Red House Alley is the first complete English translation of Else Jerusalem's Der Heilige Skarabäus, her revolutionary novel about sex workers in 19th century Vienna. Jerusalem ripped away the veil of moral hypocrisy that viewed prostitutes as predators who lured men into their clutches, showing the women as victims of pimps, madams, and the police. Its frank portrayal of the sex trade led the Nazis to ban the book in 1933, after which it was forgotten for over 80 years.

Red House Alley is destined to take its rightful place as a classic of feminist literature.