moth’s embarrassment at having to undress for the men. I was so attuned to Moth’s psyche that I could feel what she felt and shared her heartbreak and pain at every turn and that makes for some very good writing. To enable a reader to get into the mind of the character is no easy feat but Ms. McKay pulls it off without a hitch.
The book definitely lived up to long wait and I’d highly recommend it to everyone and plan on keeping this as part of my permanent collection.
October 17, 2018
Ami McKay can write. And she can research too. And for me, that's what raises this book to four-stars.
But the story is difficult. It's the peddling, marketing, assault, purchase and dehumanization of kids by pedophiles. There's no two ways about it, even if it was accepted in the times. The book, with great detail, describes the men's desire, and what they'll do and spend to get their hands (and more) on a young female virgin. The book describes the very act of stealing/buying/taking what they want. It is gross. And very, very disturbing.
But this isn't exactly the fault of McKay. She's a great researcher and novelist. Maybe this is all pretty accurate for the times, which is miserable. I read this right before reading The Witches of New York, which I'll start tonight. As I understand, it carries on the life of the main character, Moth, and I'm looking forward to a more positive future for her.
But the story is difficult. It's the peddling, marketing, assault, purchase and dehumanization of kids by pedophiles. There's no two ways about it, even if it was accepted in the times. The book, with great detail, describes the men's desire, and what they'll do and spend to get their hands (and more) on a young female virgin. The book describes the very act of stealing/buying/taking what they want. It is gross. And very, very disturbing.
But this isn't exactly the fault of McKay. She's a great researcher and novelist. Maybe this is all pretty accurate for the times, which is miserable. I read this right before reading The Witches of New York, which I'll start tonight. As I understand, it carries on the life of the main character, Moth, and I'm looking forward to a more positive future for her.
August 11, 2012
3.5 In 1870 over thirty thousand children lived on the streets in New York, and at the age of twelve Moth, the main character becomes one such child, if only for a short time. Had no idea the numbers were so large and that what happened to these children so heartbreaking. This is the story of Moth and also of Dr. Sadie, who tries to help the indigent in whatever small ways she can. Enjoyed this book, and the newspaper articles and small asides were a big plus, helping the reader really enter into this time period. Would have given it a four if not for the ending, which I thought was a bit anticlimactic and rushed. Dr. Sadie was actually modeled on the author's great great grandmother, which T think is wonderful. Very good book for understanding New York in this time period and for fully immersing the reader in the lives of two very interesting characters.
August 28, 2024
A bit ‘meh’ in my opinion.
Moth is twelve years old but the way her thoughts are described made me think she was a lot older.
It didn’t also help that the story was continually peppered with little snippets of information (on fashion, health, among others). As interesting as it might’ve been, it just interrupted the narrative flow which was annoying.
Not sure I’ll go back to this author in the future.
Moth is twelve years old but the way her thoughts are described made me think she was a lot older.
It didn’t also help that the story was continually peppered with little snippets of information (on fashion, health, among others). As interesting as it might’ve been, it just interrupted the narrative flow which was annoying.
Not sure I’ll go back to this author in the future.
August 7, 2012
The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay is one of those standout novels that I will continue to think and ruminate about even after my reading and review have been completed. It's a story about the life of Moth, a girl who was abandoned by her parents in the slums of New York back in the 1870's. She is faced with some difficult choices after she manages to escape from the brutal woman to whom her mother sold her services - how can a girl survive by herself in the dangerous and dirty streets of the East Side Tenements? Moth's choices lead her to an Infant's School where she will have her virginity sold to the highest bidder. Here, at least, she is able to eat well, be properly clothed, and sleep in a good bed at night. Her life is riddled with trials, and yet she is able to find a friendly face after all in the form of Dr. Sadie, the physician who attends to the girls at the Infant's School.
While the historical fiction that I typically reads tends more to the romantic, it almost always depicts the life and times of the gentry, the upper class folk who don't have to choose between pride and food. The Virgin Cure rips off the rose-colored glasses and presents the hard truth - that life was difficult and the choices to be made were often between the lesser of two evils. This girl, Moth, lived more by the age of 13 than I have at the age of 27. I'm intensly glad that I did not have to make the choices that she did. Sprinkled throughout the work, there are clippings from newsletters, quotes from letters, and snippets from books of the period that offer credence to the author's telling of Moths' story - based on her research I know that some girls did have to make those choices.
In the end, I loved novel. The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay was born of the author’s family history, brought to life by the news articles and snippets included in the work, and takes its place as an honest work of historical fiction. This review is a quick look at the book, but you can find a more extensive review on my blog: JustJoanna.com.
While the historical fiction that I typically reads tends more to the romantic, it almost always depicts the life and times of the gentry, the upper class folk who don't have to choose between pride and food. The Virgin Cure rips off the rose-colored glasses and presents the hard truth - that life was difficult and the choices to be made were often between the lesser of two evils. This girl, Moth, lived more by the age of 13 than I have at the age of 27. I'm intensly glad that I did not have to make the choices that she did. Sprinkled throughout the work, there are clippings from newsletters, quotes from letters, and snippets from books of the period that offer credence to the author's telling of Moths' story - based on her research I know that some girls did have to make those choices.
In the end, I loved novel. The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay was born of the author’s family history, brought to life by the news articles and snippets included in the work, and takes its place as an honest work of historical fiction. This review is a quick look at the book, but you can find a more extensive review on my blog: JustJoanna.com.
August 5, 2016
Yesterday morning I received a copy of The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay from a friend of mine. It was the book of the month for the Yummy Mummy Book Club and I was eager to start reading it so I could actively participate in the discussion. Anyhow in just over 24 hours I have complete book!
I generally enjoy historical fiction because I usually learn something I didn't know before or am able to relate to other books I've read and The Virgin Cure didn't fail me. From the very beginning of the novel Ms. McKay presents a detailed description of the slum conditions in New York City during the late 19th century. With her attention to these details she is able to better draw the reader into the story making you feel as though if not part of the action at least an observer with a front row seat.
In addition to the lead character of Moth, who you can't help but feel how badly she wants to be loved, the secondary characters are well developed making the story that much more authentic. Ms. McKay keeps the reader engaged throughout the story with twist and turns that are meant to move the story forward.
The Virgin Cure is well written complete with side bars that add information about the time period to the reader. Unfortunately, the myth of The Virgin Cure still persist today only instead of curing syphilis it is thought to cure HIV AIDS. Furthermore the idea of children being forced to become adults before their time is something you can find in different parts of the country/world today.
A definite read for anyone interested in historical fiction written by a Canadian author.
I generally enjoy historical fiction because I usually learn something I didn't know before or am able to relate to other books I've read and The Virgin Cure didn't fail me. From the very beginning of the novel Ms. McKay presents a detailed description of the slum conditions in New York City during the late 19th century. With her attention to these details she is able to better draw the reader into the story making you feel as though if not part of the action at least an observer with a front row seat.
In addition to the lead character of Moth, who you can't help but feel how badly she wants to be loved, the secondary characters are well developed making the story that much more authentic. Ms. McKay keeps the reader engaged throughout the story with twist and turns that are meant to move the story forward.
The Virgin Cure is well written complete with side bars that add information about the time period to the reader. Unfortunately, the myth of The Virgin Cure still persist today only instead of curing syphilis it is thought to cure HIV AIDS. Furthermore the idea of children being forced to become adults before their time is something you can find in different parts of the country/world today.
A definite read for anyone interested in historical fiction written by a Canadian author.
March 23, 2015
New York in the 19th century, the slums, and prostitution. That is the milieu McKay is trying to invoke in this book, and, well, it's not bad. I was never eager to get back to reading this book, but I never minded picking it up, either. If it feels a bit superficial, it also is stronger when it comes to villains than McKay's earlier work.
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
February 25, 2018
Romanzo storico ambientato nella seconda metà dell'Ottocento a New York, La casa delle vergini ha come protagonista Moth una bambina di tredici anni di origini zingare e proveniente da una delle zone più misere della grande città americana, Christie Street.
Moth è nel pieno della sua infanzia purtroppo però la sua vita non è felice: abbandonata dal padre trascorre le sue giornate nella povertà più misera, passando da una squallida e minuscola casa che divide con una madre fredda e distante alle strade piene di giovani orfani dediti alla criminalità, girovaga per viuzze luride e fatiscenti, dove sporco e malattie prevalgono sull'igiene, sempre in cerca di qualcosa da poter vendere oppure mettere sotto i denti cerca di sopravvivere come può.
Purtroppo però, del tutto inaspettatamente, viene venduta dalla madre ad una donna benestante che sembra desiderare apparentemente solo una semplice cameriera e una giovane ragazza da istruire; le cose ovviamente non andranno bene perchè la signora si rivelerà essere una donna malata, ossessionata dal suo aspetto esteriore e che arriverà addirittura a malmenare la giovane; Moth fa di tutto per resistere nella speranza di guadagnare più soldi possibile in modo che la madre ritorni a prenderla, fino al momento però in cui le cose degenerano e Moth è costretta a fuggire di corsa. Iniziano per lei lunghi mesi in cui è costretta a mendicare per le strade, sporca umiliata e stanca, ma nonostante tutto riesce a sopravvivere anche a tutto questo, evitando i guai con uomini alla ricerca di carne fresca; finché un giorno viene salvata da una bella ragazza che le promette un tetto sopra la testa, bei vestiti e pasti caldi, si tratta di una delle signorine di Miss Everett, famosa ormai in tutta New York per le sue prostitute d'alto bordo.
Moth si vede costretta a scegliere tra una vita per strada al freddo ed una vita in cui dovrà vendere il proprio corpo ma al caldo e con la pancia piena, purtroppo non c'è scelta ed entra a fare parte di un mondo totalmente oscuro per lei.
Il mondo di Miss Everett è pieno di disillusione e ipocrisia dove uomini maturi pagano cifre assurde per giacere con giovani ragazze, spesso nemmeno ancora sviluppate, per possederle la loro prima volta; addirittura alcuni le vogliono per la stupida diceria che la loro verginità sia la cura alla sifilide ed è proprio ad una di loro che succederà così, verrà violentata da un ragazzo proprio per questa fasulla leggenda. In mezzo a tutta la sporcizia, la depravazione e il declino l'unico raggio di sole sembra essere la dottoressa Sadie, colei a cui è affidata la salute delle ragazze e che sembra avere una vera e propria predilezione per Moth.
L'autrice ci regala un'atmosfera davvero suggestiva con descrizioni minuziose della città americana, sia per quello che riguarda le parti più povere sia per quello che riguarda gli ambienti dell'alta borghesia. Il volume è davvero curioso anche esteriormente essendo impreziosito da citazioni ad inizio capitolo, lettere scritte dalla dottoressa Sadie, articoli provenienti dall'Evening Star e note a pié di pagina in cui un immaginario personaggio spiega alcune delle usanze e delle mode dell'epoca, anche graficamente quindi il volume è accattivante. Lo stile della McKay è diretto ma pulito, mai volgare nonostante l'argomento trattato potrebbe giustificare alcune scene brutali, ma manca un po' di quella crudeltà che renderebbe il contesto più reale, soprattutto il finale viene a mancare risultando troppo frettoloso e leggermente stucchevole. Nonostante questo però il messaggio di speranza è forte, grazie anche ad una protagonista che rappresenta la genuinità e l'innocenza propria dei bambini, anche quando si trovano ad affrontare una vita piena di disgrazie.
Voto: 3.5
Moth è nel pieno della sua infanzia purtroppo però la sua vita non è felice: abbandonata dal padre trascorre le sue giornate nella povertà più misera, passando da una squallida e minuscola casa che divide con una madre fredda e distante alle strade piene di giovani orfani dediti alla criminalità, girovaga per viuzze luride e fatiscenti, dove sporco e malattie prevalgono sull'igiene, sempre in cerca di qualcosa da poter vendere oppure mettere sotto i denti cerca di sopravvivere come può.
Purtroppo però, del tutto inaspettatamente, viene venduta dalla madre ad una donna benestante che sembra desiderare apparentemente solo una semplice cameriera e una giovane ragazza da istruire; le cose ovviamente non andranno bene perchè la signora si rivelerà essere una donna malata, ossessionata dal suo aspetto esteriore e che arriverà addirittura a malmenare la giovane; Moth fa di tutto per resistere nella speranza di guadagnare più soldi possibile in modo che la madre ritorni a prenderla, fino al momento però in cui le cose degenerano e Moth è costretta a fuggire di corsa. Iniziano per lei lunghi mesi in cui è costretta a mendicare per le strade, sporca umiliata e stanca, ma nonostante tutto riesce a sopravvivere anche a tutto questo, evitando i guai con uomini alla ricerca di carne fresca; finché un giorno viene salvata da una bella ragazza che le promette un tetto sopra la testa, bei vestiti e pasti caldi, si tratta di una delle signorine di Miss Everett, famosa ormai in tutta New York per le sue prostitute d'alto bordo.
Moth si vede costretta a scegliere tra una vita per strada al freddo ed una vita in cui dovrà vendere il proprio corpo ma al caldo e con la pancia piena, purtroppo non c'è scelta ed entra a fare parte di un mondo totalmente oscuro per lei.
Il mondo di Miss Everett è pieno di disillusione e ipocrisia dove uomini maturi pagano cifre assurde per giacere con giovani ragazze, spesso nemmeno ancora sviluppate, per possederle la loro prima volta; addirittura alcuni le vogliono per la stupida diceria che la loro verginità sia la cura alla sifilide ed è proprio ad una di loro che succederà così, verrà violentata da un ragazzo proprio per questa fasulla leggenda. In mezzo a tutta la sporcizia, la depravazione e il declino l'unico raggio di sole sembra essere la dottoressa Sadie, colei a cui è affidata la salute delle ragazze e che sembra avere una vera e propria predilezione per Moth.
L'autrice ci regala un'atmosfera davvero suggestiva con descrizioni minuziose della città americana, sia per quello che riguarda le parti più povere sia per quello che riguarda gli ambienti dell'alta borghesia. Il volume è davvero curioso anche esteriormente essendo impreziosito da citazioni ad inizio capitolo, lettere scritte dalla dottoressa Sadie, articoli provenienti dall'Evening Star e note a pié di pagina in cui un immaginario personaggio spiega alcune delle usanze e delle mode dell'epoca, anche graficamente quindi il volume è accattivante. Lo stile della McKay è diretto ma pulito, mai volgare nonostante l'argomento trattato potrebbe giustificare alcune scene brutali, ma manca un po' di quella crudeltà che renderebbe il contesto più reale, soprattutto il finale viene a mancare risultando troppo frettoloso e leggermente stucchevole. Nonostante questo però il messaggio di speranza è forte, grazie anche ad una protagonista che rappresenta la genuinità e l'innocenza propria dei bambini, anche quando si trovano ad affrontare una vita piena di disgrazie.
Voto: 3.5
August 31, 2013
This is the second novel from the acclaimed Canadian writer of The Birth House.
Set in the tenements of New York City in the 1870s, it is the story of Moth, the daughter of a gypsy fortune teller and a runaway father, who at the age of twelve is sold by her mother to a rich society lady to be a ladies maid. Mrs Wentworth is the abusive, cruel society matron who Moth works for and from whom she finally escapes, running back to her maternal home. But her mother has disappeared and Moth is now homeless. She ends up in the Bowery where she ekes out an existence, but is frightened, hungry and desperate.
One day, she is grabbed by a sexual predator but is saved by Mae, a beautiful young girl who takes Moth under her wing and presents her to Miss Everett, the madam of a nearby brothel. Mae is presently staying there with other girls who are training to become whores, but not before they are auctioned off to the highest bidder for their virginity. At the time, deflowering a virgin was thought to be a cure for disease (especially syphilis). So Moth is introduced to a new life, not one she had really considered, but she is glad to have a full belly and a safe, clean and comfortable bed at night.
While she is learning the ways and manners of her new life, she befriends the other girls that are there and also meets Dr Sadie, the female physician who looks after them. Dr Sadie has dedicated her life to working with the indigent and prostitutes and gets Moth (now known as Ada in her new life) to question whether a life of prostitution is really what she wants.
The characters are well drawn and naturally elicit your sympathy. Moth, the young girl is innocent and vulnerable, but resilient. Dr Sadie is strong and independent, a woman who has defied the conventions of the period to care for the poor. Mrs Weatherby, the society matron is cold, calculating and sly. Miss Everett, the madam is wily, smart, and has convinced herself that she is saving young girls from poverty and walking the streets.
The historical background is a big part of the novel. The Bowery is a world unto itself, full of pickpockets, thieves, beggars, freaks and prostitutes. The poverty, violence and disease of the slum experience are all presented in the details. Whether sleeping in a rooftop barrel with a moldy burlap bag for warmth, begging for pennies or listening to the experiences of the ratters, it all helps you appreciate the struggle for survival, the cheapness of life, the indifference of others and the constant sense of peril. In addition, the author has chosen to include more historical context by including section’s of Dr Sadie’s diary, some of the doctor’s notes, as well as newspaper reports and ads that tell us even more about those times in New York City. They definitely add to the story, although at times I was frustrated by having them appended at the side of the page. When do you interrupt the flow of the story to read them? The ones at the end of the chapters did not pose that problem.
Yes, some parts of the plot are entirely predictable. But nevertheless it is a good story that captures your attention from the first page. And I would really have enjoyed more background on Dr Sadie’s life and how she came to make the decisions she did. But this is a beautifully written story of survival amidst grim poverty. I heartily recommend it.
Set in the tenements of New York City in the 1870s, it is the story of Moth, the daughter of a gypsy fortune teller and a runaway father, who at the age of twelve is sold by her mother to a rich society lady to be a ladies maid. Mrs Wentworth is the abusive, cruel society matron who Moth works for and from whom she finally escapes, running back to her maternal home. But her mother has disappeared and Moth is now homeless. She ends up in the Bowery where she ekes out an existence, but is frightened, hungry and desperate.
One day, she is grabbed by a sexual predator but is saved by Mae, a beautiful young girl who takes Moth under her wing and presents her to Miss Everett, the madam of a nearby brothel. Mae is presently staying there with other girls who are training to become whores, but not before they are auctioned off to the highest bidder for their virginity. At the time, deflowering a virgin was thought to be a cure for disease (especially syphilis). So Moth is introduced to a new life, not one she had really considered, but she is glad to have a full belly and a safe, clean and comfortable bed at night.
While she is learning the ways and manners of her new life, she befriends the other girls that are there and also meets Dr Sadie, the female physician who looks after them. Dr Sadie has dedicated her life to working with the indigent and prostitutes and gets Moth (now known as Ada in her new life) to question whether a life of prostitution is really what she wants.
The characters are well drawn and naturally elicit your sympathy. Moth, the young girl is innocent and vulnerable, but resilient. Dr Sadie is strong and independent, a woman who has defied the conventions of the period to care for the poor. Mrs Weatherby, the society matron is cold, calculating and sly. Miss Everett, the madam is wily, smart, and has convinced herself that she is saving young girls from poverty and walking the streets.
The historical background is a big part of the novel. The Bowery is a world unto itself, full of pickpockets, thieves, beggars, freaks and prostitutes. The poverty, violence and disease of the slum experience are all presented in the details. Whether sleeping in a rooftop barrel with a moldy burlap bag for warmth, begging for pennies or listening to the experiences of the ratters, it all helps you appreciate the struggle for survival, the cheapness of life, the indifference of others and the constant sense of peril. In addition, the author has chosen to include more historical context by including section’s of Dr Sadie’s diary, some of the doctor’s notes, as well as newspaper reports and ads that tell us even more about those times in New York City. They definitely add to the story, although at times I was frustrated by having them appended at the side of the page. When do you interrupt the flow of the story to read them? The ones at the end of the chapters did not pose that problem.
Yes, some parts of the plot are entirely predictable. But nevertheless it is a good story that captures your attention from the first page. And I would really have enjoyed more background on Dr Sadie’s life and how she came to make the decisions she did. But this is a beautifully written story of survival amidst grim poverty. I heartily recommend it.
November 27, 2011
This story takes place in 19th century New York. At the time there was the myth that having sex with a young virgin girl would cure a man of syphilis. A similar belief about the cure of AIDS also contributed to the spread of that disease in Africa.
The story revolves around a 12 year old girl named Moth. She is part Gypsy and lives in extreme poverty with her fortune telling mother. The filth and squalor of her surroundings is vividly described. Her mother sells the young girl to a wealthy woman to train and work as a housekeeper. The woman is unstable and her philandering husband has left the home. The woman treats Moth cruelly, but Moth stays and accepts the abuse in order to support her mother. She learns that past house maids have fled the home and she finally escapes. She discovers her mother has gone missing from their shack. Moth lives on the streets, sleeping often on roof tops, amongst the rats and filth and experiencing the vile conditions of the homeless.
She is recruited and brought to a brothel by a young girl in training to be a prostitute. The girls are supplied with beautiful clothes and taught how to speak and act to enchant the patrons of the brothel. The girls even attend theater with the men who have shown an interest in them . After such training, the madam plans to sell her girl's virginity to wealthy older men. Some of these men may be looking for the "virgin cure" which will lead to disease and death for the young virgins . What happens to Moth and the friends she makes in the brothel will keep the reader interested, but fearing for Moth and the other girls.
The ending is satisfying but I thought somewhat contrived. A very good, well researched book which immerses you in the world of poverty. It tells how the poor lived among filth and criminals, and how some managed to survive. Having enjoyed the writer's previous book, The Birth House, am looking forward to her future stories.
The story revolves around a 12 year old girl named Moth. She is part Gypsy and lives in extreme poverty with her fortune telling mother. The filth and squalor of her surroundings is vividly described. Her mother sells the young girl to a wealthy woman to train and work as a housekeeper. The woman is unstable and her philandering husband has left the home. The woman treats Moth cruelly, but Moth stays and accepts the abuse in order to support her mother. She learns that past house maids have fled the home and she finally escapes. She discovers her mother has gone missing from their shack. Moth lives on the streets, sleeping often on roof tops, amongst the rats and filth and experiencing the vile conditions of the homeless.
She is recruited and brought to a brothel by a young girl in training to be a prostitute. The girls are supplied with beautiful clothes and taught how to speak and act to enchant the patrons of the brothel. The girls even attend theater with the men who have shown an interest in them . After such training, the madam plans to sell her girl's virginity to wealthy older men. Some of these men may be looking for the "virgin cure" which will lead to disease and death for the young virgins . What happens to Moth and the friends she makes in the brothel will keep the reader interested, but fearing for Moth and the other girls.
The ending is satisfying but I thought somewhat contrived. A very good, well researched book which immerses you in the world of poverty. It tells how the poor lived among filth and criminals, and how some managed to survive. Having enjoyed the writer's previous book, The Birth House, am looking forward to her future stories.
January 21, 2012
This was a quick enjoyable read, pure if predictable storytelling. I actually most enjoyed the edges and back of the story.
Some of the Goodreads reviews complained about the sidebar footnotes, but I really liked those, how they acknowledged the unusual, the unexplained and the ephemera of a time past that we don't understand and have little knowledge of. It was sort of like reading in a story in a museum, and these sidebars were the captions for the exhibits. The style of them, at the side of the page slightly indenting the text, was easier to read and less disruptive to the flow then standard footnotes in a tiny font at the bottom of the page.
It was fascinating to read of the myriad details of the tough lives of these 19th century New Yorkers. One of my favourite scenes was right at the beginning of the book (p6) -- it was like a long tracking shot through crowded raucous tenements, being shown the thieves, the mamas, the flies and rotten meat, the laughter and games.
Some of the Goodreads reviews complained about the sidebar footnotes, but I really liked those, how they acknowledged the unusual, the unexplained and the ephemera of a time past that we don't understand and have little knowledge of. It was sort of like reading in a story in a museum, and these sidebars were the captions for the exhibits. The style of them, at the side of the page slightly indenting the text, was easier to read and less disruptive to the flow then standard footnotes in a tiny font at the bottom of the page.
It was fascinating to read of the myriad details of the tough lives of these 19th century New Yorkers. One of my favourite scenes was right at the beginning of the book (p6) -- it was like a long tracking shot through crowded raucous tenements, being shown the thieves, the mamas, the flies and rotten meat, the laughter and games.
...Boys grew into guttersnipes, then pickpockets, then roughs. They roamed the streets living for rare, fist-sized chunks of coal from ash barrels or the sweet hiss of beans running from the burlap bags they wounded with their knives at Tompkins Market. They ran down ladies for handouts and swarmed gentlemen for watches and chains. Kid Yaller, Pie-Eater, Bag o'Bones, Slobbery Tom, Four-Fingered Nick. Their names were made from body parts and scars, bragging rights and bad luck...It had a wonderful rhythm and momentum.
August 9, 2012
I really looked forward to reading this book because it seemed such an interesting subject. Somewhere along the way the story began to drag. Moth was a sweet girl who was born into poverty and sold by her gypsy fortunetelling mother to a sadistic woman. I enjoyed reading about the friends she made during this time but after that I had to force myself to keep reading. The story seemed to lack depth. The story did bring to light the sad state of poor girls and their future and the people who preyed on their situations. The lady doctor was certainly a bright light in this novel. I would love to hear more of her story. The ending also seemed a little abrupt.Not one that I would read again.
October 7, 2012
It was a good story. I like stories based on history or facts. This book wasn't as good as McKay's first novel. There were parts of the story which left loose ends and she didn't fall through with. Towards the last quarter of the book, the protagonist (a 12 year old girl) takes on too much understanding of men. Realistically, I don't think a twelve year old would have the thoughts or inklings that McKay wrote for her, no matter what she had witnessed.
I found Sadie, Moth and Cadet to be under developed characters. I find it hard to develop emotional ties to characters that I find are not believable...so I rate it 3 out of 5.
I found Sadie, Moth and Cadet to be under developed characters. I find it hard to develop emotional ties to characters that I find are not believable...so I rate it 3 out of 5.
December 6, 2017
Onvan : The Virgin Cure - Nevisande : Ami McKay - ISBN : 676979564 - ISBN13 : 9780676979565 - Dar 356 Safhe - Saal e Chap : 2011
November 8, 2021
I forgot how much I enjoyed this author’s writing style. She has a really unique pattern of infusing historical articles and advertisements in her writing, making the narrative really stand out.
April 23, 2025
Ami McKay you’ve done it again. you’ve destroyed me. and i thank you pathetically for it 🫡🫡
June 9, 2012
Twelve year old Moth was given her name by a pear tree and in 1871 is sold into service by her mother, a fortune teller in the slums of New York. Having grown up in abject poverty, Moth, while terrified, is also fascinated by having food, a bed, and a dress that isn’t rags. But the position, as a ladies maid to a sadistic wealthy woman, turns into a horror story that makes even life in poverty look good. Back on the street, now not having even a filthy room with her mother, things look very bad when sudden rescue comes from an unusual person: a well dressed young girl who takes Moth to an elegant house where she is welcomed, bathed, and given a soft feather bed. This seems to be the most wonderful thing that could happen, and Moth swears that she will do anything to remain in this situation. But the house is a brothel that specializes in training very young virgin girls to be highly sought after prostitutes. Is this what Moth wants to do? Is the prospect of physical luxury worth risking venereal disease, pregnancy and possibly sadism? Is it worth possibly ending up as part of the titles superstition; that intercourse with a young virgin would cure a man of syphilis?
Told from a mixed point of view- Moth’s; that of Dr. Sadie, a physician who treats the poor and the prostitutes of Manhattan; and the dispassionate descriptions from newspaper clippings- the novel gives us a well rounded picture of the time and venue. Moth sees the things to be gained from a life of prostitution; Dr. Sadie sees the bad things and tries to get the girls out of the life. Thankfully, none of the characters is a caricature; it would have been so easy to make the madam a monster but she is, for the most part, forthright about what she expects from the girls. Dr. Sadie is not a moralistic prude. The other prostitutes are just people caught in poverty, a situation that was very bad for everyone but especially bad for girls.
I couldn’t put this book down; other readers have said that there were too many slow, descriptive passages but I found these filled out the story. Clothing branded the wearer with their station if life; the description of the nuances between the clothing of a high class prostitute and that of a upper class doctor shows us how people knew at a glance who that person was and how – or if- to approach them. And how better to understand why Moth would consider becoming a prostitute if one does not have a grasp of her living conditions before and after entering the brothel? I think the book balanced description and action just right.
Told from a mixed point of view- Moth’s; that of Dr. Sadie, a physician who treats the poor and the prostitutes of Manhattan; and the dispassionate descriptions from newspaper clippings- the novel gives us a well rounded picture of the time and venue. Moth sees the things to be gained from a life of prostitution; Dr. Sadie sees the bad things and tries to get the girls out of the life. Thankfully, none of the characters is a caricature; it would have been so easy to make the madam a monster but she is, for the most part, forthright about what she expects from the girls. Dr. Sadie is not a moralistic prude. The other prostitutes are just people caught in poverty, a situation that was very bad for everyone but especially bad for girls.
I couldn’t put this book down; other readers have said that there were too many slow, descriptive passages but I found these filled out the story. Clothing branded the wearer with their station if life; the description of the nuances between the clothing of a high class prostitute and that of a upper class doctor shows us how people knew at a glance who that person was and how – or if- to approach them. And how better to understand why Moth would consider becoming a prostitute if one does not have a grasp of her living conditions before and after entering the brothel? I think the book balanced description and action just right.
March 27, 2013
Mixed feelings as we discussed The Virgin Cure at last night’s book club.
While no one really loved the book, many of us liked it enough to consider reading Ami McKay’s highly successful debut novel, The Birth House, and the third in the series, to be released at a later date.
The Virgin Cure was inspired by McKay’s great-great grandmother, Dr. Sadie Fonda Macintosh, who practiced street medicine in the slums. McKay had intended to write the book in her grandmother’s voice, but while writing, she began to hear the words of a very different character, a twelve year old girl named Moth.
Moth’s opening line is a riveting one: “Mama sold me the summer I turned twelve.” Her fortune-telling mother had run out of ways to keep afloat in the slums of 19th century Manhattan. So, she sold Moth for an undisclosed price to a wealthy sadistic woman named Mrs. Wentworth. Brutally beaten and frightened, Moth manages to escape, but when she returns home, she discovers that her mother has mysteriously disappeared.
Homeless and at risk, she finds refuge in a home for higher class prostitutes. There, she finds life as an “almost whore” tolerable. She makes friends with the other young women in the home and meets the remarkable Dr. Sadie who is concerned with the plight of these child sex workers.
When Dr. Sadie enters the picture, point of view alternates between Moth and the doctor. I found these viewpoint changes very abrupt and I would have enjoyed reading more about Dr. Sadie’s story. What drove a wealthy woman to leave her family and spend her time among the poor and disadvantaged? McKay could easily have devoted entire chapters to the doctor and provided us with more insight into her motivation.
Many of us expected to read more about the virgin cure. McKay describes this particular cure sought by infected men who believed they could be cured by having sex with a virgin, but it is not the real focus of this book.
McKay’s research skills are impeccable. She has provided more than enough details to create a strong sense of place and further enhanced the narrative with snippets of news and trivia from the time period.
While no one really loved the book, many of us liked it enough to consider reading Ami McKay’s highly successful debut novel, The Birth House, and the third in the series, to be released at a later date.
The Virgin Cure was inspired by McKay’s great-great grandmother, Dr. Sadie Fonda Macintosh, who practiced street medicine in the slums. McKay had intended to write the book in her grandmother’s voice, but while writing, she began to hear the words of a very different character, a twelve year old girl named Moth.
Moth’s opening line is a riveting one: “Mama sold me the summer I turned twelve.” Her fortune-telling mother had run out of ways to keep afloat in the slums of 19th century Manhattan. So, she sold Moth for an undisclosed price to a wealthy sadistic woman named Mrs. Wentworth. Brutally beaten and frightened, Moth manages to escape, but when she returns home, she discovers that her mother has mysteriously disappeared.
Homeless and at risk, she finds refuge in a home for higher class prostitutes. There, she finds life as an “almost whore” tolerable. She makes friends with the other young women in the home and meets the remarkable Dr. Sadie who is concerned with the plight of these child sex workers.
When Dr. Sadie enters the picture, point of view alternates between Moth and the doctor. I found these viewpoint changes very abrupt and I would have enjoyed reading more about Dr. Sadie’s story. What drove a wealthy woman to leave her family and spend her time among the poor and disadvantaged? McKay could easily have devoted entire chapters to the doctor and provided us with more insight into her motivation.
Many of us expected to read more about the virgin cure. McKay describes this particular cure sought by infected men who believed they could be cured by having sex with a virgin, but it is not the real focus of this book.
McKay’s research skills are impeccable. She has provided more than enough details to create a strong sense of place and further enhanced the narrative with snippets of news and trivia from the time period.
August 25, 2012
“I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart.”
I loved this book! It starts in the slums of lower Manhattan in 1871. The author weaves for us an unusual tale about a young girl struggling to survive. Early in life Moth is abandoned by her father and in a way her mother too. Although physically present her mother is not emotionally present. Moth finds herself basically sold into the employ of a cruel woman. At the tender age of 12 she escapes and strikes out on her own. Life on the streets is not easy. It is not hard to understand how Moth could be lured into situations that would seem dangerous to us. Soon she finds herself training to be a prostitute. Being manipulated to sell her virginity to the highest bidder.
I don’t wish to give too much to away. I will say that I felt the story had a good ending. I have been reading so many books lately with tragic endings. Is it a happy ending? I feel it is. Not perfect, but who gets that in real life? If you like historical fiction you will like this book. The author really did her homework. I appreciated her writing style. I could really see the streets she described and I got lost in that world.
D
I loved this book! It starts in the slums of lower Manhattan in 1871. The author weaves for us an unusual tale about a young girl struggling to survive. Early in life Moth is abandoned by her father and in a way her mother too. Although physically present her mother is not emotionally present. Moth finds herself basically sold into the employ of a cruel woman. At the tender age of 12 she escapes and strikes out on her own. Life on the streets is not easy. It is not hard to understand how Moth could be lured into situations that would seem dangerous to us. Soon she finds herself training to be a prostitute. Being manipulated to sell her virginity to the highest bidder.
I don’t wish to give too much to away. I will say that I felt the story had a good ending. I have been reading so many books lately with tragic endings. Is it a happy ending? I feel it is. Not perfect, but who gets that in real life? If you like historical fiction you will like this book. The author really did her homework. I appreciated her writing style. I could really see the streets she described and I got lost in that world.
D
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