The virgin cure: a novel
(Book)
From #1 international bestselling author Ami McKay comes The Virgin Cure, the story of a young girl abandoned and forced to fend for herself in the poverty and treachery of post-Civil War New York City.
McKay, whose debut novel The Birth House made headlines around the world, returns with a resonant tale inspired by her own great-great-grandmother's experiences as a pioneer of women's medicine in nineteenth-century New York.
One summer night in Lower Manhattan in 1871, twelve-year-old Moth is pulled from her bed and sold as a servant to a finely dressed woman. Knowing that her mother is so close while she is locked away in servitude, Moth bides her time until she can escape, only to find her old home deserted and her mother gone without a trace. Moth must struggle to survive alone in the murky world of the Bowery, a wild and lawless enclave filled with thieves, beggars, sideshow freaks, and prostitutes.
She eventually meets Miss Everett, the proprietress of an "Infant School," a brothel that caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for "willing and clean" companions—desirable young virgins like Moth. She also finds friendship with Dr. Sadie, a female physician struggling against the powerful forces of injustice. The doctor hopes to protect Moth from falling prey to a terrible myth known as the "virgin cure"—the tragic belief that deflowering a "fresh maid" can cleanse the blood and heal men afflicted with syphilis—which has destroyed the lives of other Bowery girls.
Ignored by society and unprotected by the law, Moth dreams of independence. But there's a high price to pay for freedom, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.
In a powerful novel that recalls the evocative fiction Anita Shreve, Annie Proulx, and Joanne Harris, Ami McKay brings to light the story of early, forward-thinking social warriors, creating a narrative that readers will find inspiring, poignant, adventure-filled, and utterly unforgettable.
McKay, A. (2012). The virgin cure: a novel. First edition. New York, Harper.
Chicago / Turabian - Author Date Citation (style guide)McKay, Ami, 1968-. 2012. The Virgin Cure: A Novel. New York, Harper.
Chicago / Turabian - Humanities Citation (style guide)McKay, Ami, 1968-, The Virgin Cure: A Novel. New York, Harper, 2012.
MLA Citation (style guide)McKay, Ami. The Virgin Cure: A Novel. First edition. New York, Harper, 2012.
Record Information
Last Sierra Extract Time | Apr 13, 2024 10:37:40 AM |
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Last File Modification Time | Apr 13, 2024 10:41:23 AM |
Last Grouped Work Modification Time | Apr 25, 2024 02:10:18 AM |
MARC Record
LEADER | 01121nam 22003498i 4500 | ||
---|---|---|---|
001 | BK0009098947 | ||
003 | DLC | ||
005 | 20120427141449.0 | ||
008 | 120418s2012 nyu 000 1 eng | ||
010 | |a 2012015994 | ||
020 | |a 9780061140327 | ||
020 | |a 0061140325 | ||
040 | |a DLC|b eng|c DLC|e rda | ||
050 | 0 | 0 | |a PR9199.4.M4288|b V57 2012 |
082 | 0 | 0 | |a 823/.92|2 23 |
100 | 1 | |a McKay, Ami,|d 1968-|e author. | |
245 | 1 | 4 | |a The virgin cure :|b a novel /|c Ami McKay. |
250 | |a First edition. | ||
260 | |a New York :|b Harper,|c 2012. | ||
300 | |a pages cm | ||
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651 | 0 | |a New York (N.Y.)|v Fiction. | |
907 | |a .b21122234 | ||
932 | |a FICTION McKay, A, | ||
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