And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman

Laura Lippman has moved way beyond her Tess Monaghan detective series (I would love to read more of these.)  And When She Was Good goes to the extreme's of parental love.  Heloise Lewis is a suburban madam with a young son whom she protects from the reality of her business.  When her past threatens to intrude, she bravely develops an exit strategy.

Daughter of a cruel man and weak mother, Helen/Heloise runs away in her late teens to get married.  The marriage never happens, and she is caught in the world of prostitution.  When she finds herself pregnant, she finds a way to partially escape. At the center of this book is her attempt to completely leave prostitution and her son's father.

The contrast between her cruel father's treatment of Helen and Helen's treatment of her son is the core of the book.  Parental love makes all the difference. The story is powerful and compelling; Lippman's prose is compelling and truthful.