Description

A fiercely funny and wise story of sensuality, money and romance – how those forces can break us, and how they can make us whole again. Charlotte Shane’s utterly compelling serial memoir follows its author over the course of several years as she falls in and out of love, contemplates the nature of sex work and pursues pleasure for its own sake. Growing out of a series of confessional letters sent by the author to a small but devoted mailing list, her unstinting and sometimes heart-breaking honesty about sex and relationships went on to make them a viral sensation, gaining thousands of subscribers. By turns philosophical, irreverent and explicit, here is an affecting, immediate account of one life lived to its fullest.

Publisher Review

Shane narrates . . . in a kind of gentle, considered past tense that makes each missive read as if it has been very sagely composed by a writer who has lived 50 years since . . . That’s exactly what Dickens had a talent for, too. * Guardian * Addictive, intimate . . . * Vice * [Prostitute Laundry] is so beautiful and so heartbreaking. It’s a book that makes me feel a little less alone. * New York Times Books Podcast * Stunning writing … everything from high end sex work to the emotional labour of long-term relationships for women — Arifa Akbar, author of Consumed Fast and fascinating … feels spontaneous and emotionally fresh on every page … a delicious must-read book — Katie Ward, author of Girl Reading Prostitute Laundry is full of such precise observations; Shane’s voice is decisive even as her decisions and feelings remain open to change. — Megan Marz * TLS *