The “raunchy, hilarious, and thrilling” true story of the incomparable Norma Wallace, proprietor of a notorious 1920s New Orleans brothel (NPR). Norma Wallace grew up fast. In 1916, at fifteen years old, she went to work as a streetwalker in New Orleans’ French Quarter. By the 1920s, she was a “landlady”—or, more precisely, the madam of what became one of the city’s most lavish brothels. It was … brothels. It was frequented by politicians, movie stars, gangsters, and even the notoriously corrupt police force. But Wallace acquired more than just repeat customers. There were friends, lovers . . . and also enemies.
Wallace’s romantic interests ran the gamut from a bootlegger who shot her during a fight to a famed bandleader to the boy next door, thirty-nine years her junior, who became her fifth husband. She knew all of the Crescent City’s dirty little secrets, and used them to protect her own interests—she never got so much as a traffic ticket, until the early 1960s, when District Attorney Jim Garrison decided to clean up vice and corruption. After a jail stay, Wallace went legitimate as successfully as she had gone criminal, with a lucrative restaurant business—but it was love that would undo her in the end.
The Last Madam combines original research with Wallace’s personal memoirs, bringing to life an era in New Orleans history rife with charm and decadence, resurrecting “a secret world, like those uncovered by Luc Sante and James Ellroy” (Publishers Weekly). It reveals the colorful, unforgettable woman who reigned as an underworld queen and “capture[s] perfectly the essential, earthy complexity of the most fascinating city on this continent” (Robert Olen Butler).
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I enjoyed learning about the characters in New Orleans in the early years. It was wide open, and that lasted a good, long time!
Somewhat juvenile in it’s presentation but good fun!
Not as good as I thought it would be. Jumps around alot from one decade to another.
Great lesson in history of New Orleans and oldest profession
This book is an essential read for young women who don’t understand the rights and privileges that they have today. Norma Wallace was really a strong, level headed business woman who ran the only profitable business a woman could run during her time in history. I found this book very informative on the history of New Orleans from the 1900’s …
A romp through that crazy New Orleans! The underside and the seedy overlapping with the upstanding and powerful in this glimpse into the Big Easy in the 50’s and early 60’s.
Surprisingly interesting. Didn’t think I’d even like it, but it was terrific!
Poorly written. My book club almost banned me for recommending!
What a life! Informative about life in the Big Easy and the corruption and influences of the Mafia.
The subject of the book was engaged in a horribly immoral business (not to mention illegal), yet the author manages to humanize her and to portray her in a way that casts no judgments. An interesting read, if the reader can set aside moral judgments, which shows much of the nitty-gritty side of life never encountered by most of us.
I gave up in this book after 2/3 of the way through. The stories just seemed too repetitive to me.
Disappointed. Learned some things but too repetitive.
It just wasn’t what I expected. I thought it would be a cohesive story rather than journalistic.
I niche in American history, great for fans of New Orleans and all that passed through the city during the early half go the 20th century.
Fun history and Norma was quite the madam. The presentation, however, was choppy and confusing at times. The author inserted himself unnecessarily.
I thought it was very interesting to hear the inside of the life of a New Orleans Madam. Sad and funny at times, I smiled, I cried, a great read!!
Interesting for its history of New Orleans through the eyes of a madam. I would have given it a 3 1/2 if I could have. Needs a proof reader. Not as well-written as some biographies.
Great story of brothels and the French Quarter in early 1900`s. Since I grew up in and still live in New Orleans locations and characters were familiar to me. Was fascinated to read what life was like then in the Quarter and how it is today. Good story !
Very good book, a great way to learn about history!! Definitely kept my attention through out the book!!!
This was the biography of a New Orleans Madame, Norma Wallace, who operated her houses in the French Quarter for more than 40 years. I would love to have met her. The writing was good but bounced around a lot and didn’t always give the outcome. Sometimes it moved on before tying up loose ends. But it was entertaining, informative, funny and, at …