Emily Ever After

ISBN: 1400070422

Her Uncle Matthew obtains Emily Hinton a job as assistant to a long time friend Bennett, a publisher at Morrow and Sons, a highly regarded Manhattan publishing firm. Though her parents are concerned that their daughter is moving to the capital of glitz, an excited Emily relocates from Jenks, California (near San Diego).

In New York, Emily tussles with the looser lifestyle as emulated by her roommate, her boss and her peers at the company. She finds some solace when she works at her Uncle's soup kitchen, but notices how his partner Josie loves him though Matthew is unaware of her feelings. Emily struggles between what she believes is right and the hedonistic fun of her new friends and city until she must take a moral stand on a book's content knowing it will cost her a job she treasures if she does. Will Emily do what she believes is the right thing or will she remain silent as a lamb?

EMILY AFTER EVER is an intriguing contemporary tale starring a delightful protagonist struggling with the materialistic and often cynical assault on her spiritual beliefs. Emily is a terrific character who originally goes along to belong, but soon has doubts as she is uncomfortable with not being herself. Though her final stand turns too easily as black and white in spite of a revelation about the married Bennett and his "girlfriend" readers will admire Emily's courage to adhering to her beliefs rather than pretending all is well.

Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt
WaterBrook, Jun 2005, $11.95, 320 pp.

Harriet Klausner