What would you do to save your family?
Dora worked in a brothel.
A hundred years later, I went looking for her story.
My Great-Aunt Madam
In Search of an Offbeat Ancestor
My family comes from a vanished world.
In 1912, my great-aunt Dora left Austrian Galicia seeking a better life. What she found was redemption, and discovering her story has changed me forever.
I hope you enjoy my website, dedicated to sharing Dora’s story and helping you discover your own offbeat ancestor.
Once you know where you come from, the world around you will never look the same.
Recent Posts
Discovering Dora’s story and finding myself
The Midnight Phone Call
In this silent house at midnight, as I searched for traces of my ancestors, the phone began to ring. It felt like the past was calling me.
The Thrill of the Hunt
My mother’s generation remembered Dora and what we in the family called “the business.”
I’ve Always Known
Family gatherings always included talk of a cigar store, a brothel, selling stolen goods, a back-room bookie operation, and belonging to “the mob.”
The Things that Drive Us
Hemmed in by the smallness of it all, Dora dreamed of different life.
