What would you do if your husband suddenly left you with two kids to support? Go back to school? Go into real estate?
Or start a new career as a pimp?
Upon discovering that sex work is decriminalised in New Zealand, Antonia Murphy decides to build her own business: an ethical escort agency. It seems like a good idea, but she isn’t sure how it’s done, so she connects with the online sex worker community.
MadamAntonia: Hi! I’m new to all this, and I was wondering if you could tell me a little bit about being a sex worker?
phryne: Well. There’s sex and there’s sex. What do you plan to offer?
These smart, sassy women teach her more than she could have dreamed of – the importance of pineapple juice, how to remove chilli oil from, ahem, sensitive places, and what ‘Greek’ means (hint: there are no togas).
Clueless but hopeful, Antonia launches The Bach: a healthy, safe place where women can earn great money and provide compassionate, shame-free pleasure for clients.
At least, that’s the idea . . .
A poignant and darkly comedic memoir from a mother who opened an ethical escort agency in small town New Zealand – and dared to make a difference. Now a major international TV series starring Rachel Griffiths and Martin Henderson.
About the Author
Antonia Murphy is an award-winning journalist and the author of Dirty Chick and Madam, which has been adapted into a television series. She is also the founder of The Bach, a legal, feminist escort agency. A San Francisco native, she lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her partner and two children.
Industry Reviews
‘Madam masterfully flicks between the often lovely and sometimes devastating mundanity of everyday family life and the fast-paced, dangerous world of sex work.’