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52
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
26/100Critics
77/100Scholars
Author:
Debby Applegate
Publisher:
Doubleday
Date:
November 2, 2021
Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Applegate explores the life of Pearl "Polly" Adler, a Russian Jewish immigrant who lifted herself from poverty by founding one of New York City's most exclusive Jazz Age brothels, patronized by celebrities even as it was a focus of crackdowns by the city's "vice" warriors.
What The Reviewers Say
... a Horatio Alger-style success story with a walk-on-the-wild-side twist.
... a fast-paced tale of radical, willful transformation.
Applegate writes masterfully in linear prose, accompanied by visually engaging photography.
... astonishing.
