Scarlet Women

November 15, 2015

Though they are often overlooked, courtesans and mistresses have helped shape history and greatly influenced royalty and other public figures. Graham (The Ultimate Book of Imposters) examines the lives of notable and influential courtesans, royal mistresses, and concubines from several countries, showing how they made their own way in different time periods and corners of the world. This is a thoroughly researched and clearly written work with an extensive bibliography. The organization of chapters by either country or types of courtesans is helpful and makes for quick reference. At times, the stories seem to end at odd intervals, but this was likely owing to a paucity of information on women who didn't always have well-documented lives. Though the book is an easy read, the women profiled come across as having a lust for power or money, making some anecdotes seem repetitive. VERDICT This account would serve as a solid research resource for a library; because of the similarity of the subjects, it's unlikely to be read cover to cover.--Stacy Shaw, Orange, CA

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2015
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich wrote that well-behaved women seldom make history. The women chronicled here can hardly be said to be well behaved, but they, too, are seldom written about in the history books. Graham (The Ultimate Book of Imposters, 2013) writes that there are no hard-and-fast dividing lines between the definitions of courtesan, concubine, and mistress. . . . Courtesans could be described as professional mistresses, and the multiple mistresses of kings could also be described as concubines. Some of their names may be familiar, such as Marie Duplessis (the inspiration for Dumas' La Dame aux camellias and Verdi's La Traviata) and Madame de Pompadour (mistress of King Louis XV), and some may not, such as Cixi (dowager empress of China) and Jane Digby (a British admiral's daughter who had four husbands, including a Bedouin sheikh, as well as nearly a dozen aristocratic lovers). Graham tells their stories and offers suggestions for further reading as well as a sizable bibliography for those interested in learning more. Fans of popular history will enjoy this straightforward, readable account of the lives and times of some very colorful characters.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)