There was a time when virgin women were considered the cure for a man who was afflicted with syphilis or “the pox”.  It was an unfortunate myth that put many innocent young ladies at risk for their own health and lives.  The Virgin Cure is set during that period in history (1871 New York), where we are introduced to Moth Fenwick.  She lives with her mother, who seems to be making a living from fortune telling.  When we meet Moth (an only child and fatherless), she is twelve and on the verge of being given away for a price.  We get the feeling that there is no love lost on her mother’s part, but Moth imagines that she will one day return home.