The Other Emma: A Book Review
Book cover image from Amazon
I have been a huge fan of Sharon Gloger Friedman’s historical fiction novels since she first began publishing, so I was eagerly awaiting her latest book, The Other Emma. I was not disappointed. Of Friedman’s current three novels, this one focuses in the most keenly on the intricate, complex plot which envelopes the protagonist.
The Other Emma: A Question of Status
In 1880, nine-year-old Rose Litkin is adopted from a children’s home to be the companion of Emma Boyeston, the spoiled daughter of the wealthy oil businessman Lucien Boyeston. Rose adjusts to the wealthy environment despite Emma’s initial hostility, and this frosty beginning soon evolves into a grudging respect between the two strong-willed, obstinate girls.
But Lucien’s bankruptcy and death rocks Rose’s new home and results in Emma and Rose moving to live with Emma’s Aunt Frances — a family outcast. The adopted sisters are caught mid-trip in the Great New York Blizzard of 1888, and Rose is forced to make a choice that affects her status and future within the Boyestan Family.
The Other Emma: A Historical Lens
Readers who have interest in late 19th-Early 20th Century American history will like The Other Emma’s detailed insight into this Gilded Age story: Friedman includes entrepreneurs, women’s rights activists, income disparity, natural disasters, and the difficulties faced by immigrants in search of new lives.
The book also greatly emphasizes the separation between rich and poor that was so prevalent during that time period: Emma and Lucien live in an opulent mansion with plenty of rooms, furnishings, and stately decor, while Rose came from a tenement slum and orphanage.
People of Emma’s class have resources like savings, wealthy relatives, furniture, or additional homes that they can sell in the event of financial problems. But people of Rose’s class often have no choice but to slip into further poverty, work in horrible conditions for minimal pay, or get involved in criminal activity.
One difficult example of this is when Rose must search for a friend who has turned to prostitution. The moment provides a graphic, tense subplot that underscores the damage poverty can cause. It also provides understanding for the choices that Rose makes to avoid such a fate.
The Other Emma: Finding One’s Place
The Other Emma is all about discovering one’s place in the world. As Rose ascends higher in society, she has to weigh what her own identity, status, and newfound wealth and influence can do for those women who are what she once was. Can she aspire to be the beneficial influence to them that others have been to her?
The Other Emma was published on June 7, 2025. This is Friedman’s third novel, and will appeal most to readers of Gilded Age historical fiction. Lovers of women’s fiction will also appreciate this tale about a strong woman striving to find her identity and personal happiness during troubling times.
More by Freidman
I’d be doing you a disfavor if I didn’t include mention of Friedman’s two other books that drove my eager expectation of The Other Emma:
Ashes is a stirring and powerful book about a Jewish woman who emigrated from Imperial Russia to settle in New York City. The story includes tales of labor union struggles and the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911.
Freedom’s Light is a gentle, character-driven story about a Jewish family fleeing Antisemitic Spain to settle in a post-Revolutionary America. Their new circle of friends comes to include former slaves who fled a relative’s plantation.
With such a dynamic grouping, Friedman has solidified herself in my eyes as a powerful historical novelist. I can’t wait for her next one.
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Julie Sara Porter
Julie has a Masters in Library Science from Indiana University.and a BA-English from University of Missouri-St. Louis. She's been a reader her whole life and a Professional Book Reviewer since 2017. She loves to read Fiction — especially Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical Fiction, Literature, Classics, and Mysteries — and Nonfiction like Biographies, History, Gender Studies, New Age/Spiritualism, and Literary Criticism. Julie lives in De Soto, Missouri. When she's not reading or reviewing, she's watching movies, shows, and YouTube videos; listening to New Age, Classical, and Retro music; writing fanfiction; and searching the Internet for new and interesting information and knowledge.
Find more of her work on the Bookworm Reviews Blog, and follow her on Facebook, LinkedIn, Bluesky, Threads, and Goodreads.
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Image by C.S. Lewis from Amazon
Image by Allison Saft from BookShop
Book cover image from Lanternfish Press