A microhistory of the Levee District and its famous brothels in Chicago in the early 1900s, in particular the establishment run by the Everleigh Sisters.

Interesting and well-written. I learned quite a lot (including the origin of the phrase “to get laid’) and had fun in the process. I do adore a good microhistory. ( )

Entertaining read. Tells the story of a supposedly famous bordello, without ever getting explicit.

Sometimes it almost feels like a history more than a story, but it never gets boring. ( )

Karen Abbott is famous for her detailed research, and she doesn't disappoint with this volume! She tells the stories of two sisters (Minna and Ada Everleigh) who run a high-end (the highest-end, as it turns out) brothel in early 1900s Chicago. Their story as women entrepeneurs on the wrong side of the law highlights the world of pre-war Chicago: corruption was rampant, women and men were struggling to make a living, and religious reformers were gaining traction against the vices of urban life. It is long, and extremely detailed, allowing the reader to truly feel that she is experiencing life in this time and place. ( )

I picked this book up because I was interested in learning more about Chicago in the era that it takes place. It tells a slightly fictionalized and sensationalized version of the story of the end of sanctioned prostitution in Chicago. Specifically, this book focuses on a specific brothel which existed in Chicago from 1900 to 1911. The Everleigh Club was run by two sisters who despised the typical practices of their profession, and catered to luxury tastes. They lied flagrantly about their pasts and origins, likely because their There were amusing plenty of racy and amusing anecdotes in this book, but there was also an overwhelming amount of sadness and misery. As much as the proprietors of that one particular brothel tried to mitigate the worst problems of prostitution in their facility, the whole institution was predatory and rotten in some awful ways. Much of the horrors of the profession are glossed over in this book, or only mentioned in the context of rumors and accusations. The book also covers some of the stories of the reformers who organized, lobbied, demonstrated, and ultimately caused the end of sanctioned prostitution, but their stories are secondary to those of the "Everleigh" sisters.

I wished that there had been less speculation and more cited facts, but I understand that it is impossible to find many sources of reliable information on a criminal enterprise whose members were deliberately deceptive about it afterwards. ( )

This book would have benefited from far more editing. ( )