As fascinating as the stories are, and as meticulous as the research appears to be, the structure of the narrative was frustrating. The chapters jump around and one loses all sense of chronology. I wish the book was better organized. I really wanted to like it more.

"Well behaved women rarely make history" - if that's the case, the famed Everleigh sisters might as well be the spokeswomen for the concept. These classy and conniving sisters revamped the lucrative brothel industry of the early1900's Chicago (well, the entire nation to be more precise). A little history, a little fiction and a lot of time travel - this story takes you back to a lavish smoky parlor filled with characters as opulent as the décor. I devoured it in days that felt like minutes.

When I was five years old, Reading Rainbow's Lavar Burton told me weekly that books can be magic. Come to find out, he was right; books can transport you through time. Karen Abbott has dusted off her wand and brought the magic. Like Devil in the White City before it, Sin in the Second City is all encompassing. The vast amount of information Abbott gives about Chicago in the early 1900s allows us to feel like we are there. We see the city's magnificent graystone mansions, hear its El cars rattle past on the tracks. Abbott navigates so well the balancing act of providing lots of technical details - about Chicago politics, Levee rules and regulations, and court cases involving the Mann Act - while still focusing her attention on the major players, namely the Everleigh sisters, so that we do get some historical background but the book reads more like fiction than a text.

We get a sense of who these women were in their personal lives. Clever and thought-provoking quotes from Minna provide an introduction to several chapters. These sisters are smart and funny and have very modern concerns; they are not locked in time. Perhaps the cornerstone of history appreciation is realizing that people always have and always will be basically the same. Abbott brings this realization about in the most non-intrusive way, by including the little humanizing details like Big Jim Colosimo's penchant for cooking up a big pot of spaghetti during social calls and Minna's Everleigh's routine carriage ride to the bank to make deposits with a choice "butterfly" in tow. As a former teacher, I wonder if we are doing the best job we could as a society to preserve and bring history back to life. Thanks to Abbott, I can see the ghosts of Vic Shaw and company carousing along Michigan Avenue.

To her credit, not only does Abbott bring the residents of the Levee district back to life, but she portrays them fairly, with a sympathetic voice, despite the nature of their enterprise. It would be so easy to discount the Levee aldermen and their henchmen or any of the Everleighs' bitter competitors as villains, but Abbott appreciates the gray areas and allows the reader to make his or her own value judgments.

The structure of the book is also worth mentioning. Abbott does an excellent job weaving in and out of topics. It's the literary equivalent of collecting random photographs and putting them into a scrapbook so that they make sense juxtaposed. Details about Bell and other reformers and the day-to-day goings on in the development of the fight against white slavery fit seamlessly between the more salacious stories of the Everleigh courtesans.

Ultimately, Abbott tells a scintillating story while simultaneously bringing up the BIG issues - bias and sensationalism in media coverage, the hypocrisy of some of the religious reformers, and the fight for women's suffrage and for fair wages - namely how the investigation into white slavery served as an opportunity for women to insert themselves into political discourse.

Overall, an amazing piece! I highly recommend it.

What I love about this book:

- Terrific writing with vivid details about the lives of the Everleigh Sisters
- A real feel for what it was like to live and work in the demimonde at the turn of the century
- A sense of drama with the stories of the rivalries between brothels, the religious movement and the machinations of the political and legal systems.
- Excellent insight into the greater social forces in regards to sexuality and women

This is just a fascinating read - if you're like me, you won't put it down until the last page (and i am a notorious half-finisher, so that's quite a feat!) A fantastic choice for book clubs too!

I *highly* recommend this - one chapter in and I guarantee that you will become a rabid fan like me.

For those that love to read a book that grabs them and doesn't let go - Karen Abbott's Sin in the Second City is a MUST. Not only does the reader get an enjoyable history lesson- but along the way Karen shows us how so much of what we know and experience today - is not new at all.

The portrait of the Everleigh sisters is simply fascinating, Chicago of the early 1900's was made for Abbott's prose - and the best part is - She's writing another book. People will read again - and Karen is one of the reasons why. Read this book. Its SUPER.

SIN IN THE SECOND CITY reads like a novel but is a non-fiction book. The fascinating world of the Everleigh sisters and the underground world of prostitution in the early 1900's make for a fascinating read. The author has researched the material well to flesh out the elusive sisters and their cohorts, courtesans, friends and enemies.

The author's prose is evocative of the time without ever being stiff or scholarly. It is easy to become engrossed in the world of the Everleigh club and the shifting allegences of the various madams and underworld figures.

All in all, a fascinating book that reads like a historical novel. I would highly recommend it.

A fine story telling in the context of a well-crafted historical novel. The small and difficult to read font is the only reason why I cannot make Sin in the Second city a 5-star read.

Really great book about turn of the century Chicago right after the World's Fair. There is no doubt that sin and crime were just as evident in the world 100 years ago as they are today. The Everleigh sisters did an amazing job of running a "decent" brothel and staying a step of two ahead of their competitors. I wish there had been more history on them from before they came to Chicago, I was surprised to find they grew up near the area I live in. The history of the religious movement to tame Chicago's Levee district was also very interesting. The only drawback is the book didn't flow quite as smoothly as a pure novel, but it is one of the most interesting non-fiction books I have ever read. If only my high school history books had been this good!

I seem to be swimming against the tide of opinion on this book. Plainly and simply speaking, I didn't think it was all that great. The subject matter was interesting, and it's fun to be a voyeur sometimes, looking into people's shady lives, but I just didn't think it was that well written -- kind of dry in the execution. I love history (it was my undergrad, grad and postgrad field) and I love history when it's written so that the general reader can read, relate to and understand it, but for some reason, her writing style just left me flat. Also -- my bone of contention is that she didn't have credible sources for the real story of Everleigh sisters, but went on to tell the tale anyway. Granted, she warns her reader of this fact, but still.

Long and short of it -- I liked the subject matter, though it could have been fleshed out quite a bit more. The writing (imho) was just flat. I've seen comparisons by readers of this author to the work of Erik Larson and (again imho) it doesn't begin to come close. I had to make myself finish this book and that's never good.

I love to read non-fiction historical books. Often, however, I find they can be bias or dull. "Sin in the Second City" was neither. Karen Abbott offers a broad and informative look into the under-belly of Chicago at the beginning of the 20th century. She paints an exciting picture of the Everleigh sisters, their "club," opposition and other interesting characters.
While I don't want to give anything about the book away I will say that it was a great book and one that I would highly recommend. The descriptions and characters make you feel like you are there. Several times I found myself laughing and at others picking my jaw off the floor. I am sure that you won't regret reading it. I haven't!!!!

This is a brilliant book- I am a "period piece" aficianado, and this is the best period piece type book I have ever read, for my money on a par with Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle." -Karen is the rare author willing to take a huge risk in tackling a project that involves a long ago period, with a dearth of available source data, and she knocked the ball out of the park. Being a Chicagoan and generally familiar with the Everleigh sisters ( check out the Chicago Chop House Restaurant for pictures of them on the walls!), I had yearned for a book on them but just assumed it would never ever happen- Her level of research is huge and shows itself throughout the book- That she could bring to such vivid life such a long ago time and place is a very major accomplishment. I have read over 5000+ books, this is one of the best 5 of those I have ever read. Clearly Karen has already established herself as a "name author"; I for one can't wait for her next book. Whatever that may be, hopefully it will be soon.

I can't say enough good things about this book. Its a history lesson and a decadent trip back to Chicago 100 years ago. Its beautifully written and very exciting to read. I haven't loved reading a book this much in a long time.

I really enjoyed this book, discussing a time and a place still fresh to American history. Chicago had a really infamous night life, both terrible and exotic, depending on who's perspective you were reading (there are quite a few, but the madams of the Everleigh club above all). The book could be boring in some spots but easy to digest overall, with very good sources to back up the quotes. If Karen Abbott writes any more books, I'll be sure to pick them up.

Karen Abbott is a journalist who has written on a subject that is censored from academic history. It is about the exploitation of women who worked in the sex industry. While prostitution is as old as human civilization the organization into national chains (p.123) was new to late 19th century America and a rebuke to the ideals of Puritan America. You can compare this book to the restrained language in Upton Sinclair's "The Jungle". There is a 'Bibliography' of references and an 'Index'. The 'Author's Note' tells about a relative who disappeared in Chicago. Stories were told about vanished girls. This book is a work of nonfiction, the characters are all real.

The 'Prologue' tells of the mysterious shooting of Marshall Field Jr. in 1905. Did he shoot himself while "cleaning his gun" or was the gossip true? Where id the phrase "smooth woman" originate (p.xxi)? Where did the story about drinking champagne from a woman's slipper originate (p.xxii)? The population explosion of immigrants changed Chicago. Immigrants created their neighborhoods as havens. Girls weren't safe alone at various entertainments (p.xxiv). The word "resort" was used as a euphemism. So too "cadets" and "friendly friends". [The 1890s saw the worst economic depression of the 19th century, unmentioned here.] This book uses the history of the "Everleigh" sisters to comment on one aspect of life in early 20th century Chicago. There were other such stories in the big cities of America.

In October 1911 a new mayor ordered the Everleigh Club closed. It never reopened. Minna and Ada were threatened with death if they ever talked (p.275). In October 1912 the Grand Jury indicted 135 people who ran the Levee (p.278). The police arrested hundreds (p.281). What was the connection between "the best people in Chicago" and the underworld? Hundreds of harlots began a counter-demonstration in "respectable neighborhoods" (p.282). In November 1914 the police closed the Chicago resorts (p.287). Late in 1915 Mayor "Big Bill" Thompson declared a wide-open town! Hollywood produced films abut the white-slave racket, profiting from exposing evil (p.289). One unforeseen consequence was the agitation for a minimum wage bill (p.290).

When Minna died her death certificate listed her former occupation as "housework" (p.330). This book concentrates on the sisters, Chicago is the back ground. Is there any modern book that covers this topic from 1880 to 1920? Recent stories in the news tell how "dancers" are recruited in Europe and Asia and brought to America to do other work. Local newspapers have advertisements for "massages". What has changed since a century ago? Does politics still drive scientific findings (p.206)?

Who might imagine that a book about Chicago's bordellos at the turn of the century (late 1890s and early 1900s) could be so fascinating! This book, in the first instance, is an interesting portrayal of how two madams, Minna and Ada "Everleigh" (their last name made up for the occasion) ran a bordello that was much higher class than the other sordid businesses surrounding them in the "Levee," a section of the First Ward in Chicago.

It is also a story of the politics, economics, and culture of Chicago at century's turn. The Chicago machine was humming along nicely, with the politics of favoritism and the politics of corruption working together. In the First Ward, two political leaders, Hinky Dink Kenna and Bathroom John Coughlin were the powers that be. And key players for making sure that bordellos operated without crass interference from the police!

These houses of ill repute often hosted major figures in Chicago. Marshall Fields' son died after an incident in the Levee. People like Theodore Dreiser haunted the district.

And the Everleigh Club attracted many of the "higher order" guests to the district. The "girls" who worked there were treated well (in comparison to other harlots in the district), were taught to speak about literature, dressed exquisitely, were regularly inspected by doctors to make sure that they were in good shape physically, and so on.

This book is a story of the Levee's operation, the Everleigh Sisters efforts to run a class bordello, the efforts by honest judicial officials and reformers to shut down the bordellos, and the intricate web among players--from Congressman Mann to the Mayor of Chicago to the Police to. . . . This web is well described by author Karen Abbott.

This is an historical effort that reads like a novel. And the Sisters had, in many senses, the last laugh. They left their business behind when it became reasonably clear that the end of the Levee as then known was coming to an end. They took their fortune and spent the remainder of their lives in New York--after a lengthy round-the-world trip.

A fascinating glimpse of Chicago's history.

I am so very glad I stumbled on this great read. It's full of remarkable history about the dark side of my favorite city and those Everleigh girls!
This book reads like a novel but there is so much interesting stuff to learn. I thourougly enjoyed it and have been recommending it to everyone. Karen Abbott writes clearly about the subject but she doesn't go into any nasty sexual details. That would be unneccessary as the story is quite entertaining just as told.

This is a non-fiction book that reads like fiction. It was very well researched and well written. It takes an interesting and in-depth look at vice businesses in early 1900s Chicago with it's main focus the Everleigh club run by Ada and Minna Everleigh. These women would have been CEOs if there had been more options available to their gender at the time. It's a fascinating book and I whole-heartedly recommend it.

I always find nicknames fascinating, such as the ones in the title of my review, taken from the book I'm reviewing. One of my relatives once told me that, the smaller the town, the more folks had nicknames. It seems to be true, for I remember nicknames like Hago and Hecker, two brothers who were classmates of mine and nicknamed Decoy & Ambush, and two brothers who were friends of my late father, and called Jellybread & Butterbread! Anyway, with that trivia out of the way, I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed this extremely well-written book, which revealed to me a slice of early 20th century history of which I was unaware. The book moves along swiftly, and each character is fleshed out (no pun intended!) very well, so that often the action appears to be that of a novel. Who knew that vice was that rampant and open over 100 years ago? As a student of history this was entertaining and informative, and what more can one ask from a book of this type? I enjoyed it, and you will also.

A rollicking good read. Prepare to be kidnapped by the past. Held hostage by a book that demands another page be turned. This book proves that "No good deed goes unpunished." Far, far more interesting and exciting than any fiction. This well documented, tale will take you to a dangerous, risky place you did know existed. And tell a tale of two sisters with hearts of gold and sharp intellects, conducting market research and finding the perfect combination of; marketing know how and care, concern and compensation for the employees (the girls). Then the true story of their many adventures in the crucible of politics, violence and lust that was 'inner city America' at the turn of the last century.