“restorative”
Restorative justice, as the term is defined by Tony Marshall of the Restorative Justice Consortium and adopted by the United Nations, is “a process whereby all parties with a stake in a particular offence come together to resolve collectively how to deal with the aftermath of the offence and its implications for the future.” This definition is from 1996, but restorative justices practices predate the 1990s, or even the wider proliferation of in the Western world during the 1970s.
Because of the nature of the plots of romance novels, the journeys toward couplings of intimate relationships, much of the conflict stems from interpersonal harm and in order to get to a satisfying narrative ending (generally, the promised happily-ever-after), some restoration must occur. The harms can range from violence, like in a traditional bodice ripper, to lack of open miscommunication. But something has to be set right. This newsletter borrows this framework and philosophical underpinning as a lens for the consideration of romance novels, particularly those with a historical setting.
“romance”
I primarily read historical romance, so that is mainly what the newsletter will focus on. Other features will include discussions of romance in other media—movies, in particular, that I think would be of interest to romance novel readers.
I have tried to define romance for myself and I’ll keep working on it. The way I read romance novels, I often find myself attempting to suss out what the author’s personal requirements for the genre are. I am structuralist by nature—interested in how each novel that I read fits into my genre mental map, how it is built, affecting readers’ perceptions of the reality of the depicted romance. I try to be descriptive, rather than prescriptive, when it comes to how I describe romances that I read. I am less concerned with what should happen and more with what is happening and why.
the author
I’m Emma! I started reading historical romance novels during my last year of law school, on the recommendation of legal mentors as a way of escape from the stress of a JD program. What I found as a genre filled with property, wills and trusts, marriage, criminal prosecutions—many of the subjects of my legal education.
I also found a genre that focused on giving grace to people after wrongdoing, asking questions of what can be forgiven and what can be repaired. During law school, I became a prison abolitionist and the more and more romance novels I read, the more I found I valued romances that questioned carceral logic and criminal punishment—which happens more than you think! Romance as a genre is often billed and sold to readers as fantasy fulfillment or escapism. Which it can be, but over and over again, I saw political themes that took up space in my legal life.
