(This was written for a specific swap on Swap Bot, about reading a Canadian woman author)
Set in the 1870s in post Civil War New York, The Virgin Cure by Ami McKay tells the story of Moth, a 12 year old girl. Named by her father (who did the 1870 version of going to the store for a pack of cigarettes and never coming back), Moth and her mother eke out a living in the slums of New York. Moth’s mother tells fortunes, and Moth does what she can to contribute, mostly letting creepy old men look at her neck or ankles.
Her mother chooses to sell Moth’s “lady’s maid” services to a Mrs Wentworth for an undisclosed sum. Finding life as a lady’s maid unbearable, Moth escapes with a piece of jewelry, and comes back to her home, only to find her mother gone and someone else in her place. After pawning the jewelry, Moth bounces around until the money is gone, and then gets and offer from the smartly dressed Mae. She’s to become a “near whore,” or a young girl, certified virgo intacta, who is whored out to the highest offer for her virginity.
The “virgin cure” of the book’s title is part of why these girls are so popular. It’s believed that having sex with a virgin will cure all diseases, including syphilis, which is widespread at the time. However, the girl’s supposed age matters in the process: 14 is too young, 16 is too seasoned, and might be lying, so 15 year old girls are ideal. Moth lies her way into one of these situations, with a madam who keeps whores as well as near whores.
And that’s the book! There’s more to it, but that would be spoiling the fun parts. I enjoyed the book, and devoured it in a few days of reading. The setting of 1870s New York is neat, although I think I’d not want to live there. There’s a lot of squalor, and women are treated poorly. Imagine that.
Poor Moth. I feel for her, and just want to take her under my wing. The book is actually told from the point of view of a lady doctor who visits Moth, Mae, and the other girls at the madam’s house, and has asides from her all through the book. I find that some of the most interesting information, as it’s written matter of factly, and covers things like syphillis and what’s taken to treat it, the age of near whores, and other interesting tidbits of information. There’s also articles and descriptions of fashions of the time, which were neat to read. I didn’t realize they’d post actual descriptions of garments, but I guess that makes sense, since Photographs weren’t mainstream yet.
Moth’s a survivor, and she does what she must to survive. She’s not forced into being a near whore, but chooses it, and despite options to get out, decides it’s the path she’s going to take. When you discover her client that’s choosing to offer on her, it brings other parts of the story back. I caught myself going “Wouldn’t it be interesting if <this character mentioned before> became the one?” a few pages before it happened. It seems like the most logical answer to Moth’s bidding gentlemen, and so may it’s a little obvious. I don’t know, I enjoyed seeing that come about, although not the actual happening of it. All of it is told carefully, without being explicit, but it’s uncomfortable.
Overall, the book’s a neat one if you like historical books, or New York. Since it’s set in the States, there’s no Canadian influence in it at all, which I didn’t expect. I don’t know how McKay would have put it in there. This is a book that wouldn’t have been as well received if written by a man, that I’m sure. It’s a touchy subject, and the idea of men writing a historical novel on whorehouses seems…. icky.