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. And what if he isn't? 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?
Emily and Einstein
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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?
Amazon Exclusive: A Q&A with Author Linda Francis Lee
Q: What made you write a book about an unfaithful husband?
A: 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.
Q: Why did you decide to write a book with a dog as the main character? Are you yourself a "dog person"?
A: 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!
Q: At certain points throughout the story, Einstein's animal instincts kick in, both confusing and inconveniencing Sandy. Was there a reason to keep this animal influence involved in Sandy's transformation?
A: I had become obsessed with Cesar Millan's THE DOG WHISPERER and to paraphrase Cesar, The problem is with the humans, not with the dogs. In watching the show I was always amazed at how owners learn to be better humans by learning how to deal with their dogs. As a result, between my memories of Sophie, and seeing Balto, then add in Cesar, I realized it had to be through Einstein the dog's instincts that Sandy Portman learns how to be a true man.
Q: Throughout the book the theme of "second chances" comes up again and again. What do second chances mean to you? Why did you want to explore this idea?
A: 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. Second chances are all about having hope, and it's hope that gets us out of bed in the morning.
Q: As Emily turns her life around, she goes through several changes, from finding new love and beginning to exercise, to taking risks at work and attempting to discover more about her family and her own upbringing. Is there one aspect of her reawakening that you find to be the most important or groundbreaking?
A: I think everyone has a vision of who they want to be, or who they think they are. Generally the image we hold of ourselves is an appealing version. The fact is, who can afford to live with an unappealing vision of themselves. What I liked most about Emily was that she was willing to look at who she was, and when the truth started to unravel her, she held on, fought against falling apart, then moved forward in an attempt to be someone better. And through that (in addition to through Einstein) her husband sees an example of someone trying to be their best. It both helps him and makes him angry.
Q: Once Emily stops running from the things in life that scare her, what did this represent to the storyline as a whole?
A: I think any time we do something that is difficult--something that we think we can't do--it strengthens us. It gives us a foundation on which to reflect back when the next challenge hits. A sort of: Err, this new challenge is impossible! But I did accomplish the other thing, so maybe I can do this too. Growing up I was never particularly serious about anything. But when I turned twenty, I realized life was passing me by. I started doing anything I didn't think I could do. I focused on school. I took probability and statistic courses, geology courses. I mountain climbed, I repelled, I set out to run a marathon. I even started to write. All these years later, I still push myself to do things that are out of my comfort zone. And every morning I get up and I go into the park to run because making it to the top of Heartbreak Hill, or finishing a run when I am surrounded by snow, reminds me that I can get to the top of a hill and nothing but fear holds me back. Emily learns who she really is by pushing herself beyond what she believes are her own limits.
From Publishers Weekly
Lee (The Devil in Junior League) returns with a quick yet extremely predictable story of betrayal and atonement. Sandy Portman and Emily Barlow seem to lead a perfect life. Sandy is a successful businessman from an old-money family, and Emily, beautiful and smart, is quickly gaining respect in her career as a book editor. But Sandy is keeping a few secrets from Emily, and is hit by a car and killed before he has a chance to reveal the truth. In a Dickensian turn of events, he's given an otherworldly chance to make amends as a dog named Einstein. Emily adopts Einstein and he bears witness as she discovers Sandy's former duplicity, causing her life to fall apart and leaving Einstein to figure out how to save her so that he can save himself. These turns of events also reveal the novel's most frustrating aspect: an utter lack of surprise. (Mar.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I loved this book!,
By Jane (Texas) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Emily and Einstein (Hardcover)
Emily and Einstein is an amazing book. I wasn't sure what to think when I started, but I haven't loved a book this much in a long time. It made me laugh and tear up. I cheered for Emily as she worked to turn her life around. I adored little Einstein with his man's soul who made me laugh out loud, and I fell in love with Max. It's a story about holding onto hope and finding redemption. It's about allowing yourself to fall in love with the right man when the wrong one keeps holding on. But mostly it's about a woman holding on to hope and faith, and finding herself. Emily and Einstein is an amazing, magical love story.
TJ
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
IS THE LOVE OF AN ANIMAL TRUER AND DEEPER?,
By
This review is from: Emily and Einstein (Hardcover)
Rarely am I surprised by my reaction to a book but EMILY AND EINSTEIN was a novel that filled me with unexpected pleasure. What I was expecting was a quiet afternoon respite of fluff and fun. What I got was a multi-faceted tale of self-reflection and healing.
I will not relate a synopsis of this tale of a scruffy protagonist named Einstein and his mistress Emily. It might diminish your enjoyment. Suffice to say that this story is sometimes amusing and often poignant. Author Linda Francis Lee has managed to strike the delicate balance between fantasy and reality by giving her readers a thought-provoking look at flawed lives of her characters and posing some questions about second chances and the redemptive power of love. Although the outcome of the story is predictable, many of the pithy observations about life are not. Who among us cannot relate to, "It is regret that kills, the if onlys that leave the mortal wounds" or "That's always the way with people - truth staring them in the face but they're unwilling to accept it." Isn't it amazing that sometimes in life, if we are paying attention, we find our answers where we least expect them.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great Book Club Choice, Beach Read, Poolside....A fun read,
By
This review is from: Emily and Einstein (Hardcover)
"Emily and Einstein" by Linda Francis Lee is the perfect book for book clubs looking for a light, fun read that is not too saccharine. Emily's husband is killed and comes back for a second chance-as a dog. And not a pretty, healthy dog. A mutt. The cast of characters does get a bit overblown, but Lee reigns it all in and makes a story that captivates. I think this is a fun, easy read for groups and a great read to throw in your pool/beach bag.
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