This book drew me in from the start. I often had trouble putting it down and found the plot unique and unforgettable. This one will stay on my bookshelf for a second reading.

Where do I even begin with this review of Ami McKay's latest novel, The Virgin Cure? I had eyed this book many times both in book stores and online, but finally got hold of it by winning a Twitter contest by Random House of Canada. Excited to finally have a book by Ami McKay, a wonderful Canadian author, I realized that I had no clue what the novel was even about. I was initially drawn in by the odd name and the beautiful cover. I did not expect the novel to be what it was about and I really didn't think that I would enjoy the subject matter so much!

The Virgin Cure is about a young girl named Moth who is growing up in the slums of New York in the 1800′s. When Moth is 12 years old, her mother sells her to be a servent for a wealthy woman. From that point on, Moth's life is nothing like she dreamed it would be - as she goes from being a slave to being one of the young girls men seek out while looking for the "virgin cure."

The whole time I was reading this novel, I couldn't believe how the young girls were treated. In fact, the very notion that one could sell their child in order to make a pretty penny seemed unthinkable to me, but I had to get over myself and realize that things like this did happen in the past (and probably still happen in some parts of the world, though I claim ignorance to that. In fact, it seems that there are many parts of the world where children are forced to do things that are well beyond their years and I can only be thankful that I was not raised in those kinds of places.).

Throughout the novel, the reader witnesses Moth's youth and naïveté - a young girl who is still so innocent, but wise beyond her years, just looking to be loved. I adored Moth's character and felt for her every time she felt up, and felt her sorrow every time she was down. She was willing to work for what she wanted, even if that included doing things that seemed far beyond her character. I also really enjoyed Dr. Sadie's character and how she wanted to save the young girls forced into such wrongness.

McKay is a wonderful writer. Not only is her writing beautiful and accessible, but she peppered tidbits of information about the time period throughout the novel. Not only did I get the satisfaction of reading such a unique novel, but I also learned something as I read. My only problem with these tidbits of information, however, was that I didn't know when to read them. McKay places them in the story as sidebars, but there was no indication as to when the reader's eyes should leave the paragraph and read the sidebar.

If you're looking for a wonderful, unique read by a great Canadian author, give The Virgin Cure a read. It's a fast-paced, heartfelt, yet serious and sad read, and I can't help but recommend it.

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is an easy, quick read that I couldn't put down. I enjoyed the journal/scrapbook feel to the layout and how the author used this to inject some alternative perspectives into the narration of the story.

I liked how "the virgin cure" was subtly mentioned in the book. Based on this I had a pretty good idea how the novel was going to end but to my surprise, the role of the 'virgin cure' was not as I expected. This made the ending of the book pleasantly surprising.

The author does a great job developing her characters so that I really felt connected to the main character Moth. This story is ultimately a sad one but the strength of the main character prevents it from being a tear-jerker. I would highly recommend this book to my fellow readers. I will be looking for other novels by this author in the future!

i read this right after finishing ("she's come undone"- completely different book). i wanted something easy to read that took me away from day to day stress.
the virgin cure is a great story about a young girl living in poverty in NYC during late 18th century. Her name is Moth and the reader will follow her life as a 12yr old on the streets of NY and into the warm, comfy and beautiful rooms of the rich and cruel.

in the 18th century before venereal diseases where identified and isolated came the cure by "virgins". welcome to the world of taking young girls off the streets into training, beautiful gowns and escorting wealth men to theatres. preparing for each other of their first time with a man. the highest bidder for your virginity. because sleeping with a virgin will cure your disease or keep you from disease.

follow Moth as she becomes daughter of a gypsy to the lady's help to homeless and finally a whore in waiting.
great easy book to read. love the extra fun "historical" facts included along the side.
thank goodness society has changed! sit down and give yourself a few hours you will be finished this in no time. ENJOY!

This is the second book by Ami and I couldnt put it down. The writing is rich and memorable and I was disappointed when the book was finished. I cant wait for her next book.

Loved this book. The author did an incredible job taking us back in time, to an era on the streets of Manhattan that I knew little of. I was immediately drawn into the story of young Moth, and found myself pining for her success in surviving the filthy streets of New York. The book had a somewhat scrapbook/journal feel, with the extra tid-bits of information lining the borders of the pages, and I loved this. It added depth and insight to the story. I couldn't put the book down.

See my complete review here: http://letseatbooks.blogspot.com/2012/01/virgin-cure-by-ami-mckay-my-first.html

I would give this book 3.5 stars. It was good, but I'm not raving about it. This author's "Birth House" was much better. This story is more about the tragedy of poor Moth's coming of age in the late 1800's in NYC, than it is about any myth of a 'virgin cure'. Unfortunately, there was something missing about Moth's character development; while a sympathetic character, I wasn't made to care about her enough to rate this book any higher. I'm glad to have read it, and it kept my attention ~ so a quick and easy, albeit not terribly entertaining read. A hesitant recommendation.

Story Description:

"I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart."

So begins THE VIRGIN CURE, bestselling author Ami McKay's much-anticipated new novel. Set in the tenements of lower Manhattan in 1871, where the author's own great-great-grandmother once worked as a groundbreaking female physician, the novel is told in the voice of Moth, the daughter of a Gypsy fortune teller and a ne'er-do-well who abandons them both a smile and a tip of his hat. Left to struggle on their own, Moth and her Mama lead a hard life, one that requires Moth to become more streetwise with each passing day. Although she comes to believe she's seen it all, nothing prepares Moth for the terrible surprise her mother gives her when she turns twelve: the news that she must leave her home to live as a servant in the house of Mrs. Wentworth, a lady of station and means (and, as Moth soon discovers, inventive cruelty).

These betrayals lead Moth to the Bowery, a wild, murky thoroughfare filled with house-thieves, pick-pockets, beggars, sideshow freaks, and prostitutes. Hungry, desperate, and haunted by a sexual predator, Moth sees an introduction to Miss Everett, the owner of a nearby brothel, as her way to a better life or, at the very least, a soft bed and a full belly. To Miss Everett, Moth is simply another chance for profit, as her establishment is known as an infant school, caters to gentlemen who pay dearly for companions who are "willing and clean," the most desirable of them all, young virgins like Moth.

In this new life, Moth finds friendship with the other girls in the house as well as with Dr. Sadie, a visiting physician who has followed her social conscience into working with prostitutes and the poor. While Moth's housemates risk falling prey to the myth of the "virgin cure" - the belief that deflowering a girl can heal the incurable and tainted, Dr. Sadie warns Moth to question and observe the world around her so she won't share the same fate. Still, Moth dreams of her own big house on Gramercy Park and of answering to no one but herself. There's a high price for such independence, though, and no one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.

My Review:

Moth and her mother live alone in a stark and dirty tenement after her father left them when she was just three-years-old. He left with the bit of money saved in a cookie tin and her Mom's only piece of silver she owned, which was a tarnished sugar bowl.

Moth wanted affection from her mother. She wanted to hold her mom's hand, sit on her lap and kiss her cheeks like all little girls do but her mother pushed her away telling her: "…when you were a baby, I held you until I thought my arms would fall off. Oh, Child, that should be enough." Moth said she didn't mind because she loved her mom anyway.

The summer Moth turned twelve, her mother sold her to a woman named Mrs. Wentworth and shed no tears when she was taken by this woman as her mother wouldn't stand for it. She always said: "American girls don't whimper." Moth took a seat in Mrs. Wentworth's carriage but couldn't see where they were going as all the curtains were closed. After a while the carriage rolled to a stop and all Mrs. Wentworth said was: "You're to go right to bed…I want you rested for tomorrow." As Moth was falling asleep in her new residence she whispered out loud into the room: "How much did you get for me, Mama"? What a sad thought to know that you've been 'SOLD' by your own mother!

Mrs. Wentworth began whipping Moth's wrists on the soft side of her arms leaving bruises the colour of a rainbow. She then began slapping her across the face for the smallest of infractions. She was jealous of Moth's beauty and she was out to destroy that beauty. Moth suffered so much pain for such a young girl.

Can you imagine growing up poor, living in a filthy dirty tenement, your mother is a Gypsy fortune-teller, you have hardly any food and then you're sold by the very woman who gave birth to you!

I was immediately drawn in by this story, I was mesmerized and could picture in mind's eye the brothel, the rooms and could actually "feel" Moth's embarrassment at having to undress for the men. I was so attuned to Moth's psyche that I could feel what she felt and shared her heartbreak and pain at every turn and that makes for some very good writing. To enable a reader to get into the mind of the character is no easy feat but Ms. McKay pulls it off without a hitch.

The book definitely lived up to long wait and I'd highly recommend it to everyone and plan on keeping this as part of my permanent collection.

This story is just as good as Ami's first novel 'The Birth House" I enjoyed it very much and will read the book for a second time during this long cold winter! I hope I don't have to wait another 4 years for her next novel!

The title 'The Virgin Cure" seems surprising, until one learns that in Victorian New York, men afflicted by syphilis believed that they could be cured by the blood resulting from deflowering a young, untainted virgin girl. This historical fact forms the premise of this story.

Based on historical fact, the Virgin Cure is the most entrancing novel. I was totally immersed in the desperate and impoverished streets of Victorian New York City, along with narrator and protagonist, 12 year old Moth.

" Moth" was born to a gypsy fortune teller and a father that she never knew. By the age of 12, Moth's mother abandons her, selling her into servant hood to a lady of means. Unfortunately this lady of means is also cruel and unbalanced ,and eventually Moth makes her escape. Finding no one to turn to, Moth tries to make a home on the streets of New York City.Rats, death, and crime are rampant for those living on the streets.

Over time, Moth is lured into a upscale brothel, known as the the " Infant School." Young Moth is still 12, and on one hand street wise, but on the other hand , innocent of knowledge concerning menstruation or sexual relations. Miss Everett, the proprietor of the Infant School, trains young virgins to be "men's companions". Miss Everett's area of expertise is that of providing wealthy gentlemen with young, clean girls , for the purpose of the " Virgin Cure." Female physician Dr Sadie, following her social conscience, has devoted her life to working the the poor and and with prostitutes. She endeavors to help young Moth leave what is essentially a whorehouse.

The Virgin Cure is a wonderful read. The world of impoverished Victorian New York is brought to life with great detail, and the characters, very believably drawn , come vividly to life. Dr Sadie and the strong willed, intelligent young Moth provide strong female protagonists.

At times the the subject matter of the novel is painful to read, but I was entirely swept away into Moth's world. A fascinating tale, in which the author has taken pains to supply historical detail pertaining to the novel, The Virgin Cure almost reads itself, such is it's thrall.

A wonderful read!

More reviews can be found at: http://thelittlebluepig.blogspot.com/

How long has it been, dear Mckay, have I been awaiting the publication of this amzing book? Two years, I tell you, two years. Alas, it has been published, read and now I will review it. The Birth House has been my all time favorite book, Ami Mckay was sure to win my favoritism again with this one.

The Virgin Cure by Ami Mckay was an amazing, beautiful and meaningful book about friendship and the ever undying journey of finding oneself. To begin this journey of self-discovery, we learn of Moth, a twelve year old girl who is sold to be the maid of the cruel and abusive Mrs. Wentworth. After being abondoned by her father, and then her mother, Moth is left alone. First waiting upon Mrs. Wentworth, with the help of Nestor, she is able to escape. But that is only the beginning.

Soon she finds herself at a brothel, owened and operated by Miss Everett, who only uses the girls for her establishment as profit. The men who "bid" on the girls, such as Moth, pay and then "have" the girl, however, who must be "clean." Through this, Moth befriends a physcian, Dr. Sadie, who warns and attemtps to remove Moth from the world Miss. Everett is offering.

This was an extraordinary read I feel so preivileged to have read. It was inspiring and heart breaking. It evidently left me thinking about Moth's life. How scared she must have been, at twelve, alone, introduced into a world full of "whores." Ah, and the writing was just beautiful. The point of view of Moth was refreshing and eye-opening. Ami Mckay is a beautiful writer who really uses descriptive words to interpret the emotions and going-on`s of the time. Historical fiction is about reliving the past, which only a good writer can accomplish. Ami is amongst them!

Fiction books have that extra special favoritism to me. They can teach you so much about our past, opening our eyes to the changes and advances we have made. Women have come along way since the times of 1871. Ami Mckay does a beautiful job at creating a past world, transporting our minds there, reminding us of the hard and sorrow times our ancestors once lived. Personally, I am thankful for our changing times. To be twelve, alone, living in a house where you are trained to win the affection of men just sickens me.

This was a worthwhile read. If you are a historical fiction lover, as am I, you will love this book.

Prepare to be moved by the story of a little girl named Moth.

Rating: 5 curly pig tails(less)

Ami McKay's first novel The Birth House was a phenomenal success. I have no doubt that her newly released second novel - The Virgin Cure - will also be bestseller. And, it's one of my favourite reads for 2011.

I was hooked from the opening line..."I am Moth, a girl from the lowest part of Chrystie Street, born to a slum-house mystic and the man who broke her heart."

And so begins the story of Moth, born into the slums of Manhattan in New York City. In 1871 Moth's mother sells her - to a wealthy woman looking for a young servant. When that situation becomes untenable, Moth runs away and finds herself alone on the streets with no prospects. Until the owner of a brothel in the Bowery that 'caters to men looking for young companions who are 'willing and clean' takes her in. In Miss Everett's "Infant School", the most desirous of all are virgins, for it is said that a virgin can cure a man of that most scurrilous of diseases - syphilis.

One bright light in Moth's life is Doctor Sadie, one of the first female physicians in New York City, who attends the girls at Miss Everett's establishment. The idea for the Virgin Cure was based on McKay's search into her own roots. Her great-great grandmother was a physician in New York City.

What did I love so much about this book? Well, everything! McKay's characterizations are rich, detailed and believable. I became so invested in Moth and Dr. Sadie, sharing their fears and dreams. Both of these characters are strong, strong female leads, staying true to themselves despite the obstacles put before them.

The setting is just as much of a player in the novel. McKay's depiction of 1870's New York conjured up vivid scenes crackling with detail. McKay includes historical side notes, newspaper articles, pictures and more throughout the book. I found myself on the Internet many times following up with the history she presented.

Ultimately - it's a book that is so engrossing, so readable, so fascinating that I wish I could give it six stars. I just can't seem to articulate what a great read this is from such a skilled Canadian story teller. Highly, highly recommended!