A seemingly perfect life is almost destroyed when Emily’s husband Sandy is hit and killed by a car. Sandy, who was quite the jerk even if Emily didn’t know it, is then given the chance to make things right when he’s given new life as a stray dog named Einstein. Through her volunteer work at a veterinary clinic, Emily ends up adopting Einstein, who gives her some comfort as she attempts to go on with her life. However, Emily soon discovers that Sandy had betrayed her in the worst ways. Told in alternating narration from Emily and Sandy as Einstein, Linda Francis Lee’s Emily and Einstein is both sad and uplifting as Emily grieves the loss of Sandy and of her secure lifestyle, but also finds a renewed sense of self and reconnects with her sister.
Because of how much of a jerk Sandy was as a dog, I assumed that he was as a man too. This assumption led me to question why someone as caring and kind as Emily would ever be involved with a man like that. That question detracted from my overall enjoyment of the book. I think I actually would’ve preferred to never hear a word from Einstein since I took far more delight in the Emily chapters. Although some insights were gained from the Einstein chapters, I continued to despise Sandy who had created quite the façade that Emily bought into; he never really stopped being a narcissist. The story of Emily and her sister was much more inspiring than the “second chance” story of Sandy (though some of his moments as Einstein provided excellent comic relief). Overall, I found Emily and Einstein a pleasurable read. I most enjoyed the discovery of who the writer was behind the “My Mother’s Daughter” excerpts that start off each Emily chapter.
- Publisher: St. Martins Press
- Date of Publication: March 1, 2011
