Pam's review
Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul
by Karen Abbott
Pam's review
Sin in the Second City: Madams, Ministers, Playboys, and the Battle for America's Soul by Karen Abbott
Pam's review
rating:
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recommended for: Kir, Adele, even that hooker-lover Otis if she could bother to create a goodreads acct
3.5 stars. Hookers, graft and corruption in early 1900s Chicago - - you had me at hookers. This felt similar to "Devil in the White City" except no serial killer (sorry killer-lovers) just the political and religious battles surrounding prostitution. Sounds like Chicago was hella more interesting back in the day, although yes, stinkier/dirtier and disease-riddled, and likely more prone to disfiguring industrial-type accidents. Still, I'd go back in my time capsule to check it out, and I would definitely check out the Everleigh Club while visiting because it sounded like a more upscale house of ill repute, and the pictures of the Victorian interior were so over the top it would give me pause to gamble on syphilis or worse. Definitely worth reading if you are into hookers (and who isn't?), Chicago, or histories with somewhat fictionalized accounts to juice things up for your reading pleasure.


