MEANDER SCAR, by Lisa J. Lickel

Lickel's third novel, Meander Scar, weaves a tale of surprises and heart-wrenching emotional dilemmas. The term, "Meander Scar" refers to scars on the landscape left after high water causes a river to temporarily change course. When the overflow evaporates, a scar is left in the place where the river once ran.

Meander Scar uses this as a metaphor for protagonist, Ann Ballard's, life. Ann is a forty-something woman who lives alone when Mark Roth, who lived next door as a boy, shows up on her doorstep. At first she believes he’s there to visit his old neighborhood and contact his boyhood friends. But there’s a deeper reason for Mark’s appearance. As the story progresses, Mark’s history makes it clear why he’s come seeking Ann.

Although Ann is attracted to his dark good looks, she reminds herself that Mark is eleven years younger than she is. As he overcomes her initial doubts about his motives, more serious complications come to light from Ann’s own background. Some of the most profound questions raised in this book arise from Ann’s reactions to discoveries about her past.

Lickel has written a convincing novel about love in all its forms. If you want to be intrigued by an unusual plot, Meander Scar is for you.