Book excerpt: Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Norma Wallace, the last madam of New Orleans, was waiting at home for her young husband to come home. She had a life of adventure and intrigue, but now she was waiting and worrying. #2 Norma’s parents moved to New Orleans when she was three months old. Her father, John Gauley Badon, had come from Covington, Louisiana, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain across from New Orleans. Her mother, Amanda Easley Badon, was the daughter of Warren Easley, the first mayor of McComb. #3 Norma had two personas: one that was comfortable in the respectable world of family, and another that was equally comfortable in the underworld. She developed these personas early in her life, and they remained with her throughout her life. #4 Norma’s parents had split up by the time she was twelve, and she had gone to live with her mother in the French Quarter. She had met a bootlegger who had taken one look at her and said, Norma, darling, you know it’s going to be rough, but one hair on that thing is stronger than a cable under the ocean.