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Published by Random House |
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Step into the perfumed parlors of Chicago's Everleigh Club, the
most famous brothel in American history -- and the catalyst for a
culture war that rocked the nation. Minna and Ada Everleigh, the two
sisters who operated the Club at the dawn of the last century, were
unlike other madams: The Everleighs made sure their girls dined on
gourmet food, were examined by an honest physician, and were even
tutored in the literature of Balzac. But not everyone appreciated the
sisters' attempts to elevate the industry. Progressive Era reformers,
spouting lurid tales of "white slavery," ignited a furor that shaped
America's sexual culture and had repercussions all the way to the White
House, even leading to the formation of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. With a cast of characters that includes Jack Johnson,
John Barrymore, John D. Rockefeller, Jr., William Howard Taft, "Hinky
Dink" Kenna, and Al Capone, Sin in
the Second City provides a vivid snapshot of America's journey
from Victorian-era propriety to twentieth-century modernity. pub date: 2008-06-10 | paperback | 9780812975994 |
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