Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. The novel is presented entirely through Emma’s journals. How did this first-person, diary-style format affect your reading experience and your connection to Emma as a character? Did you ever wish you could see events from another person’s perspective?

2. What was your overall reaction to the novel’s blend of witty humor and genuine hardship? Some readers compare Emma’s narrative voice to characters in Jane Austen’s novels. In what ways did you find Emma’s story similar to or different from classic works like Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility?

3. Which character or relationship in the book made the biggest impression on you, and why? Was it Emma’s resilience, Archibald’s pettiness, or the loyalty of a friend like Arabella or Mary?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Emma turns to classic literature like Paradise Lost and Shakespeare to understand her world and find comfort. What is your personal “refuge” when facing difficult times? Is it books, music, art, or something else entirely, and how does it help you process your experiences?

2. How does the deep loyalty and eccentricity of the St. Crispian’s community contrast with the hostility that Emma faces from her own relatives? Have you ever felt a stronger sense of belonging in a chosen community than with family, and what makes those bonds so powerful?

3. After being exiled to the garret, Emma doesn’t give in to despair. Instead, she scrubs, paints, and reclaims the space as her own. Think about a time when you transformed a physical space to better reflect your personality or to feel more in control of your environment. What did that process feel like for you?

4. Mary Bairrage shows a new kind of modern, working woman who must cleverly navigate social restrictions. Can you recall a time when you had to find a creative workaround to a rule or expectation that felt unfair or outdated?

5. Emma’s inheritance is deliberately destroyed by Archibald, forcing her to become resourceful and fight for her financial survival. How do her actions challenge or affirm your own ideas about financial independence and what it means to take control of your future?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. How does Emma’s position illustrate the precarious position of unmarried women in the Victorian era? What does her struggle reveal about the legal systems designed to “protect” women’s property at the time? Do you see any echoes of these systems in modern society?

2. Emma faced an important decision when she was just 13 years old about which school she should attend: Miss Prim’s School for Young Ladies or Fortitude: A Preparatory School for Girls. What do these two schools reveal about the expected paths for women? How do you see these roles reflected in contemporary conversations about women today?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Emma’s narrative voice is defined by its dry wit and frequent literary allusions. How does her narration shape the tone of the novel, especially when she’s describing moments of great distress or injustice?

2. What do Archibald and Lady Eugenia represent as antagonists? How do their motivations for obstructing Emma’s independence differ, and what does this suggest about the various forms of patriarchal control in her world?

3. Lapis Lazuli House represents Emma’s birthright, while the garret initially represents her humiliation. How do these two spaces evolve throughout the story to reflect Emma’s changing circumstances and her internal journey toward self-reliance?

4. Discuss the community of St. Crispian’s as a collective character. How does Brower build a strong sense of place, and how does this development contribute to the novel’s larger examination of family and community?

5. Emma’s love of classic literature is central to her character. In what ways does she use books as tools to analyze her situation, arm herself for confrontations, and assert her intellectual agency?

6. Did Emma’s deep connection to literature remind you of any other fictional characters? For instance, how does her use of Shakespeare to process her exile compare to how other characters, like Jo March in Little Women, engage with literature?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Matilde burned all of Emma’s previous journals in an event she calls “The Great Burning of 1882” (49). If you were to write a single entry from one of those lost journals, what moment from Emma’s three years in Bournemouth would you choose to depict, and what would her uncensored thoughts on it be?

2. Imagine you’re the mysterious new tenant living in Lapis Lazuli Minor. What are your first impressions of the young woman you see in the garret window, and what do you make of the strange goings-on at Lapis Lazuli House?

3. Eugenia arranges for Emma’s calling cards to be made with a personal touch. If you were to design a set of calling cards for another character in the book, like Mary, Archibald, or Young Hawkes, what symbols, colors, and fonts would you choose to capture their personality?