One summer night in Lower Manhattan in 1871, twelve-year-old
Moth is pulled from her bed and sold as a servant to a finely
dressed woman. Knowing that her mother is so close while she is
locked away in servitude, Moth bides her time until she can escape,
only to find her old home deserted and her mother gone without a
trace. Moth must struggle to survive alone in the murky world of
the Bowery, a wild and lawless enclave filled with thieves,
beggars, sideshow freaks, and prostitutes.
She eventually meets Miss Everett, the proprietress of an
"Infant School," a brothel that caters to gentlemen who pay dearly
for "willing and clean" companions--desirable young virgins like
Moth. She also finds friendship with Dr. Sadie, a female physician
struggling against the powerful forces of injustice. The doctor
hopes to protect Moth from falling prey to a terrible myth known as
the "virgin cure"--the tragic belief that deflowering a "fresh
maid" can cleanse the blood and heal men afflicted with
syphilis--which has destroyed the lives of other Bowery girls.
Ignored by society and unprotected by the law, Moth dreams of
independence. But there's a high price to pay for freedom, and no
one knows that better than a girl from Chrystie Street.
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