The Invitation: A Weekend with Emma
Grand Prize Winner San Francisco Beach Book Festival 2015
After losing her job as a reporter, Kate Edwards receives an unexpected invitation from the one woman she’s always longed to interview — Emma Daines, the reclusive former U.S. ambassador to Germany, who was instrumental in bringing down the Berlin Wall. Emma’s legacy is legendary, but so is her mistrust of journalists. For decades, she has fiercely guarded a deeply personal secret involving her five-year-old daughter, Sarah — one the press has long tried to uncover.
Set against the quiet beauty of a Northern California beach town, The Invitation is a poignant and emotionally rich novel about ambition, trust, and the universal longing to be truly understood. As Kate walks the tightrope between professional ambition and personal vulnerability, she uncovers Emma’s hidden memoir—an intimate account of family sacrifice, emotional wounds, and the quiet courage that shaped a remarkable life. But as Kate delves deeper into Emma’s story, she uncovers a truth far closer to home than she ever imagined.
At its heart, The Invitation is a story of healing and human connection. With lyrical prose and unforgettable characters, it reminds us that the strongest walls are often the ones within—and that sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is say yes to the unexpected.
“A beautiful book of depth, humor, and vulnerability that asks the reader to explore the most fundamental of questions: Am I truly living the life I was meant to live? I dare you to make it to the last page unchanged.” — Luz Delgado, Editor and former Boston Globe journalist
“A beautiful self-discovery story that’s so real it’s hard to believe it’s fiction. You can’t help but learn from these characters.” — Salaam Coleman Smith, Executive Vice President, ABC Family
“So easy to be swept right into this story and to mourn the end of this novel. A great fast read…and a story that will absolutely stay with you. I can’t wait for the sequel!” — Beverly Kaye, Bestselling Author of Love ‘Em or Lose ‘Em