Maryka BiaggioCritiques

Interesting story of woman on trial for extortion in 1917. Based on a true story of an adventuress. It started out slow but picked up the pace during the sections of the actual trial. Told in first person with flashbacks. What I found most interesting about it was contrasting the avenues a woman had to survive a hundred years ago versus the opportunities they have now. May Dugus might have chosen differently today. Still there will always be women who look to rich men for the easiest way to survive, trading sexual allure and mystique for survival. I guess as long as both parties are aware of what is being bought and sold it isn't for me to judge.

*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*

I've heard of Toto Koopman previously, but I didn't know the extent of her remarkable story until this novel. Born in Indonesia, the mixed-race Toto lived a life of luxury and glamour in pre-WWII Europe. Working as a model, she worked for Vogue and Coco Chanel, but Toto found her true calling when a wealthy Englishman taught her the basics of espionage. She's determined to put her skills to use when war breaks out, but Toto's work as a spy also puts her in danger. Overall, this made for a fascinating and informative read and I hope to learn more about this remarkable woman.

The Model Spy, Maryka Biaggio
This book turned out to be a far better read than I thought it would be. In the beginning, I thought perhaps it was really written for a Young Adult audience, but soon, I was disabused of that idea. The book is based on the life of Toto Koopman, and as she matured, I changed my mind. At first, she seemed to be a woman of very low morals, selfish and overly self-confident, often changing lovers like some people change their under garments. However, as she matured, became a nurse and then a veritable asset to the war effort as a spy, she seemed to find her calling, wanting more out of life than pleasure; she offered her services in any capacity to the resistance or to Great Britain, sometimes begging to be an asset. She spoke several languages, was very wily, and her beauty and personality were often magnetic, enabling her to charm those she came in contact with, eliciting information to pass on to the spymasters and partisans.
When the book begins, it is 1914, Toto, the child of a Dutch father and Indonesian mother, has suffered the slings and arrows of bigotry. However, when she is sent off to boarding school, her parents had instilled enough self-confidence in her to allow her to use her beauty, intelligence and wit to aid her in her effort to overcome the abusive behavior she sometimes encountered, and to succeed beyond her wildest dreams. She graced the covers of Vogue and other magazines, modeled for Chanel, mixed with dignitaries, politicians and world leaders, corresponding and dating such men as Randolph Churchill, and befriending Pamela Churchill and others of prominent backgrounds. Still, she proposed to give her leisurely, upscale life up, because she truly wished to aid the effort to stop the monstrous behavior of Mussolini at first, and then Hitler’s barbarism.
Still, she seemed to be a woman who gave in to her prurient desires, taking lovers at will, and behaving as she pleased, regardless of social protocols. Her sexuality covered all aspects of her relationships, male and female. Toto, did not mind assuming other identities or even becoming a honey trap when she had to, in order to solicit information. There were few women aiding the war effort in this way, but she trained and learned how to defend herself, pass and receive secrets and, hopefully, how to survive. She didn’t mind using men to get what she wanted, but no matter how loose or unconventional she may have seemed, at first, don’t judge her too harshly because she had the courage to survive in both Italian prison camps and German Concentration Camps, and she never betrayed her fellow spies in spite of beatings, starvation and degradation, in spite of being begged by the enemy to turn and aid them instead. Even to save herself, she would not work for Italy or Germany. Instead, she served her time, escaped, was recaptured, suffered intensely was even experimented upon, but still she aided the war effort as a courier, as an interpreter, helping and leading soldiers and partisans to escape to safety, rescuing Jewish children, rescuing prisoners, saving some from being condemned to death, who were in the prison camps with her, and even carried secrets out of Ravensbruck when she was freed at the war's end.
I have read widely on the subject of World War II. This book covers it from many vantage points, as it explores the life of Toto Koopman, a largely unsung heroine. It illustrates the brutality that partisans, gypsies, political prisoners and all those captured and imprisoned in various places by Mussolini, Hirohito, and Hitler had to endure. While it reveals many things I had heard of, like the cattle cars, the forced marches, cold-blooded murder and torture, and the experiments on the prisoners called “rabbits”, it also revealed something I had not known, and that was that there was anesthetic-free, forced sterilization of those women not considered purely Aryan, like those of mixed races and those of gypsy heritage. Dr. Mengele was not the only maniacal monster. Toto Koopman was forced to live through the ordeal of these brutalized women and suffer the consequences. This book covers a broad spectrum of the barbarism of the Axis countries, and it is worth the time it takes to read it.
It is told in the first person and it soon begins to feel as if, in this fictionalized version of her life, Toto is speaking directly to you, the reader, taking you into her confidence, forcing you, the reader, to sometimes wish you could offer her some comfort. Starved, beaten, imprisoned without proof of a crime, tortured, she weathered the storms of the war years, and then lived fairly quietly thereafter. Biracial, bisexual, a free spirit willing to sacrifice to save others, she deserves your honor, your respect and your praise.

I'd never heard of Catharina "Toto" Koopman before reading this book.  Born in Java (then part of the Dutch East Indies) in 1908 to a Dutch cavalry officer and a part-Javanese mother, she got her nickname from her father's favorite horse.  At age 12, she was sent to a boarding school in the Netherlands, where she became fluent in English, French, German and Italian.  After finishing school in London, she moved to Paris, where her exotic looks led to a career as a model, and an unconventional lifestyle.

In the 1930s, Koopman met a lot of influential people in England, Germany, and Italy, settling in the latter country in 1939.  During World War II, she used her contacts and language skills to spy for the Italian Resistance. She was captured/escaped/recaptured (more than once), and spent time in prisons and work camps, including six months at the Ravensbrück concentration camp just before it was liberated in April 1945. Over half of the book deals with her gripping experiences as a prisoner in these places.

Maryka Biaggio's biographical novel of this fascinating woman is absorbing and thorough.  She made Toto come alive once again.  I also appreciated the extensive bibliography of key resources at the end.½

Jet-setter, hob-nobber with the famous, and herself a model, Toto Koopman had a movie life. She became a spy and during World War II spent time in concentration camps and prison.

This novelization of her life is told in the first person POV, as if the woman is writing her memoir. The narration is authentic, engrossing, and very readable. Her story is compelling, although anguishing at times. Biaggio shows us what a heroine is - not necessarily someone who does things that no one else can do, but someone who does things no one else wants to do, someone who steps up and does what little she can, which can end up changing the world.

The story is fast-paced and well-written. A great addition to the WWII female-spy historical fiction genre.

Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio was a fantastic historical fiction read. Based on a true story, we follow along with the beautiful con-artist, May Dugas, as she lives a life of excitement and glamour – all paid for by her admirers. Of course she has her difficulties as well as she is constantly being pursued by a Pinkerton detective, and, as the book opens, she is facing a trial where she is accused of extortion. May’s story opens in the late 1800’s and takes us through to 1917.

Beautiful, resourceful, intelligent and cunning, May takes herself from a small town in northern Michigan to exotic locations all over the world. The story is narrated by May and her voice immediately draws you into her life. The scenario switches from her on-going trial to glimpses of how her life unfolded. We cover over thirty years of May’s life, from her short stint in an upscale brothel to becoming a baroness. At one time the Pinkerton Agency considered her the most dangerous woman in the world, but I couldn’t help but root for her, although it was pretty obvious that she was ensuring that we always saw her in the best light possible.

Parlor Games is a well written, very engaging story. May’s life with it many twists and turns kept me glued to the book as I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next. I enjoyed the story even though I was very aware that May was a master manipulator. This is a woman who only kept to the rules of society when they worked in her favor. She relies on her beauty and her wit to carry her through, and however you feel about her, she sure made for a great read!

Barbara Follett was a literary prodigy born into a literary legacy. This novel is about her life and her disappearance. I never heard of Barbara Follett before receiving this book and, after reading, I found myself searching for everything written about her. A fantastic novel! Highly recommend!!

Set in 1890s Michigan, Eden Waits retells the story of real characters facing real historical problems that are, sadly, hauntingly relevant today. Utopian dreams fuel an attempt to create a society where everyone is cared for; you can’t be fired on a whim; you can’t be driven out by overcharging; you can’t be made to starve just because you’re sick… It sounds great, but outside the Utopian village is a real world waiting to win, and inside there are real characters, driven by a wholly convincing blend of faith, hope and the determination to succeed.

Author Maryka Biaggio recreates her characters convincingly, divining believable motivations, and bringing the reader deeply into both the practicalities of 1890s life (house-building, farming, logging…) and the tortured loyalties of good people making honest mistakes. The dialog feels real, the voices are compelling, and the storyline moves pleasingly from a well-chosen start to a perfectly-timed finish.

Some typos distracted me at the start, but perhaps I had an early copy. By a few pages in, I was hooked, and I thoroughly enjoyed the glimpse into history, and its relevance to the present day.

Disclosure: I loved the author’s earlier novel, met the author, and couldn’t resist reading this one too.

Richly evocative, smoothly non-judgemental, and historically fascinating, Maryka Biaggio’s Parlor Games introduces readers to a time and place of need and resolution, where the rich are different and imitation is the sincerest form of success. The story begins with the protagonist on trial, and her narration offers to let the reader judge, while she tells how things came to this.

Soon the past is unveiling itself in chapters that flow smoothly between the two timelines of life and legal tribulation. Soon the reader is balancing between condemnation, humor, and hope. And the worlds of a changing century come to vivid life. Chicago, Shanghai, London, San Francisco… the almost successes of almost real love, and the almost failures of a Pinkerton’s devotion to duty… the Gilded Age, how delightfully gilded, is passing, and a woman who provides for her family waits for judgment on her judgment calls.

Parlor Games takes readers from bordello to cruise, crossing continents and causes, and inexorably drawing toward an unknown conclusion. Guilty, innocent (ah, never innocent she), cruel or kind… let the reader (or the courts) decide.

As an added enticement, story and characters are drawn from well-researched and richly-imagined history. A truly enjoyable and fascinating read.

Disclosure: A friend loaned me the book—she knew I’d enjoy it.

I ran across Parlor Games on Goodreads as a suggested read and found the plot intriguing. I liked the idea that the book is based on the life and trial of an actual historical figure, May Dugas. May Dugas was a con-artist in the late 1800's-early 1900's. The book switches perspective between her eventual trial and her early life. Even though the book is highly fictionalized, I still enjoyed it immensely. The only portion of the book that I didn't care for was the Pinkerton detective who makes it his priority to chase down Dugas. I felt that having the same detective follow her throughout the entire narrative seemed a little implausible. The book spans several decades with travel to many different countries and continents. It just didn't seem possible that one detective would have been able to follow her throughout the entire process.

redundant and boring

Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio is a fictionalized account of a female con artist born in a small town in Michigan. The story opens with a trial held in her home town in 1917. She was used inventing a new alias when she wanted to start a new life. I counted five aliases in this book. The book opens with her telling her own story and then goes back and forth to different points in her life in chronological order and the proceedings of the trial that started the book.

Born in poverty and her mother taught her how to make a good impression and wanted Mary Dugas to marry someone higher on the social ladder. Her father taught to invent stories tauting job experience that he did not have. Throughout her life, she invented scheme and scheme to get people's money. She used flattery and acting to con the people. She even had a Pinkerton agent chasing her down and interrupting her schemes. I felt no sympathy for her and was amazed the author's skill in keeping the story going. I knew from her schemes that she had to be intelligent to think of them and also found out later by finding a picture of her, that she was very beautiful. Here is a woman who wanted to cheat, trick people of their money, jewel and even a title. She did not seem to have a conscience or guilt. I still enjoyed the story and believe that I have picked up some clues about con artists.

Where I got the book: purchased from Amazon. Maryka is a friend.

I jumped on this novel, friend or no friend, because of the cover—a gorgeous piece of design—and the era. Plus, the promise of naughty goings-on in Chicago parlor houses, which were the better brothels.

Alas, the blurb is massively deceptive on that point. This is, in fact, biographical fiction covering thirty years in the life of May Dugas, who was a real person. She starts out as a girl from a very ordinary family in Menominee, in the upper peninsula of Michigan. Her amorous nature gets her into trouble that serves as her excuse for going to Chicago, and it’s while she’s trying to survive in the big city that her stint in a parlor house comes in, but it’s way too short. Which is a pity because the story of how May survives in Chicago and why she has to leave could easily fill a novel, and includes a scene that for me was the highlight of the book.

But in real life May got up to a whole lot more, and Parlor Games follows her career. The story of May’s life is framed by a court case in 1917, when May was sued by a former friend—but that doesn’t stop it from being episodic, as you’d expect in the case of an adventuress who periodically has to pick up and start again.

I couldn’t help liking May, and I loved the way she (since she’s telling the story) always slants it slightly so she’s in her best light, leaving the court case to cast doubt on the reliability of her narrative. If you believe May, nothing is entirely her fault—a very creditable character flaw, and one with which I’m well acquainted.

There were some lovely scenes and well-paced dialogue, and if you’re a fan of life-story fiction you’ll enjoy the changes of location and May’s ability to pull herself out of one situation after another. I prefer a novel with a stronger center, a definite source of conflict or desire, so for me this is a 3.5 star read for the quality of the writing and the clarity of the plotting.

For a good part of this book, I was waiting for something really interesting to happen. At some point, I realized that it wasn't going to get any more interesting. The book isn't dull, its just a bit repetitive.

I also found the extensive descriptions of gowns and jewelry distracting, but that is probably just a matter of taste.

This was the best book I have read in a while... I would love to read more books by this author

** I received this book for free as part of a First - Reads promotion

Con artist, and the Pinkerton who keeps showing up to wilt her chances for romance and riches -- not in that order. Based on a real woman, and a famous Michigan trial involving a possibly stolen necklace.

I had seen this book floating around the internet. Yet, I never got around to checking it out. My sister actually got me this book. So I finally had a chance to check this book out. I have never heard of May Dugas. Yet I am drawn to these types of stories of strong women and this time period. When you mix these two elements with a really good writer, you get a lovely book like Parlor Games by Maryka Biaggio.

I did not feel like May was ever a victim. In fact, I kind of thought of her as a cool hero. The guys she took advantage of I could not even feel sorry for as well. They either deserved it or if they thought they could rein May in, they were too gullible. The chase between May and Reed was entertaining. I would say they both were on equal playing fields when it came to who had the upper hand. I had a smile on my face for the ending of this story.

WOW!! What an amazing read this was! I loved every minute of this book and I do wish Maryka Biaggio had more to offer. Parlor Games was just, well, it was YUMMY!! I started reading it and I just couldn't get enough. When it ended,(and I HATED that it ended!) I searched Goodreads, Amazon, and every place imaginable to find something comparable. Biaggio has written a juicy fictional account based on the real May Dugas de Pallandt van Eerde, the Baroness, that was a page turner for me. I couldn't wait to learn what May was up to next...and May was certainly up to A LOT. I have chosen to keep this review short and simple, if only to prevent me from gushing an essay.

May Dugas is a young woman wanting more than her small Michigan town has to offer. May adores luxury and sets out to find those riches in Chicago. Why and how May gets to Chicago had me raising my eyebrow. Let's just say that May Dugas reminds me of that clever, conniving vixen, Scarlett O'Hara. May has a certain way about doing things and it is mostly for her own selfish gains. However, May's questionable ingenuity did not endear her less to me. She has her faults, one being a fugitive from justice, but I still wanted her to come out on top. After all, May wasn't completely heartless. When she loved, she loved deeply and she did have her generous moments. Regardless, May is a very likeable character and her escapades take her around the world and back again, traveling in style and hobnobbing with the very best, all the while being hunted by a relentless Pinkerton across three continents. As I said, May had a certain way about doing things and some of those things were very questionable. Parlor Games is just the right mix of love, intrigue, betrayal, extortion, blackmail, and adventure and it has absolutely found it's way to my "all-time favorites" list. I loved it!!

The settings in Parlor Games were amazing. London, New York, Shanghai, etc., but the same Pinkerton Agency detective keeps tracking May down in these cities. How? It didn't seem reasonable to me. Maybe I can't imagine finding people in the years before the internet? May changed her name and moved frequently but Detective Doherty kept showing up at inopportune times. (Just in time to foil her plans!)

I wasn't able to connect with May. I would have liked to have understood her better, to hear her thoughts and justifications for her actions. I may have liked this book more if I had a clue about May's motives. Is she trying to help support her family by conning and conniving her way through life? That reason didn't hold up for me as she treats her family members shabbily at best.

Parlor Games did contain enjoyable sections. I was intrigued by the extortion trial. Those were my favorite parts of the book and the only place I felt I was learning a bit more about the characters. That was what I wanted more of. I loved the idea of this book because I love learning about history and real historical characters. Unfortunately this book fell flat for me.

Parlor Games was apparently inspired by the real life of May Dugas. I'm wondering if a nonfiction account would work better for me? Sadly, this book did not.

May Dugas is most definitely a con-artist and an unreliable narrator. Talk about trying to make a criminal look like an innocent bystander! It was a lot of fun to travel along with May from Chicago to Portland to San Francisco to Shanghai to Hong Kong to you name it, she probably went there. I think the author did a great job of recreating May's world.

Part of the problem though is that I never believed May -- I never thought she loved these guys. I think she thought she did...or she just wanted the reader to feel sorry for her. (And well...I didn't.)

I'm interested in learning more about the real May -- I mean, "the most dangerous woman in the world" is a pretty hefty title!

Kim's Bookstack
Saturday
Wicked Baroness May Dugas - simple young woman just trying to better herself and make men happy by letting them help her feel better with jewels, trips and clothes or scheming black widow spider out to suck the hearts and bank accounts of every man? You be the judge in this novel based on the very real gold digger. Great fun but you will be tempted to laugh at how gullible these men and women were and how wronged May felt after being sued time and time again. The novel flips back and forth between May's exploits and twenty years later in 1917 at her trial. This is the debut novel for Maryka Biaggio who I would say has found her niche in exciting historical fiction.

May Dugas is a woman trying to get by in a man's world by using the only asset she has, her sex appeal. She starts out as prostitute but moves up to the station of wife of a European Barron. Always one step away is Pinkerton detective Reed Dougherty waiting in the wings to mess up her plans. As May travels the world through the years she embarks upon adventure after adventure and always with new man (or woman) who can provide the wealth she desires. May is what we would call a grifter but since she is telling the story that word is not one that is used. May is an unreliable narrator who charms the reader as much as her cons. May would have you believe that she is merely a woman who has been unlucky in love. It would have been interesting to read the story through the marks point of view. As it is we do hear from one, Miss Frank Shaver who is suing the Baroness in a court of law. The recount of the trial is interspersed with May's globetrotting adventures.

I loved, loved, loved, this book. Once I started it I could not put it down. One of the blurb's for the book was written by Daisy Goodwin, author of The American Heiress another novel I really enjoyed. If you too are a fan of the heiress grab this right away. It's as luxurious as a box of Godiva chocolates with a glass of champagne.

The story of a globe-trotting, beautiful bisexual fin de siècle con artist... what could go wrong? Surprisingly little, considering that the writing's pretty clunky. But the story is a lot of fun. And actually for all the lack of sophistication in the actual writing, the psychological portrait of the (anti)heroine is a good one; the author holds back from painting her with too broad a brush. She's a psychologist (the author, that is), which may have helped—that's really what kept me reading. And I don't mean to damn with faint praise, because I did like the book. But if I had to sit through one more description of someone's facial features, clothing, or the sumptuous room they were in as soon as they were introduced and not have enjoyed the action, I would have thrown it across the room early on.½

I just loved this book. Loved, loved, loved. It was flippant and fun, total escapism, with a minxy heroine I adored from the first page, a long list of exotic locales to divert, and piles of dramatic intrigue to keep me engaged.

Set in the late 1880s through 1910s, the story follows May Dugas, a small town Michigan girl with a foxy figure, clever mind, and an impatience with ordinary life. Told in first person, May's 'voice' is sophisticated, wily, artificially innocent, glib.

The novel opens in 1917, with May on trial, accused of swindling more than $50,000 from a former friend, Miss Frank Shaver. Returned to her childhood hometown of Menominee, Michigan, May has been dubbed by the Pinkertons as 'the most dangerous woman in America'. (And without having murdered a soul!) Notorious, rich, and titled (she's a baroness now!), May tells the reader the truth of how she came to that point. (I didn't put truth in quotes because I've decided she's sharing the truth -- I'm like her innumerable suitors, smitten past the point of reason!)

May reminded me of Lola Montez, another notorious adventuress with lovers and scandals trailing behind her like the train on her dress. May's story strains credulity until you remember, like Ms. Montez, May was a real woman. Biaggio does a wonderful job of making May's escapades seem feasible, albeit excessive, and I was with her every ill-timed, poorly-conceived, and ambitiously bold step of the way.

The other characters in the book -- especially the men -- are rather flat (and I don't think that's a bad thing!), but that's to be expected with May. She's the star of her own story, and with good reason: men are drawn to her for same reasons we are. Biaggio balances May's self-centered ruminations, justifications, and pep talks with lovely tidbits and details about the era, setting, clothes, and mores. (Biaggio doesn't stint on describing May's flashy jewels and I could practically see them winking at me from between the lines.)

The novel alternates with the trial and May's account of her life. I will say, I've recently tired of dual storylines, especially when they break up the flow and action of the story, but in this case, I actually enjoyed the two timelines. Both lines are fascinating, and thankfully Biaggio ends each chapter neatly, with no wild cliffhangers -- which means I can go into the new chapter relatively relaxed. (Relatively, as overall, I couldn't stop mentally screaming, 'So how does it all end for May?!')

I think this would make a wonderful audiobook due to the first-person narration and May's lively tone. (Although having just listened to sample of it, I might take this claim back. I found the narrator a bit flat.) Despite May's sexual prowess, this book is light on tawdry details, so no need to worry about detailed or flowery descriptions of her and her lovers. In the end, this was a straight up enjoyable novel -- the kind of book that sucked me in, made me miss my subway stops, and had me reading as I walked up the sidewalk home. If you like your hist fic with a hint of grandeur and a heavy dollop of drama, consider this!