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A confession: up until… three or four months ago, I had never heard of Emma M. Lion. But oh, has that ever changed. From the moment I read the first book, aptly titled The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1, I was hooked. Emma is a delightful character—she’s funny, charming, and strong-willed. The rest of the series was, of course, not far behind.
I’m far from the only one to fall prey to Emma’s charms. Although it was first published in 2019, the series has been steadily gaining popularity over the last year. But why? What happened to make a self-published series a publishing phenomenon?
Who is Emma M. Lion?
Simply put, she’s the main character of the best-selling series The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion, comprised of eight (so far) cozy historicals that follow four years in the life of a young woman who must deal with, in no particular order: her detestable uncle, the loss of her inheritance, the social scene in Victorian London, suitors, and her grief over the loss of her parents and the boy she loved.
Nobody said being Emma M. Lion was easy.
The author, Beth Brower, has said that each year in Emma’s life will be a “season”, like a season of a TV show. Each one is made up of an average of three volumes, although the exact number can vary. And each volume takes up two months. As the title indicates, the story is told in the format of a journal.
Why are they having a moment?
It’s a good question. Not many self-published series, especially ones that have been out for seven years already, see the rise in popularity this one has. It turns out, there are several factors behind this.
Past Tense
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First of all, it appears that it first caught on because of good ol’ fashioned word of mouth. It was picked up by a few book clubs in Utah, where Bower is from, and its reputation grew from there. Then, in March of this year, she announced that the books were about to be republished by Bloomsbury, a surefire way to give any author a boost. Then it got picked up by social media: Booktok, Bookstagram, and so on began to rave about these books, so naturally, more people picked them up.
Why are they so beloved?
Okay, so you know by now that the books are popular. But why should you care? Glad you asked!
The cast of characters: Look, I’m just going to come out and say it. The characters remind me a lot of those of Jane Austen. Oh, not because they share specific traits, but because it’s a sprawling cast of bigger-than-life personalities who enchanted me from the very first page. Well, except for Cousin Archibald. But we don’t talk about him.
The slice-of-life narrative: because you follow Emma for so long, you truly get to know her, along with the friends she makes along the way. That’s not to say that there aren’t clearly defined narrative arcs, but the way in which they’re structured means that you feel like you’re catching up with a friend about her life.
The journal format: this is a big one for me. I’m a big fan of stories told through journals or letters, as they give you a glimpse into a protagonist’s interior life that you don’t get any other way, not even in more traditional first-person narratives.
Emma herself: I did say that Emma is charming, did I not? She has a fresh voice, strikes a great balance between wit and gravitas, and is smart and quick to fire off sparkly dialogue and banter. Don’t be appalled, but from the first page of the first volume, she reminded me of Anne Shirley.
So there you have it. You now know who Emma M. Lion is, and why her popularity skyrocketed the way it has. Will you give her a chance?
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