Camille Di Maio’s fifth novel THE FIRST EMMA is the true story of Emma Koehler, whose tycoon husband Otto was killed in a crime-of-the-century murder by one of his two mistresses—both also named Emma—and her unlikely rise as CEO of a brewing empire during Prohibition. When a chance to tell her story to a young teetotaler arises, a tale unfolds of love, war, beer, and the power of women.
If you’re looking for a read this summer, then this might be just the thing for you. Camille Di Maio did an amazing job of transporting me back in time, spinning her tale with seamless transitions from the early part of the twentieth century to the 1940s. She weaves the dueling love stories of Miss Koehler and her young biographer Mabel with breathtaking skill. The sprinkling of news clippings from the sensational “crime-of-the-century” murder appealed to my history lover side too! Can’t wait to check out other titles from this author.
You can’t go wrong reading books by Camille di Maio. Every single one has been 5 star material, books you can’t bear to put down until you finish it, then you wish you hadn’t finished it because you loved it that much. This book had a hint of reality with the meat of the story filled in with imagination. I loved the intrigue of the title.
As the publisher’s blurb says, this is indeed a tale of love, war, beer, and the power of women. Camille Di Maio makes it clear from the beginning that her story is “inspired by true events”, and in her Author’s Note at the end tells how she fleshed out the little that’s known about “the first Emma”, Emma Koehler, and her marriage. More is known about the 1914 murder in question – of Emma Koehler’s husband Otto by another of his (three!) Emmas, and that murder is where the book begins. News stories about the murder are sprinkled throughout the book. But as the title suggests the book is truly about Emma Koehler. It’s the story of her life with Otto, the role she played in the early days of their company Pearl Brewery and how she kept the company going after Otto’s death, including surviving Prohibition, and it’s told within the framework of “interviews” with a fictional young woman whom she hires to transcribe her life story. It’s a fascinating read, and if I ever get back to San Antonio my sightseeing plans will include the sites in this book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing for providing a copy for an unbiased review.
Absolutely the best book that Camille Di Maio has written to date! All of her books are so good but this one is superb. The writing is superb! A very good historical fiction, a must read! The audio performance was excellent! Brava!
My Review of The First Emma by Camille Di Maio
This book surprised me in a very good way. Camille Di Maio is a new author to me and is now one of my favorites. The way Camille creates a story regarding the life of one of America’s influential and powerful women is executed incredibly well. I was able to get engrossed with the stories that are intricately entwined between the early 1900’s and the 1940’s. Emma is a character that you are bound to love. Her perseverance through the ungodly strife she is barraged with is inspirational to say the least. There’s so much to this story, including other characters you will undoubtedly love. I found myself smiling, even chuckling, and shedding a few tears. The First Emma shows us all that there is so much ahead and that change, however force able, is often good. I highly recommend The First Emma by Camille Di Maio as it’s a refreshing historical novel perfect for today’s world.
Fans of historical fiction will definitely want to put this one on their to be read list! Inspired by true events in 1914 in San Antonio. The First Emma introduces you to Emma Koehler, widow of tycoon Otto Koehler. Otto is murdered by his mistress, also named Emma. Emma Koehler makes the unusual decision at the time to run her husband’s brewery. This story tells of Emma’s intelligence and strength in the face of scandal and adversity. Another must read from Camille Di Maio.
I thought this book was excellent. Biographies are one of my favorite types of reads, but so little was actually documented about Emma Koehler, a woman of vision, intelligence and empathy who helped her husband build a brewing empire (oh, heck, she didn’t just help him, she made it happen!) that I would never have known about her if not for this book.
The research is impressive. The First Emma, and the second and the third, are real. What this talented author has done is write a true tale of events within a fictional story. It is an exceptionally well-written, well-paced, entertaining book which I could not put down.
I really like this author’s books, but I believe she’s taken it to an even higher level with The First Emma.
A very enjoyable book. No surprise due to the author. Lots of research went into this book which I appreciated. A sweet love story in among facts. A woman who breached a world mostly made up of men. The beer brewing industry which I knew little about and found very interesting. The main character was quite controlling but in this case was done with heart.
The First Emma is a wonderful and intriguing story based in reality. I found myself swept away into the warm evening air of San Antonio, Texas while I stepped back in time. The two timelines (1914 and 1942) merge seamlessly as the characters connect with one another, each of them having a deep and lasting effect on the other.
The story is a complete package with an immersive experience in terms of location, characters, and descriptions of sweet and savoury treats that make your mouth water. I enjoyed learning a story from the past that I was not aware of prior to reading Ms. Di Maio’s novel. I highly recommend The First Emma as a true tale, rich with historical detail, told in the format of fiction.
This book held intrigue from beginning to end! It begins with the murder of the brewery mogul by his mistress. From there, the events are revisited through the frail and elderly Mrs Koehler as she dictates her story during her last days. I love how the author created such a rich character in Mrs Koehler when so little is known. My curiosity remained focused on the three Emmas, wondering of the significance in that angle. It made the book quite fun for me. Historically interesting, inspiring and an all-encompassing enjoyable reading experience.
Two stories in one.
The first: Emma Koehler, the Emma of Hotel Emma in San Antonio, was the wife of a German born brewer. He had two mistresses, both named Emma. When one of the mistresses murdered him, Emma, the wife, took over the brewery just as prohibition began. She was able to keep all her employees working and Pearl was one of the brewing companies not to go out of business. She also steered the company through the depression.
The stuff of fiction, right? Nope. It’s all true. And a fascinating story it is.
The second: Emma hires a young girl, Mabel Hartley, to write her story. Mabel, a fictional addition, flees Baltimore for San Antonio when she is offered the job. Unfortunately her story is weakened by a rather contrived love interest .
Having said that, I still recommend this book for Emma’s sake. She was an amazing woman.
Blurb:
Camille Di Maio’s fifth novel THE FIRST EMMA is the true story of Emma Koehler, whose tycoon husband Otto was killed in a crime-of-the-century murder by one of his two mistresses—both also named Emma—and her unlikely rise as CEO of a brewing empire during Prohibition. When a chance to tell her story to a young teetotaler arises, a tale unfolds of love, war, beer, and the power of women.
http://www.darlenejonesauthor.com
Born out of Camille Di Maio’s creative imagination and impeccable research, The First Emma is a wonderful tribute to a remarkable woman whose historic contributions to San Antonio have not been much touted as she deserved. Seamlessly intertwining fact and fiction, dual timelines, details of the brewery business, and the intricacies of the lives of two women, Ms. Di Maio has created a novel that engages the emotions and captivates the intellect at the same time.
Full review is at maidamalby.com.
I had no idea who Emma Koeler was or anything about her until reading this book, and I was captivated and amazed by her story. What a strong, determined and remarkable woman that was clearly ahead of her time. Loved the writing and the way Camille Di Maio brought the characters to life, the real and fictitious ones. I have loved every one of Camille Di Maio’s books and The First Emma is CDM at her very best. I highly recommend it!
Emma is a widow with a large fortune. She hires a young lady, Mabel, to help write her memoirs. Emma became the CEO of a brewing empire when her husband, Otto, was murdered. So, she is full of tales of intrigue and power.
Emma was paralyzed in a car accident. Her husband hired another Emma to be her caretaker. The other Emma killed him and left the First Emma to take over his empire…clear as mud. Well, it does not stay that way. This is a story well crafted and I was hooked from the beginning.
I am so impressed with Emma. What strength and resilience she had to get through the many trials of her life and to achieve great success, in a man’s world, I might add. I am notorious for not reading the blurb of the book. So, I was amazed at the end of this tale that she was based on a true person. The author did a wonderful job weaving this unique novel from a strong, unknown character in history.
Well written and intriguing from front to back! Don’t miss this one!
Interesting story
A slow start to this historical fiction, but you are rewarded as you go along.
Mabel Hartley answers a “help wanted” advertisement in the middle of World War Two and finds herself in San Antonio, Texas – a long way from her Baltimore home – writing down the memories of Emma Koehler.
Both the lead characters were so likable and relatable in their own ways. Relating her story to Mabel, we learn more about Emma, her past, her personality and the “scandal(s)” that destroyed her marriage. A woman that was so far ahead of her time, in an era where women were in the background she stormed her way into the foreground with gentleness and intelligence.
I love how the author has married the bones of the true story with the flesh of her own theories/imaginings to create a story that is so genuine and beautiful.
A heartwarming and positive story which was a delight to read during these troubling times of lock-down and illness.
I downloaded this book to my Kindle some time ago, and until I read the author’s notes at the end of the book, I had forgotten it was historical fiction. The first Emma was the wife of Otto Koehler and co-owner with him of Pearl Brewery in San Antonio, Texas. Emma was injured in a car accident, and one at a time the other two Emma’s were hired to assist in her care. Although they were diligent in her care, they were also seduced by her husband. The third Emma killed him in a raging fight. After Otto’s death his wife took over the business and made a success of it though prohibition, the Depression, and WWII. Later in her life she hires Mabel, the main character, sight unseen, through a newspaper ad to write her story and maybe to befriend her favorite nephew.
The story starts in the present with Mabel’s troubled life changing when she by chance reads a newspaper ad. Being hired without interview or reference, she then travels to San Antonio. The past history of Emma Koehler unfolds as she dictates her story. Of course, there are an assortment of devoted and not so devoted relatives that pass through the house as Emma’s life winds down.
This was an enjoyable read. The author confesses to adding a romantic element to all her novels. At the end, in her notes she tells what is real and what had to be invented to fill in details not available from her research.
The First Emma is yet another wonderfully written novel by Camille Di Maio. I fell in love with her writing in The Way of Beauty and her latest novel and the emotionally compelling stories of Emma and Mabel did not disappoint. There is a little bit of everything in this book and it is told during one of my favorite and most intriguing time periods in American History. I love how the characters come to life between the pages and the descriptive setting completely transports the reader back in time! Intriguing and fast paced, you will not want to miss this incredible story.
This book was such a pleasant surprise. I went into it expecting it to be good, but it turned out to be even better than that. I mean, it’s a historical fiction novel set during WWII, but the war wasn’t the focus of the story. It held its own and I am so happy about that.
So where should I start? Ok, how about this: the story revolves around a brewery. Heck yes! I loved learning a bit more about the history of brewing and prohibition, and the brewery felt like an extra character in the story. I haven’t read many books that focus on beer (Wine? Yes. Beer? No.), so this felt new and fresh.
And speaking of characters, there were so many distinct personalities in this story that it felt like a literary treat. They all played perfectly into the unfolding of the plot as well as with my emotions. And I don’t know about you, but I love me some emotional manipulation into books.
Finally, this story plays out over dual timelines. As I’ve said plenty of times before, this is one of my favorite storytelling methods. It adds dimension and intrigue, and it worked perfectly with this synopsis. I love how it weaves together the “love, hope, and murder” at a pace that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I’ve read a few books that utilize a similar situation: an elderly woman telling her story to a younger woman who’s writing her story; I love it. As a reader, it creates a sense of nostalgia that really sucks me in.
Final verdict: add The First Emma to your TBR pile ASAP.
I have to admit that as soon as I saw this book I got extremely excited. I mean, the colors on that cover! It’s just so gorgeous and soothing at the same time. Plus it’s based off of a wild true story which makes it even more interesting. And to top it off it highlights the power of women. So, I mean this book was just destined for me to read.
I’ve read a couple of books this year set in the prohibition era, and I’m really mad at myself for sleeping on this time period up until now. It’s just such a wildly interesting time period and in ways reminds me of the Wild West (since I used the word wild), which is one of my favorite time periods to read about. But back to the book, this story is one of those stories that will leave you wanting to find out more. I kept finding myself taking breaks to Google more about what actually happened and trying to just dive deeper and deeper into the story. And I don’t know about you, but for me that tells me it’s an amazing book!
This was my first book by Di Maio and it most definitely won’t be my last! I can’t believe I haven’t read anything by her yet and I’m mildly upset at myself for this! Her writing is just so beautiful and immediately pulls you into the story. Plus I love the focus on strong women is history that I would have never have known about otherwise.