Sackcloth and ashes.

I was not prepared.

While those are Emma’s words when their beloved cat Tybalt is reclaimed by his former owner, they’re also a perfect fit for the end of volume 8. How do I fill the void? Attempt a new book or reread the whole series? 

Maybe I’ll first take a “woeful walk…of several miles,” an Emma Lion answer to loss and grief. 

Volume 8 contains The Season  of securing a husband for Arabella, but it also contains a month at Stonecrop, Islington’s family manor, where Emma, Hawkes, Pierce, and Islington shed their obligations and embrace nature, reading, casual dinners, and deep conversation–a time of soul renewal and support for each other’s deepest challenges. 

These pages are also filled with lines and references to Newton, Plutarch, Whitman, Wordsworth, Shakespeare, and Coleridge among others. A reminder of classics I need to read or reread. 

A few favorite descriptions: 

From Emma: “I woke this morning feeling more like fresh, wind-blown linen. Which is to say cheerful, light, and a little wrinkled.”

Emma explaining Aunt Eugenia’s machinations: “Untoward plots and plans, tangled in a mess of tar-stained rope.”

A male ball attendee describing high society: “That blond over there practically falls over from the weight of her own self-importance.

I loved all aspects of this book, in part because it delves deeper into the characters, their backgrounds, losses, flaws, and hopes. We’re always learning more, and with that comes understanding and empathizing. But also, we’re still laughing (such as when Islington teaches Emma to fence and while offering advice, Emma reminds him that wearing a corset likely interferes with her form, but obviously he hadn’t thought of that).

No spoilers on how this volume ends, but I know volume 9 is in the works, and Emma will embrace endeavors and challenges with moxy, grit, and grace. And with alchemy on her side. Till then… 5⭐️

Image credit: mpaxauthor.substack.com