Fun Fearless Female!

"My Notorious Life by Madame X" by Kate Manning.

From the immigrant tenements of the nineteenth century New York City to the charities for orphans and foster homes of then prairie and rural Mid-West America, up to the world of Washington Square and Fifth Avenue high society (where the high society ladies face the same problems as their not so fortunate maids) this consuming narrative, "My Notorious Life by Madame X" is a gripping, clever, moving, morally fascinating and a very entertaining novel.
It reminded me of an epic novel, of a saga, story of generations. Even though, strictly speaking, it covers life of just one woman - from the early childhood till the old age - but what an entertaining account of this real life rags-to-riches tale this life is!

"My Notorious Life" is a gripping story (once you get through the first chapters and get used to the foul language of the streets then spoken by Axie Muldoon), it is full of colourful characters that you come to love, and the magnificently feisty Madame X herself.
The story is beautifully detailed, very entertaining. Every character that appears on the pages of the book is unique and by the end of the book you feel like you'd known Axie and her extended family for a very long time. The book is long and it is a pleasure to relax into it, although when the things start to stir and the charges are brought against the notorious Madame X, I doubt you will be able to relax (I was biting my knuckles, like Axie herself!).

This novel is also a great read for historical fiction fans (the book, I understand, was very well researched by the author, Kate Manning). Recommended! Five stars, as I nearly shed a tear when I finished this colourful account of one woman's life.

P.S. There are, possibly, two things for you to do now that you've decided to get this book:
1. Google the case of Roe v Wade (1973) and think for a minute that just over a hundred years ago the civil world was still at parts in the dark of how female body works and what dreadful circumstances women faced once they started to be sexually active. Moreover, it was only in the 60's of the last century that the pill was legalised and in some countries abortion is still illegal (unless it is for strictly medical reasons). Interesting coincidence here that Axie Muldoon, aka Madame De Deausacq, is Irish (and proud) herself.
2. I am a fan of hardbacks, but I would advise you, nonetheless, to get this novel on Kindle, as the book is quite heavy to carry around.

If you read and enjoyed "My Notorious Life by Madame X", you might also want to check out "The Virgin Cure" by Ami McKay.