My Notorious Life

A Novel

By: Kate Manning

Narrated by: Terry Donnelly

A brilliant rendering of a scandalous historical figure, Kate Manning's My Notorious Life is an ambitious, thrilling novel introducing Axie Muldoon, a fiery heroine for the ages.

In vivid prose, Axie recounts how she is forcibly separated from her mother and siblings, apprenticed to a doctor, and how she and her husband parlay the sale of a few bottles of "Lunar Tablets for Female Complaint" into a thriving midwifery business. Flouting convention and defying the law in the name of women's reproductive rights, Axie rises from grim tenement rooms to the splendor of a mansion on Fifth Avenue, amassing wealth while learning over and over never to trust a man who says "trust me."

When her services attract outraged headlines, Axie finds herself on a collision course with a crusading official - Anthony Comstock, founder of the Society for the Suppression of Vice. It will take all of Axie's cunning and power to outwit him in the fight to preserve her freedom and everything she holds dear.

Inspired by the true history of an infamous female physician who was once called "the Wickedest Woman in New York," My Notorious Life is a mystery, a family saga, a love story, and an exquisitely detailed portrait of nineteenth-century America. Axie Muldoon's inimitable voice brings the past alive, and her story haunts and enlightens the present.

©2013 Kate Manning (P)2013 Simon & Schuster

A must read for 2023

This gorgeously written historical novel shines a light on an midwife and the horrors she went through to help others. Based on a real person- everyone should listen to this

Loved it!

It takes a while to get used to the narrator but once you do the story and the narration are magical.

A compelling story, but an awful reader

Would you listen to My Notorious Life again? Why?

I wouldn't listen to this again, because I couldn't stand the reader. Which is annoying, because the story was excellent.

What was one of the most memorable moments of My Notorious Life?

The descriptions of the lives of women of the time, especially lower class women, were excellent. And the medical care they received was stomach turning.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

The story already has a melodramatic feel, and she takes it about three steps too far. Her voice becomes grating, and getting through the story took effort.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Too much

It took too long to tell a good story and belabored the characters with details. The presenters voice was more tolerable when the speed was faster.

Loved It!!

I can't believe I didn't listen to this before now. I read a similar book that I can't remember the title. But this book adds depth and character development that the one I can't remember did. Don't pass this by if you are into women's issues.

good story

great story, a little graphic at times. didn't love the breathy reading when voicing characters other than the protagonist

Narrator gave me false hopes

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

I liked the narrator but the middle third, as others pointed out, was pretty tedious. No big surprises, actually fairly predictable.

Would you be willing to try another book from Kate Manning? Why or why not?

I don't think so.

Awful reader

Loved the book!! HATED The reader. Try a sample first!! I don't think I would have listened if I tried a sample first.

Engaging book and storytelling

The story of this courageous women is compelling and all consuming. The narration adds to the story and helps paint a picture of what life was like for this Irish immigrate turn notorious abortionist.

Long story

Story very interesting especially at first. Went on a bit too long for my liking. Seemed almost repetitive. The reader drones on in a rather whiny voice. Constantly whining it seemed .