The Parlor Girl’s Guide

by Steve McCondichie

A cynical country girl enlists the living and the dead to guide her past family tragedy and forge her escape from a secluded Southern brothel. After her father's murder and mother's abandonment, a merciless landowner forces Molly Lingo to work in a rural Alabama hunting lodge that doubles as an exclusive whorehouse. Molly, the feisty tough teenage daughter of a hand-to-mouth tobacco farmer, employs a troubled gambler and a mysterious specter to assist her in breaking away from the unrelenting grip of the sharecropper culture. Set at the beginning of the Jazz Age's promising sweep across America, Molly's story depicts both the shocking brutality of the landlord class and a young woman's determination not to be treated as a second-class citizen. This energetic historical fiction offers supernatural thrills and the poignant transformation of a metaphysical coming-of-age tale.

Genres: Historical Fiction

250 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2019

About the author

Steve received his MFA from Queens University of Charlotte, and he works as a “real estate novelist.” He and his lovely wife of over thirty years, his children, and his grandchildren live in Newnan, GA and Amelia Island, FL. Lying for a Living is his debut novel.

amazon author page- https://www.amazon.com/Steve-McCondic...

Reviews

[Jypsy · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Parlor Girl's Guide sounded interesting. Unfortunately, the story fell short in so many ways. The plot seemed off somehow, like the individual parts didn't equal a whole coherent story. The characters were flat and lacking much development at all. I didn't connect with the story in any way. It's not for me. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Maranda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Two Story line converge. Molly is young and witnesses a tragic event and finds herself captive to a world of a brothel. Cotton is a roving salesman similar to Harold Hill in the Music Man. The presentation with these two story lines did not endear either character nor did its narrative. "A copy of this book was provided by Southern Fried Karma Press via Netgalley with no requirements for a review. Comments here are my honest opinion."

[Beth Roberts · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm going to be very honest. I received a copy of this book for an honest review, so here goes.

Firstly, this was strictly a cover buy. I adore that artwork on the cover, which is why I requested it when I saw it on Netgalley. The interior does not give credit to Alphonse Mucha, the artist, as it should. It simply said "Cover Art ******". Bad mistake.

Secondly, I was all set to read this book straight through from the first four chapters. I hated the characters, but it was probably an accurate description of the time period in the sharecropper south.

Then, I hit the fifth chapter at about 16% and the whole thing just went off the rails for me. I've read many, many dual- and multi-perspective books in my day and I am a fan of the format. The more complicated, the better.

This, though, was, too much. That fifth chapter introduced another character, which was fine, but the character then proceeded to reference about 30 other people in a short span, none of whom the reader has any clue about. No descriptive writing past the point where the guy pees on a statue. I think he then went into an alley to have sex, but I couldn't tell where he was, just a lot of people were there. He mentioned a "darkie", which while being historically accurate, didn't explain if he was talking about himself or a different character. It was all jumbled together.

Aside from the confusion, this was crudely written. Accurate for the South at the time, maybe. Sex and profanity don't generally bother me but this was a lot given the short bit I read.

All in all, while intrigued by the storyline initially, it just wasn't executed in a cohesive enough fashion to keep me going and the "shock writing" was too much too early.

Sorry.

Actual Rating: 2 (DNF's usually get 1 star from me, but the first four chapters had me planning to continue)
Format: Kindle eARC
Source: Netgalley
Current ebook price: Not available for purchase
Opinion of Price: none
My Cost: $0.00

[Cathy Geha · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Parlor Girl’s Guide by Steve McCondichie

Disturbing tale of a young girl taken from her home to pay a debt her father, a sharecropper, owed. Her life had been miserable but something she knew well until she found herself in a house of ill repute and then much indeed changed. With drugs on board, entertaining to be done, people holding power over her and little say in her own life she was making the best of things until one day she had enough. Molly Lingo and Cotton Arnold met at where she worked and hit the road together after an altercation. Their experiences once they left were interesting and yet uncomfortable to read at times. Set in Alabama in the 1920’s this story told of poor people preyed upon and landholders who did the preying. I found it a bit difficult to read as it jumped around at times and I often wanted more information about the characters...and especially about what Molly and Cotton did after the book ended...I felt the story had stopped but it had not ended with a known future for the two of them.

Thank you to NetGalley and Southern Fried Karma for the ARC – this is my honest review

3-4 Stars

[Leslie Head · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Parlor Girl's Guide is a meticulously researched novel examining the plight of a tenant farmer family perpetually in debt to their landlord in 1920's Alabama. When the father "disappears" under vicious circumstances, their daughter Molly is traded off to a gentleman's club to settle the accounts. Molly is groomed, drugged and auctioned off on a nightly basis to the gentleman callers while under the tutelage of the other "Parlor Girls".

Cotton is a charming reprobate, tractor salesman, WWI vet and son of a wealthy family who gets in trouble in a card game at the gentleman's club and flees with Molly. Cotton and Molly drink, gamble and connive themselves on a path Northwards as Molly experiences the world beyond her deprived roots.

The historical details in this novel are exceptional and enlightening, especially the info about widespread use of opiates in the '20's. The dialogue is in an authentic vernacular and the imagery is rich. This book would especially appeal to history aficionados. The author provides links to additional research information throughout the book.

[Haley The Caffeinated Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't think I'd rate this two stars when I started reading it. But then I kept going....
This book started with an interesting premise but seemed to just go downhill from the moment Molly's old life is behind her. Cotton and Molly weren't relatable and I wanted to like Molly but as the story went on I just found no sympathy for her. The vulgarity in this book was something that detracted rather than added to the story and it was off-putting to have just some weird supernatural religious undertones that never went anywhere. It was a quick read and kept me intrigued enough to keep going but I would not recommend this book to anyone I know. The ending was completely....I don't know how to explain it, but it felt useless as if you'd gained nothing by the end.

I received this book from Edelweiss via the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The author has talent, his prose is nice to read but the story was just not a winner.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

'The Parlor Girl's Guide' is a meticulously researched and exquisitely written novel set at the offset of the Jazz Age. At first glance it had everything I adore in a historical fiction, including a feisty heroine in the form of Molly Lingo and a bit of a supernatural edge. Although I adored Steve McCondichie's style, I can't say I was that enamored with the direction that the plot took. Molly, who emerged as an intricately-crafted character with complex desires, seemed to lose her shine as the novel progressed - the author seemed to pay more attention to the far less appealing Cotton and his development. I feel that the story lost its way a bit at the halfway mark, which unfortunately had consequences for the pacing and intrigue of the plot. Nonetheless, I can't say I didn't enjoy the writing, and I would still recommend 'The Parlor Girl's Guide' to anyone with a craving for an interesting novel that prides itself on accurate historical representations. 3.5/5

[Kalvin M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Palor Girl’s Guide can be a bit deceptive if you just go by the jacket’s summary. When you start reading, the opening doesn’t scream supernatural over or undertones. It feels more like a historical slice of life of a poor Southern tenant family.

While it is a bit of a slow open, it does pick up when Skillet and Molly run afoul did their horrendous landlord and his posse. Things get worse for Molly immediately there after.

Naturally, being sold into servitude and prostitution is hard for anyone, but especially for a young girl. Life in the parlor is difficult and her having to work off her family’s debt means she will likely never get free...

If taken on the value of it as historical fiction done as an character study of young girl caught in the brutality of the tenant farming system then it is pretty successful and worth a read.

[Jeanette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the cover which initially drew my attention to this book. I have read a few historical fiction books where brothels have been part of a story, so didn't hesitate when i read the synopsis. I am not quite sure what to say about this book. Lets say it was an ok read, but found a part that was a little too graphic for my liking.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy.

[Tammy Buchli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Started off quite strong, but became more and more muddled as it went forward. I usually like a duel perspective novel, but this would have been better if it were only from Molly’s POV. Cotton’s voice didn’t add much. Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with this ARC copy to review.

[Marissa · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Parlor Girl's Guide had a very intriguing premise, but unfortunately this just fell short for me. I couldn't connect with the characters and found myself lacking interest in the story.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Bill Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting look at the dark side of pre World War II Southern life. Imagine being forced into a brothel to repay a debt your family had incurred to a wealthy landowner. A little slow at times but a very good read and the cover artwork is outstanding.

[Alexis · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF for the violence, the writing style and the main character.

[Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brutal but elegant… A Fantastic , beautifully crafted Historical Fiction that has authenticity, excitement and is a darn good read…

[Ileana Renfroe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great historical mystery and one that I was pleasantly pleased with as I expected something different. The Parlor Girl's Guide is one I highly recommend.

[Artemiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is the perfect example, how you can not judge the book by it’s cover. The Mucha’s work on the front and interesting synopsis in back does not guarantee that the story inside is just as compelling.

I did not find anything mystical in here, nor was there any guidance how to be a parlor girl. It’s a story about a young girl, who is sent to work in bordello, to pay of his father’s debts. In bordello she is hooked on narcotics, her maidenhead is sold repeatedly and then she flees. Her destiny is to flee with a gambler. And even if they try to flee also their demons, the demons will not let them go and their fall is even deeper. It’s a story of two moths at the moment when their wings are bright with light from the fire, just moments before they fly into the fire.

It’s readable, but not my book.

[Paul Acevedo · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Parlor Girl’s Guide is a novel set in the southern United States during the Jazz Age. The story centers on two protagonists: Molly and Cotton. When we meet Molly, her family lives in a shack as tenant farmers. Before long, Molly’s father runs afoul of their landlord. Molly ends up working at the landlord’s brothel in order to repay her family’s debt.

Meanwhile, Cotton works as a traveling sales representative for his father’s company. Cotton ends up staying at the brothel, where he wines and dines clients and seeks tips for potential new accounts and investments. Cotton’s story runs parallel to Molly’s for the first half of the book, but the two eventually cross paths and are forced to work together to overcome their challenges.

Given that a portion of The Parlor Girl’s Guide takes place at a brothel, it should come as no surprise that the story features a few sex scenes. These are of the Stephen King variety – detailed, but not pornographic. The pair of interludes that author Steve McCondichie spends more than a brief time on are presented as ordeals that Molly must endure, but they don’t traumatize her to any great extent. In fact, her time at the brothel could be seen as formative experiences that help prepare her for future adventures.

The one element of the story’s sexuality that readers could find off-putting is Molly’s undefined age. When we follow Molly’s experiences through the brothel, we only know that she has gone through puberty. McCondichie eventually reveals Molly age being in the late teens, which makes her taking the brothel experience in stride more understandable.

The vagueness of Molly’s age is exemplary of an issue that Steve McCondichie has as an author: vagueness of details. There are times throughout the book when the writer does not stop to fully paint the scene for readers. During Cotton’s poker game against the brothel owner, I struggled to keep up with the identities of his opponents because McCondichie doesn’t bother to name them all up front. He jumps into the action too quickly at such times.

The book’s other notable flaw is its subplot about Molly seeing a mysterious woman in her dreams. If there is a “parlor girl’s guide” in the story, it must surely be this mystery lady. But nothing substantial happens because of Molly’s dreams. The subplot goes nowhere. It wouldn’t hurt the book at all to remove Molly’s dreams; it would actually improve the pace of the story.

Other than those issues and the author’ tendency to hyphen-ate ran-dom words for no reas-on, The Parlor Girl’s Guide is quite an enjoyable book. Molly’s plight quickly catches the reader’s attention early on, and her subsequent adventures with Cotton bring more fun and danger thereafter. The well-researched details really bring the Jazz era to life. It would have been difficult being a parlor girl, but the Parlor Girl’s Guide wrings plenty of excitement from it.

[Michelle Kenneth - PerfectionistWannabe.com · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read this book until the end, hoping that something would save it, but like other reviewers have said, this was just horribly done.

I did not know how old Molly was until I was 58% into the book. She is between 16 or 17. I thought she was 11 or 13 at the max. Either way, I saw themes in this book that made me believe this was a book for pedophiles. A girl was trafficked, stolen from her family to work as a prostitute in a brothel. Due to all of the relentless sexual acts and auctioning off of Molly's virginity multiple times (and I had no clue how old she was through all of this), it just appeared to be a sex based fantasy for pedophiles.

Even for Molly to be 16 or 17 years old, still...this is a book for pedophiles.

Molly's character was just completely unbelievable. Even exposed to other women of the night, I highly doubt a child would have as much cunning as she had in such a short amount of time. She had not been exposed to the elements that would teach her how to become that cunning. I don't see in the story where she was learning to make any of the decisions she would end up making later on her road trip.

I also did not pick up on the 'supernatural' part of the story until I saw it pop up in a few reviews. As I kept reading and noticing these 'supernatural' dreams, I failed to see how it related to the story. Maybe the story could have done without these dreams, because I did not see how the author was connecting her dreams to the story. He did not spell it out or develop it accurately. Then again, her dreams as 'premonitions' or whatever this supernatural element was showed to me that the author has no clue how this works. Talk to women who actually have premonitions.

This part is for the author. I rarely if ever give negative reviews. This book came across to me as a book for pedophiles. I could add misogyny, white supremacy, racism and a whole bunch of other negative themes that came out of this book. As a woman, this is not the type of book I would recommend to other women. We are not the market for this. Pedophiles, yes. Everyone else, hell no. I would not want to encourage anything that came from this book.

It takes a few books to get down the right formula to understand how to create a story that people want to read. Molly should have been a heroine in this story. How could she become that and influence other women in a positive light? There are girls that are trafficked and sold into the sex slave trade in America today. How could Molly's story help the girls today? Run away with a guy two times her age who trafficks her from State to State? She's not escaping anything. She's not rising above. She is still a slave.

Also, don't link people elsewhere when they're reading your book. If you want them to know more about those things...you have a book. You're writing it. Share your knowledge of those things within your story so that the reader can learn those things too. See "Where the Crawdads Sing" as a perfect example of how the author incorporates her knowledge of the marshlands into her story to teach the reader about nature. Or "The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane." The author is teaching her reader about the sacred tea leaves of China.

I really wish I could have given this book a better review. To me, I believe this book should be rewritten. This book could be so much better. I see this as a framework of a good story that needs to be retooled and developed more. In its current state, it just isn't ready for the world.

[TrevorTypo · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Parlor Girl's Guide aptly captures small-town southern life in the 1920s. Being from the South and decently-versed in this type of tale, the winding narrative of Molly may grow a little dark for some readers but provides enough redemption to to result in a satisfying payoff.
Steve McCondichie's prose bounces between multiple perspectives and attempts to capture a dialect and state of mind that is not easy to grasp unless you have family from these parts.
Without overstaying its welcome, The Parlor Girl's Guide will intrigue those wanting a unique glimpse into the past.

[Cristie Underwood]

The author did a brilliant job of capturing the time period in this novel. The characters and plot were also well written. This was a great piece of historical fiction!