Belle Cora by: Phillip Margullies

Title: Belle Cora Author: Phillip Marguilles Publisher: Doubleday, 2014 Pages: 594

The first time I began reading this book, it was a sample excerpt from Kindle which in no way did the book justice. It began in the first chapter. To really "get" this book, one must read the Foreward and Author's Introduction, which set the stage and give the background information necessary for understanding the story. I am so glad I picked up a print version and tried again. I truly loved this book. After surviving the San Francisco earthquake, a wealthy elderly woman reveals her life story as a former madam. The story begins with her childhood in New York City, where she was part of a large, well-to-do family. I won't provide spoilers, but the story follows her throughout her life and loves, triumphs and  tragedies until she decides to give up being a madam and assume a respectable identity where no one knows her past. As a lover of historical fiction, I found this book fascinating.

Read this book if...
*you enjoy historical fiction
*you enjoy sagas