Book examins relationship between pet and owner NEWS
Your dog can’t talk. But you know exactly what he wants. One woof means “out.” A different grumble means he wants a treat. A certain look means “scratch my belly.” Sure, he may not carry on a conversation with you, but he communicates just the same and he gets you to do his bidding. One of you is very well-trained. Because of that, despite what scientists say, it’s hard not to attribute human qualities to animals that share your home. But you’ll never look at your dog again in the same way, once you’ve read “Emily and Einstein”, the new novel by Linda Francis Lee. Alexander “Sandy” Portman was going to ask his wife for a divorce. When he first laid eyes on Emily, he knew he had to have her – and since Sandy got everything he wanted, it was only a matter of time before he cajoled Emily into his arms, daring her to love him. She couldn’t resist. Alas, that was two years ago and now it just wasn’t working for Sandy. Divorce would break Emily’s heart. Oddly, he didn’t care. But that was all before he died. It was all before he begged the old man in
feathers for a second chance. Before the old man, cruel jokester that he was, gave Sandy a new body he wasn’t happy having… Saving the scruffy, wire-haired little mutt was all that was important to Emily in the days after Sandy’s accident. Not her shaky job at Caldecote Press, not her wild younger sister, not the fact that Sandy’s mother was being a harridan, nothing else distracted her like taking care of the dog she named Einstein. She had spent money she didn’t have on sav-
ing the pooch and though she initially had no intention of adopting him, she was ultimately glad she did. He was a curmudgeonly little guy, kind of stand-offish, but he surely lived up to his name! Einstein was so smart. He seemed to know everything about Emily and he acted as if he’d lived in her Dakota apartment all his life. Strangest of all, he reminded her so much of Sandy… Who really resides within the fur of the four-legged one at your feet? You’ll think of plenty of possibilities to ponder when you’re finished reading this adorably smart book. “Emily and Einstein” is one of those novels that captures your imagination and takes it for a ride. I really enjoyed the way author Linda Francis Lee leads her readers with observations through the eyes of a small, fuzzy, accidentally-quadrupedal man, and the way she envisions his spiritual life is just perfect. Lee was so good at creating Einstein, in fact, that you shouldn’t be surprised if your mind is drawn to your own pet and his humanlike characteristics: what, exactly, is going on behind those liquid “Pet Me” eyes? More fun than a squeaky ball, tastier than a bacon-flavored bone, “Emily and Einstein” will charm you quick. If you’re looking for something cute to read, this is the book you want.
The Radcliffe Choral Society will perform a free concert at 8 p.m. tonight at First United Methodist Church. The performance will be conducted by Harvard’s Director of Choral Activities, Andrew Clark. The Radcliffe Choral Society is made up of more than 50 women. The group
performs both sacred and secular music, ranging from medieval chant to renaissance polyphony, romantic masterworks, and contemporary arrangements of both American and international folksongs. The society will also perform March 17 in Pasadena and March 18 in Los Angeles. The concert is free, but dona-
tions will be accepted. The Radcliffe Choral Society was founded in 1899 by the first President of Radcliffe College, Elizabeth Cary Agassiz, and is the oldest women's collegiate choir in the nation. For more information, visit: www.radcliffechoralsociety.org
“Emily and Einstein” by Linda Francis Lee, c.2011, St. Martin’s Press, $24.99 / $28.99 Canada, 356 pages
BY TERRI SCHLICHENMEYER THE BOOKWORM SEZ
Daily Sound
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Radcliffe society to perform for free
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