Chris Wiltz

The Last Madam: A Life In New Orleans Underworld
by: Christine Wiltz
Faber + Faber , 2000
**** ( 4 stars)

Norma Wallace was not always the Grande Dame of the French Quarter. She can from utter poverty to establish, and keep open the longest survivng house of prostitution in The French Quarter. By befriending powerful politicians, and local constable and Police, Norma was able to keep her girls in business and her house open for 40 years. She was even given a key to the city. Her house on Conti Street was well known, raided frequently but her friendships were strong and she was always tipped off.
There is much about the history of the French Quarter, especially in the 1940's, when most of this book is centered.
Christine Wiltz weaves a fascinating story of that time and place in American history. Rife with sensationalism and seeped in criminal elements, this city was a dangerous place. To crawl to the top took ambition, courage and the ability to outsmart everyone else. With Norma's mixture of ambition, guts, intelligence and sex she made a life that afforded her everything she wished she had, as a child. Her violent and tragic death were thematic to her life. This is a well written and engaging look into the life of Norma Wallace. Highly recommended.… (más)

Norma Wallace was a successful madam well into the 1950's and 60's in New Orleans. This is the true story of her life and it's almost as much about New Orleans as it is about Norma. She found a way to not only survive in her city, but to thrive and to take care of herself, her girls, her family, and the people she loved. It was a different time- the book quotes her in a discussion about marriage that women got married for security and in exchange, they had babies and kept the house. There weren't other options, unless one entered into the illegal trade of many kinds of things. New Orleans and its history of corruption and bribery of politicians and officials allowed women (and men) like Norma to live in ways that wouldn't have been tolerated elsewhere. A fascinating portrait of a woman and a city.… (más)