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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
A wonderful read about poverty and women's issues in the past and still occurring today. I loved it. Between this and The Birth House, I have a new author to add to my favorites.
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book has cemented Ami McKay as a favorite author. She writes with authenticity as a woman, not holding back from the awkward or uncomfortable. Her characters come off the page as real people, and especially in this book she explores the sides of society that the history books leave out - our side as women. The Virgin Cure is definitely one of my favorites now. As a side note, it's a treat to see how she has dispersed old timey print memorabilia throughout the book, regardless if it is genuine or created by her in the style of the time.
Moth was okay, though I never related to her as a person. The Pear Tree was interesting; I would've liked to see it explored more throughout the story. Ending was okay too.
I'm not often drawn to period pieces like this. After I finished The Birth House for school, I wanted to continue reading the McKay's books. The descriptions are wonderful. While the book does cover a sad topic, I think this book did a good job at not allowing itself to fall into despair.
This book was surprisingly upbeat...granted, there were a few very dark parts, but the book overall wasn't dark. The ending was also very shocking to me. I thought the author would have taken a different route when it came to ending the book. I was pleasantly surprised with her choice of an ending. The main character is likeable and relatable. It was easy for me to read this book and understand what the character might have been thinking in terms of the decisions she was making. She ultimately was just trying to survive, and she was doing it in any way that she would be able to make a comfortable living like the house on the corner she always gazed at. The only reason I didn't give this book a 5 star rating was the little information inserts inside the text. I didn't think some of them were necessary and I think the book would have been just fine without them. But, on the other hand I do understand why she included that information--I'm just saying that I didn't personally like it. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes historical fiction.
OK. Interesting but ultimately disappointing. Not a very strong narrative, just a few scenes/stories knitted together.
content warning: child prostitution, child abuse, rape,
The Virgin Cure is a fascinating and depressing look into the imagined daily life of Moth - a twelve year old girl in New York City, sold by her mother as a lady’s maid. The lady in question is brutally abusive, and Moth flees, fearing for her life. After living on the streets, she is recruited by another young woman to go see Miss Everett. Miss Everett runs a brothel, but one specializing in certified virgins, brokering their first time.
A young female doctor looks after the young women and girls at Miss Everett's as well as other people living in poverty. She tries to convince Moth to leave, but Moth feels obligated and feels that staying at Miss Everett's will lead to her dreams of a luxurious life instead of more of the squalor she had lived in.
Ami McKay's style of writing is very readable, and the historical context that prompted her research and writing of this makes it all the more fascinating to read.
The Virgin Cure is a fascinating and depressing look into the imagined daily life of Moth - a twelve year old girl in New York City, sold by her mother as a lady’s maid. The lady in question is brutally abusive, and Moth flees, fearing for her life. After living on the streets, she is recruited by another young woman to go see Miss Everett. Miss Everett runs a brothel, but one specializing in certified virgins, brokering their first time.
A young female doctor looks after the young women and girls at Miss Everett's as well as other people living in poverty. She tries to convince Moth to leave, but Moth feels obligated and feels that staying at Miss Everett's will lead to her dreams of a luxurious life instead of more of the squalor she had lived in.
Ami McKay's style of writing is very readable, and the historical context that prompted her research and writing of this makes it all the more fascinating to read.
2.5 stars. I read "The Birth House" and really liked it so I thought I would like this one too. unfortunately this one wasn't as good. there were parts of the book I liked but overall disappointed
I really enjoyed this book and thought it captured the atmosphere of the period nicely, I especially liked the author's technique of including extra snippets of historical detail and details relating to the story such as newspaper articles, journal entries and facts. Moth and Sadie were appealing characters. The one criticism I would have is that the plot sometimes seemed to meander a little, particularly around the middle and in the second half. Nevertheless, I'm sure I'll looked for the planned sequel. It reminded me a little of the Observations by Jane Harris, particularly the first part.