Matrons and Madams - (Bread and Roses) by Sharon Johnston (Paperback)

About the Book

Based on a true story, Matrons and Madams is a sprawling saga of a teacher-turned-madam and a lady superintendent of a hospital, who join forces to combat the rampant venereal disease that spreads throughout Alberta once soldiers return from the Great War, and also to improve the lives of the women in the brothels of Lethbridge.

Book Synopsis

Based on a true story, Matrons and Madams is a sprawling saga of a teacher-turned-madam and a lady superintendent of a hospital, who join forces to combat the rampant venereal disease that spreads throughout Alberta once soldiers return from the Great War, and also to improve the lives of the women in the brothels of Lethbridge.

Review Quotes

Unlike many novels that place women in wartime as an afterthought - bit players in the lives of men - Johnston makes their fate the focus of her first novel.

About the Author

Sharon Johnston is the Globe and Mail bestselling author of Matrons and Madams. She grew up in Sault Ste. Marie and graduated with a degree in physical and occupational therapy from the University of Toronto. She completed a doctorate in rehabilitation science from McGill University and ran a horse-training business called Chatterbox Farm. In her many duties as wife of Governor General David Johnston, she has recounted and borne witness to the struggles of Canadian veterans adjusting to life after the Great War. She lives at Rideau Hall, in Ottawa.