"A striking portrait of racial and gender inequality in the ragtime era. An unforgettable and deeply human story."— FREDRIC TULSKY, Pulitzer Prize-winner "Could not put the book down. Great idea for your next Book Club reading."— THE HOLLYWOOD TIMES May Convery is unhappy with her family's privileged life among New York City's elite and dreams of becoming a poet. When she meets the poor but talented Mike Bernard, an aspiring concert pianist, she imagines the two of them pursuing their artistic passions together. But after their secret liaison is discovered and Mike disappears from her life, neither of them is prepared for the consequences of his betrayal. Five years later, in 1900, Mike has abandoned his concert career for a more lucrative one in vaudeville and won the coveted title "Ragtime King of the World." His professional rivalry with the self-proclaimed Originator of Ragtime, Ben Harney, is escalating into obsession. May, trapped in an abusive marriage arranged by her parents, struggles to find freedom through her poetry, the women's suffrage movement, and yet another forbidden relationship, this one with the popular composer J. Rosamond Johnson. Her friendships with Johnson and opera singer Abbie Mitchell introduce May to the world of Black musical theater and the authentic originators of ragtime. But May's freedom has come at a cost. When, by chance, she and Mike meet again, painful secrets from the past threaten to surface, and May is forced to confront the truth she had hoped to deny forever. From vaudeville's greatest stars to the geniuses of early African-American musical theater, an unforgettable cast of real-life characters populates this richly fictionalized historical saga. Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is author of the historical mystery-thriller The Beauty Doctor , Finalist for the Eric Hoffer Book Award. Her historical novel Sisters of Castle Leod , Book 1 of the series Historic Women of the Highlands, is an Amazon Kindle #1 bestseller in Historical Biographical Fiction and Biographical Literary Fiction. "Fascinating real-life characters make Temptation Rag an emotional and page-turning story of passion, ambition, and desire." ---MEGAN CHANCE, bestselling author of Bone River and Inamorata "Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard captures the style of the ragtime era. Music, art and culture spring from every page of this delightfully artistic work." ---READERS' FAVORITE Book Review, 5 stars "Terrific historical research and deft writing provide a striking portrait of racial and gender inequality in the ragtime era. An unforgettable and deeply human story." ---FREDRIC TULSKY, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist "Ms. Bernard weaves her knowledge of music with true historical characters and fictionalized ones into a syncopated symphony of human drama." ---KATHRYN WOOD, author of Sea Snow: the gentle haunting of a 19th century lighthouse " A gripping page-turner that has romance, history and music. A smart retelling of history through multiple points of view." ---SA EXAMINER Book Review A writer and musician, Elizabeth Hutchison Bernard is the author of two historical novels. Her work has been recognized as a finalist by the Eric Hoffer Book Award, the Arizona Literary Awards, and has received 5-star ratings from Book Readers Appreciation Group and Readers' Favorite. For more about the author and her books, please visit: ehbernard.com.