Book Review: The Making of a Madam

I just finished reading The Making of a Madam, by Patsyann Maloney, with Wayne Holmes. Wayne is the author of the book that I contributed to a few years back. You can find that book here.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

The Making of a Madam is a story of turmoil, hardship, and heartache. While growing up in a family of fourteen children, Patsyann's physical, spiritual, and emotional needs went unmet, until she ran away from home. Patsy and her sister eventually went to live with older siblings. But although her physical needs were met, emotional turmoil continued. While still living with her father and mother, she was sexually molested at a very young age by an old man, and she learned at a young age that men would provide a little pocket change in return for sexual favors. Moving in with her older sister should have remedied that situation, but instead, it continued as her brother-in-law continually molested her until her engagement near the end of high school.

Patsy's story takes almost every imaginable turn for the worst. From molestation, to her husband cheating on her with a man, and beyond. Just when I thought the story couldn't get any worse, it does, and soon she is in to full blown prostitution to provide for her children, and then on to being a madam. All in the hope of gaining what her father could never give her.

However, God's grace and mercy go farther and deeper than any imaginable pain, suffering, and sin. When Pasty is incarcerated, she learns (through programs available to inmates) healthier ways of thinking, and for the first time in her life, she sees a possible ending to her tumultuous life.

Because of good behavior, Pasty's time in jail was cut much shorter than her original sentence. Not long after she was set free, she humbly and eagerly gave her heart to Jesus Christ. While that did not instantly make her life and relationships golden, it paved the way for her to reconstruct the relationships with her children, siblings, and others that she hurt along the way.

The Making of a Madam is a true story of human frailty, victory over sin, and Christ's love for us. It's a page turner that will pull at the strings of your heart, and ultimately make you weep with those who weep, and rejoice with those who rejoice. It's an inspiring read that you won't soon forget.

~Brenda