Queen Lucia

E. F. Benson, born at Wellington College in Berkshire to a father who would become the Archbishop of Canterbury, authored an impressive 105 books throughout his career. Queen Lucia, first published in 1920, marks the beginning of his beloved Mapp and Lucia series, which consists of six novels. This witty comedy of manners is set in the quaint village of Riseholme, where the charmingly self-assured Emmeline Lucas—known as Queen Lucia—rules over the social and artistic lives of her gullible neighbors. Assisting her in these endeavors is the rather delicate Georgie Pillson, while the ambitious Daisy Quantock poses a formidable challenge to her reign. As the village is shaken by a scandal involving a Guru, the mystical antics of Princess Popoffski, and the unexpected arrival of a renowned prima donna, Lucias dominance is put to the test…