My delightful, flamboyant grandmother once told me that her Aunt Beadie was a madam. It was a total fabrication, but got me wondering how a smart middle-class girl with a large, supportive family could end up in prostitution.
Nancy Bernhard – 26 January 2026
The Back Flap
For fans of Ariel Lawhon’s The Frozen River, debut historical fiction about a brothel nurse in nineteenth-century New York City who fights brutality in the sex trade and pioneers treatments for survivors of sexual violence.
A high-class brothel that entertains New York’s most powerful men, the Double Standard Sporting House funds a free clinic for women. When the Tammany Hall criminal syndicate takes over the city in 1868 and starts kidnapping girls, the house’s owner Nell “Doc” Hastings cannot stay quiet—especially after sixteen-year-old Vivie arrives at the clinic bruised and bleeding.
Resolving to seek justice for Vivie and girls like her, Doc builds an unlikely alliance with religious reformers, a rare honest ward cop, and an alluring newspaper publisher she can’t seem to keep away from. Even with their help, Doc will have to use her sharpest tools—secrets, guile, and a surgical blade—to prevent a dark turn in the sex trade.
Full of intrigue, friendship, and love, this timely story of a heroine erased from history by the sexual double standard reminds us that women help and heal one another, even when shameless criminals come to power.
About the book
What is the book about?
A brothel nurse in 1868 New York City fights a sex trafficking ring. It explores women’s reproductive rights and the power of compassion.
When did you start writing the book?
I’d been thinking about a novel set in a brothel for years. About six months into the 2020 lockdown facing a Massachusetts winter at home, I dug into research. I spent about a year reading on the history of prostitution, the Tammany Hall political syndicate, and 19th century medicine.
How long did it take you to write it?
It took a year to research, a year to write the first draft, and two years to revise.
Where did you get the idea from?
My delightful, flamboyant grandmother once told me that her Aunt Beadie was a madam. It was a total fabrication, but got me wondering how a smart middle-class girl with a large, supportive family could end up in prostitution. The answers are: rape and seduction.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
I rewrote the opening probably 30 times. It’s a complicated world to introduce.
What came easily?
The relationship between Doc and Vivie was sweetly effortless.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Many of the characters were real people in history, including Peter Sweeny, George Barnard, Junius Henri Browne, and Lydia Thompson and her Blonde Belles of Burlesque, who grace the cover. More info can be found here: https://www.nancybernhard.com/real-historical-figures-1968
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
I’m most inspired by writers who tell a moving story that expands my perception of the world, with a bonus for gorgeous prose. It could be serious literary fiction from Richard Powers, crime from Tana French, scifi from Mary Doria Russell, historical fiction from Geraldine Brooks, or a hundred kinds of nonfiction.
Do you have a target reader?
I write for anyone and everyone, but think feminists are most likely to gravitate to this book.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I think about a book’s structure and individual scenes for a long time before I start writing. Once I have a map, I draft quickly, usually for an hour or two when I first wake up, and revise later in the day.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I outline loosely, deciding on major story lines and character arcs so I can visualize scenes.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
Both, a lot.
Did you hire a professional editor?
When I decided to publish with She Writes Press, a hybrid, I hired an editor who helped me sharpen one through-line of the plot, which made a huge difference.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
No, it’s about the only time I don’t.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I did. I’ve had excellent agents before, but they were never able to sell anything.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I got sick of being ignored. It was gradual until I discovered She Writes Press.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
The press has a fantastic art department.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
Pre-release I’m working with a publicist and after release will set an advertising budget.
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Research your options thoroughly.
About You
Where did you grow up?
Massapequa, New York until I was 10, and Stamford, Connecticut until I went to college
Where do you live now?
Somerville, Massachusetts since 1991
What would you like readers to know about you?
I’ve been practicing yoga for 27 years and teaching for 13
What are you working on now?
The music industry in 1968 Los Angeles
End of Interview:
For more from Nancy Bernard, visit her website and follow her on Facebook and Instagram.
Get your copy of The Double Standard Sporting House from Amazon US.
