A Camille Di Maio historical fiction never fails. Never. The research and creativity that she puts into her works is astounding and The First Emma is no different.

The First Emma is Camille's fictional take on Emma and Otto, real life owners of Pearl Brewery in San Antonio. Meticulously researched, Di Maio's intention was to tell Emma's story. Of course, true to history, there was not much to tell because women didn't have much of a voice then and all credit was given to the men. So through research, and how Camille imagined Emma would have felt and acted at the time, The First Emma was created.

Otto was a bit of an asshole and philanderer, hence the FIRST Emma title. What started with good intentions and love, turned into a one sided, then an altogether loveless marriage. Otto had thing for the name Emma, which would end up being his demise. Divorce would have been too much of a scandal at the time and would ruin the empire that was built. So, while Otto dallied elsewhere, Emma turned her love and attention to the brewery, eventually even making sure it survived Prohibition without losing a single employee.

The First Emma is a story of building strength from loss and a woman making a life for herself in a time when that was almost unheard of. It is love lost, love found, a murder, and gumption. I couldn't ask for more in a story.

I received an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This book is a shining triumph that is not to be missed. It has powerful women, romance, betrayal, and survival. I loved reading it.
Many thanks to Wyatt-Mackenzie Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

By all accounts, Emma Koehler was an extraordinary woman. A prominent figure in the history of San Antonio, Texas, she was a German immigrant who ran the city’s Pearl Brewery, succeeding her late husband Otto in the role; she used her ingenuity to reinvent the business during Prohibition and keep it afloat during the Depression. It’s fair to say that she wouldn’t have attained such success if her personal life had been less traumatic. Following a traffic accident that left her a semi-invalid, Otto took her two German-born nurses – both also named Emma – as his mistresses, installing them in their own house, and one of them murdered him in 1914.

In Camille di Maio’s fifth novel, young Baltimore native Mabel Hartley is hired in 1943 to take down the elderly Emma Koehler’s memoirs. The two women’s interactions create an intriguing dynamic: while beer is Emma’s lifeblood, Mabel avoids alcohol after seeing how it destroyed her father’s life. Mabel is a realistic character for her time, but her storyline lacks conflict. Her developing romance with Emma’s nephew, Erik, is sweet but has few surprises, and his presence in her life feels too convenient. Emma’s story has more drama and bite – with the outline above, how could it not? Leaving her siblings behind to marry Otto at seventeen and move with him to San Antonio, Emma quickly discovers his workaholic nature. She also learns that to escape her loneliness, she must educate herself and meet Otto on his own ground: the brewery.

The lurid prologue depicting Otto’s murder feels somewhat misleading for the rest of the book, which isn’t a thriller. Comparatively few historical novels focus on successful businesswomen, however, and Emma Koehler is a deserving subject. Her position and attitude combine to create an admirable character that readers will root for.

(from the Historical Novels Review, May 2020)

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!

amille Di Maio, Author of "The First Emma" has written a novel based on true events, which is captivating, intriguing and memorable. The Genres for this Novel are Historical Fiction and Fiction. The timelines for this story are in 1914 and 1943. The timeline goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. The characters connect in a certain way between both timelines. Camille Di Maio describes her characters as complex and complicated.

I appreciate how the author vividly describes her characters, events, and motivations. In 1914, Otto Koehler marries Emma, and they embark on a journey together to build a business. Emma is an intelligent woman and offers a great intellectual and hands-on approach in their beer business. Otto is not content with having one business and branches into other businesses. Besides personal tragedy and betrayal, Emma is a very strong and independent woman.

In the timeline of 1942, an older Emma puts an advertisement in the newspaper looking for someone to write her memoir. Mabel Hartley applies for the position and honestly writes that she is not a writer, but gets the job. There seem to be other motivations in Emma's decision to hire someone to write her biography. Mabel is quiet and hardworking and has had a disappointing live with tragedy and betrayals as well. The two women do work well together and form a significant bond.

Somehow, as Emma retells her story, and Mabel listens, there is a new change. Mabel becomes more assertive and confident and has the courage to speak her mind. Mable also has confidence and self-worth.

I appreciate that the author discusses that women can be courageous, bold and brave in times of adversity in a man's world. Camille di Maio mentions the importance of moderation. The author also discusses the importance of respect, family, friendship, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this wonderful story.

There are a handful of authors I trust implicitly. No matter the subject of their next book, I will pick it up on or before publication day, no questions asked. Camille Di Maio is one of those authors. Her historical stories are usually center on women finding their place in the world and are guaranteed to be interesting, thought provoking and dramatic. In The First Emma, Di Maio writes about real life people for the first time.

The story centers on Emma Koehler, the namesake of the boutique Hotel Emma in San Antonio and the spitfire wife of entrepreneur Otto Koehler. When Otto is murdered by one of his two mistresses, both coincidentally named Emma, his wife finds her inner strength and takes over Pearl Brewery (which is now the Hotel Emma), the business closest to her heart. Despite her challenges—she’s confined to a wheelchair since a horrible car accident years ago—she loves the business and will do anything to make sure it doesn't fail during the difficult years of prohibition.

Emma is truly ahead of her time, strong, steadfast and unintimidated. She knows what she wants and won’t let anything or anyone stand in her way.

This line epitomizes her attitude throughout the story.

“There is much in life that is out of our control. The answer is not to give up and crumble. The answer is to find a way around it, no matter the difficulty. No matter how impossible the obstacles.”

We meet Emma when she’s in her eighties and has decided to hire a young woman, Mabel Hartley, to write her life story. Mabel finds inspiration in Emma’s incredible story, using it to spur other women to believe in themselves.

Mabel says,

“I hope to encourage women to get into business and forge their own path in the world.”

I loved everything about this wonderful story—the immersive storytelling, the descriptive details about Texas during the first half of the twentieth century and the riveting narrative featuring two compelling heroines. Though Emma’s life story is really the focus, the romance and mystery side plots make the story more beautifully layered. Di Maio made me want to travel to San Antonio. I visited as a child and I still remember the Alamo (haha), the Riverwalk, and the missions. If I ever make it there again, I will definitely stay at the gorgeous and unique Hotel Emma.

So somehow it is already after 4pm here in MD, and all I have done today is bake homemade cinnamon rollin’ buns from Snoop Dogg’s cookbook, and finish reading The First Emma by @camilledimaio__author . I give both the buns and this book 5/5⭐️’s Thank you so much to @suzyapprovedbookreviews for having me on this amazing book tour and for my copy of The first Emma which is out now. If you love historical fiction that is heavily rooted in actual events and facts then this is a must read.

Like for instance, because of this book I now know that breweries converted to making malt extract during prohibition under the guise of it being used for home bread baking. All the while the breweries heavily circulated the recipe to use it to make home brewed beer. Besides the wonderful glimpse into history, this book had an amazing romance storyline, and the ongoing intrigue of unbelievable betrayal and murder.

Synopsis from the publisher: 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 love women centered stories, a glimpse into history, want to learn about beer, are in the mood for a sweet romance, or want to follow a murder that will have you humming “Cell Block Tango” from the musical Chicago, then read The First Emma❤️

San Antonio is one of my favorite city in Texas. When I visited the present day Pearl shopping mall little did I know about its magnificent history.

The First Emma is a story of Pearl brewery's true leader Emma Koehler. In 1914, Emma's husband, Otto, one of the richest and most influential man in the country is murdered by one his mistress. Having lost her marriage long ago, Emma does not let this affect her. She takes charge of Pearl brewery and treads it thru Prohibition and Great Depression only to emerge stronger on the other side. In 1943, Emma's health is deteriorating. She selects Mabel Hartley, a sad and brokenhearted girl of Baltimore to share her pioneering story. Mabel moves to Texas and her life changes for better.

This is a well researched book so a perfect pick for a historical fiction fan. Emma is resilient and a hard worker. She navigated a difficult era for women and ended up leading a company in a male dominated industry. Her story is inspiring even in this day. I loved reading about the friendship Mabel shares with her and how it molds her life. I also enjoyed the romance between Mabel and Erik. My only problem was the repetitive character names. It was confusing at times.

The author included the true sensational murder trial via newspaper clipping. A very creative way if you ask me. The focus remained on Emma's story and if you a history bluff like me soon you will find yourself googling the brewery and Emma's history.

Engaging and fast paced story of friendship, love and loss.

Thank you Suzy Approved Book reviews and NetGalley for this copy.

I have read everything Camille Di Maio has published. She is fast becoming one of my favorite author's for comforting historical fiction. I am sure there is a better phrase for it but her books are such a pleasure to read.
'The First Emma' is her latest and this time tells the story of a STRONG woman Emma Koehler who took over the San Antonio Pearl Brewery after her husband was murdered by one of his two mistresses, both also named Emma. I am sure somewhere there is a paper on this and why he had 3 women named Emma and how he impacted them all.

The book is dual timeline between Emma's life and 1943 when she posts an ad to have someone write her life story.as she knows her days are nearing their end. Mabel Hartley answers the ad and is chosen. Mabel is fleeing a broken heart and a family torn apart by the travesties of WWII.

We see Emma fighting for her marriage, her life after a horrible car accident that made her need nurses, and as a woman fighting to be heard as the Brewery faces Prohibition.

We see Mabel fighting to find out who MABEL is and healing her broken heart.

There is so much in this book and I read it slowly because Di Maio just makes me want to read slowly to enjoy her books even longer.

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC.

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.

Fantastic historical fiction story about the San Antonio Pearl Brewery. The First Emma is told in 2 time periods. 1914 when Emma and Otto's are living as newlyweds. Emma has big dreams of a family and a happy marriage. She quickly learns Otto is obsessed with building an empire. After an accident that leaves Emma wheel chair bound her husband turns to other women. Eventually leading to his untimely death. Emma continues to run the brewery successfully through probation and thr great depression.

1943 Mabel lives in Baltimore and is engaged to a military man. She receives a message from him letting her know he has met someone else. Mabel is devestated and seeking for something else. She replies to an ad looking for a writer to tell an old woman's story.

Emma and Mabel's stories share the strength and determination of women. Bothing making hard choices that change the course of their lives.

Great history and references. Author does a great job with research. Be sure to read her author's notes as I learned a couple of things!

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

Murder, lovers, a wheel chair bound wife named Emma, mistresses who are your nurses also named Emma and a brewery business to maintain.

Inspired by true events The First Emma by Camille Di Maio tells the story of Emma Koehler during the era of Prohibition and The Great Depression and of her life journey.

In San Antonio, Texas against the odds in a man’s world this strong woman took over her husband’s business after his death, kept it afloat , protected her employees while not losing a single one during a difficult and tumultuous time in history.

I liked the relationship between Emma and Mabel Hartley. Mabel was hired to write this memoir and her story is interesting as well. I loved how their relationship grew.

This is a wonderful pleasant story that I enjoyed very much. I mean there’s love, betrayal, murder and a disabled widow. It’s a story of love, war and the power of women. If you are a historical fiction fan or not I think you will be pleasantly delighted by this story.
The real brewery has since been converted to a 146 room hotel called Hotel Emma in San Antonio. Isn’t that interesting?

Thank you NetGalley for this 5 star novel. This was an amazing read with all the ingredients needed for 5 stars. Based on a true story, vivid and like-able characters a story that enfolds you!
2020 favorite!

A beautiful historical fiction novel that will draw you into the life of Emma Koehler. She was an amazing individual and a lady ahead of her time. The author does a wonderful job of drawing you into the story as soon as you open the book and read the first word. And you will not be able to put it down until you've absorbed the last word and slowly closed the book.

I am a huge Camille Di Maio fan and her well-researched books are a delight to read. She does an amazing job of providing the historical details in an interesting manner that weaves a story you will enjoy.

Thank you to NetGalley and Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. I strongly encourage you to read this book! I know that I will be reading every book Ms. Di Maio will write in the future. She is a gem!

Thank you Netgalley and Camille DiMaoi for an advanced reader copy of the First Emma in exchange for an honest review. The only negative I have about this book is how long I waited to read it. I read it within a few days which is a big accomplishment for a new mom. Di Maoi crafted such a beautiful story. What an exceptional role model Emma Koehler was. It's so sad that so little of her exists in history books, but I'm glad Di Maoi shared her story.

Mabel is struggling when she answers a newspaper ad to write for Emma Koehler. She is a very modest young woman with no family left in Baltimore. Even though World War II is going on, she enters an opulent world of the Koehlers in San Antonio. Mabel’s job is to write down Emma Koehler's story. Emma and her husband ran the Pearl brewing company. Her husband, Otto, was murdered by his mistress (also named Emma) and his wife continued to run the brewery through the depression and prohibition. I loved the parts of the book where Emma was telling her story, but I also loved Mabel's story and her relationship with Erik.

I highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction. and contemporary fiction. This is my first book by Camille di Maoi, but I will definitely be checking out her backlist.

“There is much in life that is out of our control. The answer is not to give up and crumble. The answer is to find a way around it, no matter the difficulty. No matter how impossible the obstacles.” This was Emma Koehler’s outlook and reason for her miraculous success in steering the San Antonio Brewing company through the storms of Prohibition and the Great Depression, after the scandalous murder of her husband, Otto Koehler, in 1914.
Chug along with Camille Di Maio as she takes young, naive Mabel Hartley on the arduous train trip from Baltimore to San Antonio, Texas. Mabel has been hand-picked by Emma Koehler from hundreds of applicants, to listen and record, first-hand, Emma’s account of her ideas, successes and the details of Otto’s murder, as she lives out the last days of her life. The morning ‘memory” sessions are laced with 85year-old Emma’s stern demands, which over the days and weeks grow into motherly concerns and sage advice for Mable. As winter turns to spring, Mabel’s interest in the brewing company is sparked and the wall around her heart begins to crack. Camille Di Maio peeks the readers’ historical interests by interspersing the memories of Emma with actual newspaper accounts from around the country and the world: Otto Koehler’s funeral, the “other Emmas” testimony, jury selection, the pending murder trial, and outcomes. The accounting of Emma Koehler’s life story is told graciously and with great respect, for this remarkable woman and her heroic accomplishments are even more inspirational when readers discover the view is actually that of a widow in a wheelchair.
The First Emma is brimming with details of household names such as Anheuser Busch, Lone Star, and Pearl. The details of the San Antonio brewery’s process for making beer, along with the purchase of recipes and mother yeast from Germany, will have readers reaching for a “cold one” while cheering for Pearl to survive Prohibition and the Great Depression. Readers, especially from Texas, will “cotton to the likes of” references to the Majestic Theater, the Menger Hotel, and the Alamo.
Emma Koehler and her Pearl Brewing Company emerged from Prohibition as one of the only brewing companies not to go out of business. Emma listened to advice of friends in the beer industry and diversified; changing production to ice, ice cream, and even dry cleaning- thus keeping all her employees.
Camille Di Maio has accomplished a Texas sized feat by combining an inspirational and empowering account of Emma Koehler’s Pearl Brewing company success with the murder trial of the century.
Five Stars: Big and Bright, Deep in the Heart of Texas! GR

4.5/5 stars!

When Otto Koehler brought his brand-new wife Emma to San Antonio to run the beer brewery there, he was both very much in love and very ambitious. Thirty years later, Otto has been dead for many years – killed by one of his mistresses – and Emma is dying. Knowing this, she decides she needs to document her unusual story of how she – a woman – helped her husband build a dynasty of his own brewery, even with prohibition on the horizon. She also helped keep the business alive throughout the depression, all the while keeping scandal at bay. Out of all the applicants, she chooses to bring Mabel Hartley from Baltimore to help her in this task. However, Emma has more in store for Mabel than just taking dictation.

This is one of those fascinating biographical, historical fiction novels about a woman who proved to be an unsung hero, that essentially no one has ever heard about. In fact, according to the author’s notes, Di Maio had very little facts about Emma Koehler upon which to base this story. While that could have been a problem, it certainly must have been freeing at the same time. I mean, with so little in the public record about her, and no direct descendants to refute any inaccuracies, Di Maio had free range to let her imagination run wild, and the chance to build up a three-dimensional person out of the skeleton of information. If you ask me, it is an ideal situation, and Di Maio did a really lovely job taking full advantage.

To be specific, what we get here is a portrait of a crusty woman with warm marshmallow insides. She “gets” how business works almost intuitively, which makes her a good partner for an ambitious husband. Di Maio also paints Otto as someone who increasingly appreciates his wife’s abilities and intelligence, even as he loses interest in her as a wife. This enigmatic situation ends up being a bone of contention as well as a point of pride, which sets up just the right amount of tension between the two. All of this is recounted in retrospect by Emma as she dictates her memories to Mabel. In addition, with the introduction of Mabel to record Emma’s story, Di Maio also builds up a parallel storyline whereby Emma plays matchmaker between Mabel and her favorite (fictional) “nephew” (who is actually a cousin, but that’s immaterial). Interspersed between these two, Di Maio includes snippets from actual news articles surrounding Otto’s murder, his two mistresses, and the subsequent murder trial.

I have to say that the only thing that didn’t make much sense to me was the whole business about Emma being wheelchair bound, combined with the physical estrangement from her husband. Apparently, the truth was that Emma was actually in a car accident which almost paralyzed her, but that she did recover at least partially. Now, Di Maio uses Emma’s disability as not only the reason they hire the two nurses (both of whom were called Emma, hence the title of the book), but also an excuse for why Emma and Otto’s physical relationship died. While this does sufficiently explain why Otto has affairs with these women, the level of recovery that Di Maio describes makes me wonder if Di Maio didn’t play up Emma’s sexual attraction to Otto too much. I mean, either she was in too much pain and was never able to have sex with her husband, or she used the rehabilitation period as an excuse to end a part of her marriage that she didn’t welcome. It felt like Di Maio was unable to make up her mind about this, and tried to have it both ways, and that didn’t work for me.
However, despite this bit, I really enjoyed how Di Maio invented Mabel, and used her to help with the storytelling, while also being a romantic interest for Erik, Emma’s favorite relative. Now my readers know that I’m not into romance, but much as Di Maio did with her previous novel “The Beautiful Strangers,” the addition of the romantic interest never overtakes the rest of the story. In fact, I find that Di Maio likes to give these young women their own coming-of-age angle to their lives together with their finding love, which I appreciate. This means that these women aren’t just chasing after some hunk, but rather are understanding themselves better, which makes them more receptive to finding a real partner, not just a roll in the hay! (In fact, Di Maio’s books are almost prudish, when it comes to that, which is fine with me.)

Finally, I also liked how Di Maio didn’t ignore the era’s current events in this story, most of the action of which takes place in 1943, at the height of WWII. There are references to the war and its impact on those both at home and in the thick of it, as well as certain descriptions of clothing and the like gave enough atmosphere to feel just historical enough. I’d say that all told, I very much enjoyed this novel, and I think that I liked this much more than I did her previous novel (because thankfully, this one didn’t have any ghosts)! So, I’m going to warmly recommend it with a very healthy four and a half stars out of five, and put me on the list for her next book (as long as she stays away from anything paranormal)!

I really enjoyed this book. You really connect to Emma and everything she's going through. The Genres for this Novel are Historical Fiction and Fiction. The timelines for this story are in 1914 and 1943. The timeline goes to the past when it pertains to the events or characters. The characters connect in a certain way between both timelines. Camille Di Maio describes her characters as complex and complicated.The temptation may be to focus on the salacious details of Otto's affairs with the "other Emmas" and the bad end he met because of his actions. Instead, we get to hear the story of a strong woman who put scandal behind her and was not only successful in business, but in also caring for her employees and extended family on some dire circumstances. The story of Mabel finding her strength and voice is a nice parallel to Emma's story.