Fiction Tuesday- Emily and Einstein

He was a man who didn’t deserve a second chance. But he needed one…

Emily and her husband Sandy Portman seemed to live a gracious if busy life in an old-world, Upper West Side apartment in the famous Dakota building.  But one night on the way to meet Emily, Sandy dies in a tragic accident.  The funeral isn't even over before Emily learns she is on the verge of being evicted from their apartment.  But worse than the possibility of losing her home, Emily is stunned when she discovers that her marriage was made up of lies. 
Suddenly Emily is forced on a journey to find out who her husband really was . . . all the while feeling that somehow he isn't really gone.  Angry, hurt, and sometimes betrayed by loving memories of the man she lost, Emily finds comfort in a scruffy dog named Einstein.  But is Einstein's seemingly odd determination that she save herself enough to make Emily confront her own past?  Can he help her find a future—even after she meets a new man?-book description

Can you imagine living in a place like this? The setting for Emily and Einstein.

"My primary goal wasn't to write about an unfaithful husband, it was to write about a man who lived a lie--and he didn't just live a lie to the world, he lied to himself. I wanted to tell a story about someone who found it easier to blame others for what was wrong in his life rather than take responsibility and attempt to help make it right. No life is perfect, but frequently it's easier to blame others or external circumstances than take responsibility." Linda Francis Lee said in a recent interview on Amazon.

Dreamcast- Emily (Alice Eve) & Sandy (Ian Harding)

If you are a dog lover, here is a book for you. Sandy and Emily are a young married couple. They look to be picture perfect. They are on top of their game in the professions they've chosen. Unfortunately, all might not be as perfect as what Emily believes. Sandy might not be on the up and up with her about their marriage. But as fate would have it. Sandy is killed in an accident outside the Animal Human Society. Guess who decides to volunteer there and fall in love with Einstein an ugly, little mutt that Emily ends up adopting.

Perhaps the story sounds simple, but there is a lot you can learn from a dog. And Emily does. Its a story about second chances.


“In order to live a life truly worth living you had to have strength in the face of adversity, patience when confronted with challenge, and bravery in the face of fear.”-Emily and Einstein

Is Lee a dog person?

"At the time I was plotting the book, I had been thinking a lot about our dog Sophie who had passed away several years ago. For so long just thinking about her broke my heart. But a shift had started to happen and the memories started making me smile or even laugh. Sophie had so much personality. If she was mad at me, she ignored me. If I was sad about something, she leaned up against me until I felt better. I know it sounds crazy, but she felt like a little person, a sometimes crotchety person! So with all this thinking about Sophie, one day when I came through a tunnel in Central Park and saw the statue of Balto the dog, the pieces came together. A dog has to be a character in this book, and not just any dog, a wonderful but crotchety dog...and Einstein came fully to life!" Lee says she's a fan of the DOG WHISPER,too.

Her thoughts on second chances. "I think most of us have moments in our lives that we would like to do over. While we can't get an actual "do over", I love the idea that we can get another chance to make things right, or find another chance to achieve a dream." Lee said in the interview. "Second chances are all about having hope, and it's hope that gets us out of bed in the morning."

For a sweet read check out Emily and Einstein. Its becoming a book club favorite this year.

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