Storyville

Storyville by Lois Battle, published by Penguin in December 1997, is a historical fiction novel set in turn-of-the-century New Orleans, a city known for its vibrant and tumultuous atmosphere. The narrative follows two women, Kate and Julia Randsome, whose lives intersect in “The District” of Storyville, where prostitution was legal. Kate, a young woman abandoned by her lover, navigates the challenges of the city, while Julia, a supporter of women’s rights from the North, marries into a prominent local family. Their contrasting backgrounds and experiences ultimately lead them to the same destination within the alluring yet perilous world of Storyville.
Readers will find a richly woven tale that explores themes of desire, class, and the complexities of women’s lives in a historical context. The novel delves into the seductive and often harsh realities of New Orleans, capturing the essence of a city that is as enchanting as it is dangerous. With 464 pages, this edition presents a vivid portrayal of the characters’ journeys through a landscape filled with both opportunity and peril, reflecting the intricate social dynamics of the time.
Official synopsis Publisher
From turn-of-the-century New Orleans, a city renowned for sin, seduction, and sex, comes a tale of two women inextricably linked by “The District” of Storyville, where prostitution was legal—and flourishing.
Kate—young, beautiful, and abandoned by a man who doesn’t love her—finds herself thrown on the mercies of the city. Julia Randsome is a transplanted Yankee, a supporter of women’s rights, who against everyone’s advice marries into one of the city’s most prominent families. Though they occupy different universes in New Orleans, somehow all roads bring Kate and Julia to the same place . . . back to The District.
As lush and provocative as New Orleans is itself, Storyville sweeps across lines of caste and blood, money, and desire—and into the voluptuous secrets of a city tempting as any on earth.
“The novel’s atmosphere is redolent of honeysuckle and jasmine, café brûlot and cinnamon buns.”—Newsday
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