Lily White by Susan Isaacs

I love the movie Stranger Than Fiction. I noticed once while watching it that I had one of the books sitting on Professor Jules Hilbert's bookshelf, Lily White.
I bought this book from Hastings for 25 cents some time around 1998. This book has survived 5 moves and sat on my shelf quietly until the Colorful Reading Challenge combined with my love of Stranger Than Fiction forced me to actually read it.



Before I started the book I began thinking about this scene:

Harold: I just remember "Little did he know that the simple, seemingly innocuous act would lead to his imminent death."

Professor Jules: What?!

H: "Little did he know..."

PJ: Did you say, "Little did he know"? I've written papers on "Little did he know." I used to teach a class based on "Little did he know." I mean, I once did an entire seminar on "Little did he know." Son of a bitch Harold. "Little did he know" means there's something he doesn't know. That means there's something you don't know. Did you know that?
Uh, I want you to come back Friday.

H: Ok.

PJ: No! "Imminent." You could be dead by Friday! Come back tomorrow at 9:45.

H: 10 seconds ago you said you wouldn't help me.

PJ: It's been a very revealing 10 seconds Harold.

Was this book carefully placed on his bookshelf because it contained the phrase, "Little did he know" or was it randomly placed there by a prop master? Would 'Little did he know' be in the book?

Although I never read that phrase, it was there thematically throughout. Little did Lee know that the defendant... Little did she know that his girlfriend... Little did she know that her husband... Little did she know that her best friend...

Movie connection aside, I wished I hadn't waited so long to read it! Lily "Lee" White is an attorney defending a con man in a murder case, and every other chapter is devoted to Lee's life story which is filled with family drama, feminism, and friendship.

Because this story had many little surprises and a good dose of girl power I loved this book. Little did I know I had a great mystery sitting on my shelf all these years!

P.S. I've read 8/9 books for the Colorful Reading Challenge! One to go!