Thank you to #NetGalley for this book.

I did not know this was based on a true story and the history is authentic in some ways. The beginning of the book started w/the murder of Otto by one of his mistresses which played a part in between chapter's of Emma's life with newspaper clippings of how both were arrested and on trial.

I liked the fact that I learned The First Emma's life and the way she was so independent in the early 1900s and basically ran her husband's Otto's beer company. He was a philanderer and lived in a house w/3 Emmas, the first one being the first Emma's nurse, the second one was her physical therapist after an accident that almost had her paralyzed.

I loved the story of Mabel and how she moved from Baltimore to San Antonio to write Emma's life down even having no experience. She became a big part of Emma's life and loved her like a mother after losing her mother at a young age. There was Emma's big family and her "nephew" Erik who was really a cousin but yet the only one from her mother's side. There was another side to this story and it came out after Erik and Mabel fell in love. ( )

Tremendous Work. What happens when an author wants to write about a fascinating real world person, but there is precious little documentation of that real-world person's life? Well, if you're Camille Di Maio, you dig up what you can and you use your considerable story telling abilities to make a plausible story that tells that person's story in a way that it is the driving focus of the book, but ultimately not the real subject of the story. And Di Maio really does do an excellent job of this with the story telling approach she decided on here. Truly fascinating woman, this Emma Koehler. And Di Maio really does her story justice. Very much recommended. ( )

*Many thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy of the book through Lone Star Lit. All opinions are my own.*

I love historical fiction, particularly when it is based on a real person or event. The First Emma is the story of Emma Koehler, the wife of San Antonio brewing tycoon Otto Koehler. She was the driving force behind his successes and later went on to become CEO of Pearl Brewing. It’s a pretty incredible story, particularly for its time.

Author Camille Di Maio tells her fictionalized story of Emma’s life through Mabel, a young woman from Baltimore who travels to San Antonio to record the details of Emma’s life. The story could have focused on the more sensational parts of her life – such as her husband having two mistresses, both also named Emma, one of whom murders him. Instead, we get a portrait of a strong woman, an early feminist, even, who defied convention and successfully built up the brewery she started with her husband, keeping it alive during prohibition while supporting both its worker and her extended family.

With engaging storytelling, the tale unfolds via two timelines, the first beginning and 1914, and told via Emma’s recounting of her life to Mabel, the second in 1943, at the end of Emma’s life and revolving more around Mabel’s life, her losses and a new relationship (for which the seed was plotted by Emma herself). Interspersed between chapters are brief news pieces reporting details of the third Emma’s arrest and subsequent trial for the murder of Otto Koehler.

Di Maio’s characters are my favorite aspect of her books. They are so fleshed out and relatable, and she does an excellent job of drawing you into their lives and making you FEEL for them, be it love or otherwise. She also continues to display her wonderful attention to detail for place and setting. San Antonio comes alive in this story, and we can picture the world Mabel and Emma reside in.

This is a beautifully written story of overcoming adversity, and of discovering and staying true to yourself. ( )

I enjoyed this book very much. This was a subject, time period and an area of the country I knew little about. The attention to detail about the brewing of beer was very interesting. I like the characters very much. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes historical fiction. ( )

First off,
Thank you so much NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

One day. It took me only one day to read this book. Not just because it is short or anything; but, because I was so engrossed. I loved this!

It takes place during the Vietnam war, but also travels you back to the prohibition times. We follow a young woman, Mabel (fictional character), from Baltimore, Maryland. She is a young assistant at a notable company at the time. She was engaged to a man who ended their engagement through a letter because he fell in love with another. Mabel's boss had been fresh with her that same day as well. It was all but too much and Mabel had to leave and quit. She is riding a bus home when she comes across the classifieds, when an ad peaks her interest. Mabel travels all the way to San Antonio, Texas to receive this new position. In Texas, she learns from the woman, Emma Koehler (a non-fiction woman), all about her life story; including the story of her husband being murdered by one of his mistresses whom is also named Emma. Emma Koehler teaches Mabel more than just her story, but about love, trust, and other necessities needed in life as a young adult, especially a young woman.

This book has romance, history, and mystery. I didn't want to finish it so quickly because I loved it so much. Anyone a fan of historical romance, this is a must read. There are so many exquisite details that draw you in as a reader. This was my first book by Camille Di Maio, and it will not be my last.

I recommend you do a little bit of research on the history of Emma Koehler, the family, and the brewery which still stands today on San Antonio river walk. Which, I highly recommend going to by the way!

5/5 stars for this gem! ( )