Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is an award-winning author of historical fiction but her first love was music. As a vocalist, flutist and songwriter, she toured for nearly a decade. She was a Communications graduate of Northwestern University and in 1997 became the Communications Director for the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery. Her in-depth knowledge of plastic surgery lends a unique perspective to her first historical novel, ‘The Beauty Doctor,’ and music takes center stage in her upcoming book, ‘Temptation Rag,’ both set in turn-of-the-century rag-time era New York City. ‘Temptation Rag’ is scheduled for release on Monday December 3 and centers around seventeen-year old May Convery, who is unhappy with her privileged life and dreams of becoming a poet.
The story in ‘Temptation Rag’ begins with May, who as a young girl, meets Mike Bernard, a talented young aspiring pianist and immediately falls in love. He is her piano instructor but their lives cross paths during parties and concerts. When their secret marriage is discovered, it is annulled and they both go their separate ways. As the years pass, their stories are told simultaneously as Mike abandons serious music to defend his title of Ragtime King of the World and May struggles to find her voice as an artist and a woman. The book is separated into four acts and each begins with a chapter told from the view of Ben Harney’s sideman, Strap Hill. They are as follows: Act I (1895-1896), Act II (1900), Act III (1912-1913) and Act IV (1928-1929). In the Curtain Call set in August 1943, Mike’s son Bert Bernard meets the brother he never knew he had; Melvin Livingstone, who is his May and Mike’s son.
In the Author’s Note, Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard explains how this historical novel is based on historical facts but that while some characters are real, like Mike Bernard, Ben Harney and Tony Pastor, some of the characters are fictional. Fans of the genre will be thrilled to find out that the author’s husband’s grandfather is the real Mike Bernard, the American musician who influence the development of ragtime-era music. Even though May and Mike’s story is a complicated romance that spans decades, the history taking place in the background, including vaudeville stars, early African American musical theatre actors and actresses and the woman’s suffrage movement is the gem of the novel. Especially gripping is the chapter titled ‘The Parade’ in Act III which is set in Washington DC in March 1913 during a suffragette march where May and other women are arrested. May’s character is relatable because it realistically describes a women’s never-ending search for her identity, especially in that era. ‘Temptation Rag’ is a gripping page-turner that has romance, history and music and is recommended for readers who appreciate a smart retelling of history through multiple points of view. It might even introduce some readers to the joyful sounds of ragtime.
“May wiped away an errant tear before it could leave its trail on her cheek. She felt light, giddy. It seemed the secrets that had weighed her down for decades also had the power to set her free.”
*The author received a copy of this book for an honest review. The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to her.
