The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

Months ago, I suffered through reading and reviewing a book I did not enjoy as a favor to Greg Barlin, in exchange for the pleasure and privilege of sharing this review of The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion series by Beth Brower.

Currently at eight volumes (with volume 9 coming in February 2027) ranging anywhere from a novella-sized 133 pages to a novel-length 368, listening to this series (in charming British audio) has been the highlight of my last year of reading. I cannot wait to get you hooked on my happy place—the oasis of calm in my crazy life, and my ultimate cup of tea.

While most books can be likened to a movie, think of Emma M. Lion as a TV series following Emma’s day-to-day journal entries. Beth Brower's writing is often described as Gilmore Girls meets Jane Eyre. It is quick, witty, and entirely delightful. Like a TV show, Beth is planning four seasons spanning the years 1883–1887, with each volume covering two months for a total of ~25 volumes. I can't wait to savor each one!

The series starts as Emma returns to her family home, Lapis Lazuli House, on Whereabouts Lane, in the quirky London neighborhood of St. Crispian’s during the 1880s. This is Victorian England, where a woman's proper place was within the private, domestic world of the home. Emma, however, is undeterred and is determined to maintain her independence while reclaiming her meager fortune. Her house had been left in the "care" of her Cousin Archibald, who has squandered her inheritance on, among other things, a plentiful and distinct collection of morning robes.

From the start, Emma is captivating and resilient. As she settles in, we are introduced to a vibrant cast of characters, many of whom are residents of St. Crispian's:

"St. Crispian's is tucked snugly—and snugly is perhaps too generous a word—between Primrose Hill and Primrose Hill. Meaning, it consists of four streets with various appendages, and a square, set down right in the middle of the neighbourhood of Primrose Hill. A state inside of a state—rather like the Vatican."

From her financial guardian and morning-robe-obsessed cousin, Archibald Flat, to her Aunt Eugenia Spencer (who is straight out of Pride and Prejudice as a mother strategizing to marry off her daughter, the ethereal and loyal Arabella), the characters of Emma’s world are well-developed and full of quintessentially British reservation, dourness, and dry humor.

Emma writes about endless adventures that always keep the reader guessing. These range from sneaking into her disappointing alma mater, Fortitude: A Preparatory School for Girls, to steal back a confiscated three-volume first edition set of Jane Eyre; to tracking and mapping sightings of the local ghost, the Roman; to entertaining The Reprobate Ten, a group of Cambridge-educated, upper-class men who amuse themselves with drinking, dueling, and theatrical pranks.

Just like all Barlins contributing to barlinsbooks.com, Emma is an avid reader. The end of each volume finishes with a list: "THE PERSONAL LIBRARY of EMMA M. LION As it Currently Stands", followed by the books she owns and how she obtained them. It grows with every passing volume. It is therefore appropriate that I end with this quote from Emma:

"I sit at the very top of a fresh month with a choice before me. One which very well may have an impact on the whole of my existence. Which book do I read next?"

Wholeheartedly, the answer is clear: Emma! Read it NOW! Extra points for the audio version. FIVE STARS, full stop.