The Story of Chicago May

Here we have the notorious Chicago May, criminal mastermind, prostitute, con artist, pickpocket, et cetera, etc., &c. She left Ireland in 1890 for America, taking with her all of her family's assets and entered into a life on the edges of society. She romped around the World's Fair in Chicago. She m......more

I first heard of Irish writer Nuala O'Faolain when I picked up one of her books in the WH Smith at Heathrow as I ran to catch a flight back to the States. Sometimes we are drawn to certain authors in mysterious ways, as if the moments were meant to be. Thereafter, I was led to her two memoirs, breat......more

This story is interesting and has a lot of potential. I think it was just too much good material that went by the wayside caused by an author who infused her own life story into that of "Chicago May's." I love a good turn-of-the-century underworld story (e.g. "Devil in the White City) but this was s......more

Edenmore 1890, Irlanda. May Duignan abbandona la casa paterna a 19 anni per inseguire il sogno americano. Non dà mai segno di cercare una vita onesta. Diventa adescatrice, prostituta, ladra e truffatrice. Mai un segno di rimorso o costrizione nelle sue parole, una vita scelta più che imposta dalle ci......more

A biography in only the most liberal interpretation of the word, Ms. O'Faolain has instead created a documentary of her life as she sees it intersecting Chicago May's. Since May passed away in 1929, this amounts to Ms. O'Faolain documenting her own thoughts about May's experience as she reads about......more