Einstein and the Polar Bear by Tom Griffin

Bill, a highly regarded but reclusive novelist living in a secluded farmhouse, is visited by Diane, an attractive young motorist whose car has broken down in the middle of a blizzard. Although suspicious, Bill gives her lodging for the night, and as the evening progresses, more about Diane’s motives and Bill’s literary reputation is revealed. The two draw closer, occasionally being interrupted by colorful local characters and the ramblings of Bill’s aging father, who once encountered Albert Einstein. By the story’s end, Bill is forced to confront the pain, loss and self-doubt which made him forsake his talent and the harsh realities of the world in which it once flourished.