Athena's Piano

With vividly painted settings, you will find yourself transported to 1920’s Harlem. There you will be immersed in the culture surrounding the nightclubs of the time, specifically venues reminiscent of The Cotton Club. From Langston Hughes and Louis Armstrong to a young Eleanora Fagan who would become the great Billie Holiday, Allen Johnson weaves rich history and memorable influential figures, into a landscape so vibrant, you will feel the thrum of the upright bass. In Athena’s Piano, Athena and Tony are destined to be together in a love story that pushes the boundaries of time aside. Each goes about daily life in a different decade, and we come to know them first apart in their own eras. When Johnson finally brings them together in their first meeting it’s absolutely magical. A nightclub owner with an unhealthy attraction to Athena, overshadowed only by his possessive, entitled nature, poses a threat to our happily ever after. Like a bad penny, the man keeps coming back, relentless in his quest to make the songstress his. If he can’t have her, then he will ensure Tony can’t either. Athena’s Piano tackles the plight of class and race in its accurate depiction of life and love in the 1920s. Nostalgic and at times amusing, Johnson provides a rewarding conclusion to his readers. This is an engaging story of romance, music, culture, and triumph that will keep you hooked right to the last page. Jennifer Peer, Author of The Last Bloom