And then she built this apparently gorgeous mansion on it where she continued to perform abortions in the basement and see patients. And in response, Madame Restell outbid him by hundreds of thousands of dollars, so much that they could not possibly compete. He had wanted to buy a plot of land for a house across the street from where St. We don’t know exactly what he said-I tried so hard to find it but I couldn’t-but we know that he criticized her. The archbishop in New York had criticized her during one of his sermons. JW: One of Madame Restell’s greatest acts of pettiness. MK: And please take us back and tell us why she built her home on Fifth Avenue in Midtown. They’re all, “We agree abortion is bad, but this is the best house we’ve ever seen.” And I thought all the newspapers would read like, “This is so new money, she’s so trashy, this is so gross.” And they don’t. JW: One of the things that really delighted me about reading news reports from this period is that Madame Restell is constantly buying clothes and diamonds and mansions and amazing horses and big carriages and flaunting her wealth at every opportunity. And they’re so fun to read about because she was so petty and loved money so much. MK: Madame Restell is the heroine of this book, but you are very clear about her flaws.
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