The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion

London, 1883. Emma M. Lion has come back to St. Crispian's, the neighborhood she knew before three years of upheaval that she describes as nothing but incident. Reaching the city without mishap counts, in her own words, as a triumph.

She has plans for a charmed and studious life. Her eccentric Cousin Archibald, her formidable Aunt Eugenia and the slightly odd residents of the neighborhood have other ideas, and each of them gets in the way.

The book is a historical comedy of manners told in the first person, in the form of Emma's journals. She hands them over even though they may incriminate her, and she records daily life at Lapis Lazuli House with wit and a sideways amusement.

Expect a light, dry and character-driven read, where the pleasure lies in Emma's voice and the quirks of the people around her rather than in a driving plot. Comparisons to Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde, P.G. Wodehouse and L. M. Montgomery give a fair sense of the humor and the period flavor.