Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl: A Nancy Chan Novel

As a twentysomething, college educated female who has experience working as a professional escort, I was very eager to get my hands on this book. The popular media invariably portrays all sex workers as disenfranchised, lowly women who are in the trade due to desperation. This is a vast misrepresentation; escorting can be fun, profitable, and even romantic. Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl provides a much needed voice of balance. The main character, Nancy Chan, is working as a high-class call girl because she *wants to*, not because she *has to*. This is an important distinction amid a sea of media propaganda about the world of escorting. Nancy has been drawn to escorting for a number of reasons: she loves the money, she loves the excitement, etc. At the same time, she wants to have a "conventional relationship." The sections in this book that described Nancy's inner dialog reminded me of my own situation. I won't list any spoilers here, but the novel presents the idea that a woman who works for a stint as a call girl can still find married love and upper-middle class respectability. The book even suggests that the two can exist concurrently--a theme which the author apparently explores in a sequel to this novel. I also liked the descriptions of the sex scenes. Whereas sex between an escort and a client are usually portrayed (in the mainstream media) as seedy exploitation, Nancy Chan's bedroom romps with clients are decribed as playful, naughty encounters. At just under 300 pages, Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl is short enough to be a fairly quick read for the attention deficit challenged. The emotional conflicts, suspense, and the sex scenes will keep you turning the pages. In summary--a welcome and much overdue addition to the world of chick lit!

Tracy Quan has written a delightful novel about a fictional Manhattan call girl named Nancy Chan, a successful thirty something prostitute who is trying to work out how to continue to pursue her career in the context of an impending marriage to her fiance, Matt, a rising Wall Street type. It's clear that Nancy Chan shares many of the characteristics of her creator, and part of the fun of reading the novel is trying to determine what and where the distinctions are between the fictional Chan and the very real Quan. This is a work of fiction, of course. But it rings with truth as the tiny details of Nancy's life are sprinkled in - she avoids wearing perfume on the job so that her clients won't have to explain a hint of it when they leave; she has a coding system in which her professional name changes from one set of clients to another - if Bob, a voice on the cell phone, has greeted her as "Amber", he must be the Bob from San Francisco. (A variant of, `If this is Belgium it must be Tuesday'.) And she is ultra careful about seeking and accepting new clients; proper introduction only, thank you. This is a dangerous occupation. Nancy Chan has always done what she wanted to do, and even as a child knew that she wanted to be a prostitute. She has always kept her occupation a secret from her family by claiming to be a copy editor, and intends to do the same thing with her new husband-to-be and his family. And therein lies the motivation and the conflict that make this story work. She worries about Matt staying over in her apartment, "finding things while I'm fast asleep. Like those over-the-top black crotchless panties I wear for Milton. With the red frilly opening. Yikes." Her new inlaws will include the unbelievably nosey sister-in-law Elspeth, an Assistant District Attorney and her Wall Street lawyer husband Jason. Nancy describes them: "Jason's the money in that marriage - an M & A lawyer. Elspeth, the assistant D.A., sees herself as the integrity." Nancy has asked her two closest hooker friends, one the sharp Jasmine and the other the airheaded Allison, to be her bridesmaids at the impending wedding. Chan, the consummate worrywart, is trying to work out how all of these people can be flung together at her wedding and yet maintain her secret life. This in the middle of a full schedule of Runyonesque clients - "johns", her friends from the New York Council of Trollops, therapist sessions with Wendy, her shrink, gym workouts, nail appointments, telephone calls on various cell phones, concert dates and cab rides that comprise her life in New York. It can be read as pure fluff, empty entertainment. Or, as with all competent works of art, it can be viewed on several levels, showing us insights that make us say, "Yeah, that's the way I am and the way the world is - I hadn't thought about it that way before," and shows us shades of meaning obvious only on reflection. I read "Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl" from cover to c

Quan's character-driven story of a pricey call girl stewing over both important life decisions and day-to-day trivia was fascinating to me because she and I have both worked in the same profession but have had such very different experiences. Where my work has mainly been "small town," Quan has worked as an upscale, uptown, chic and elite call girl. Quan's writing has been eye-opening for me because she shows another way of approaching the work -- another life altogether.But this isn't just a book about escorting and escorts and it's appeal is much broader than self-referential reading for other sex workers. This is a book about life, choices, fears and successes that everyone has in one form or another. More than describing the life of a call girl, Quan is describing the life of a Manhattanite. Stand aside, Seinfeld; step back, Sex and the City -- Nancy Chan owns New York! The characters are absolutely fascinating; I devoured this book. I've got my fingers crossed for a sequel -- I want more!

This is a delight: brisk, full of witty and subtle human observation, spicy in its frank and clear-eyed evocation of the high-end hooker's life. The prevailing tone is madcap comedy in alternation with a drier humor, but the author makes surprisingly moving detours into reminiscence and reflection; nobody will have trouble empathizing with the splendidly confused heroine. Tip: for fullest appreciation, log on to Salon.com and read the 50 or so episodes of Nancy Chan's life that lead up to the starting point of the novel.

In her first novel, Tracy Quan, a former call girl in one of the most glamourized cities in the world, gives us the insider's view of her oft-glamourized, often derided former profession--the world's oldest.The characters seemed like SUCH real people to me. Even the relatively boring and seemingly hum-drum johns and working girls were fun and interesting to read about. Tracy has a gift for bringing out the most fun and interesting parts of the lives and personalities of everyday people.I felt like the ultimate voyeur..into a world of kink, fun, power, high-finance, and...practical lingerie.I felt like I got to know the author personally...and ...felt like I got a bit of the call-girl experience myself...though I'm nowhere near as beautiful as the author is in her publicity photo.In short...if you'd like to get a dangerous, yet safe glimpse at "the life"...this is the ONLY way to do it.Let Tracy Quan be your guide. You'll love every page..and, you'll be left breathless with anticipation for the next Nancy Chan book.