For many of us at the turning point of age 60 or 70, the challenge of how to look ahead,at a time when we are often burdened by looking back,becomes central in our daily lives.

" A Hole in the Water" Mae Briskin'slatest novel, tells the story of Anne,age67,recently widowed,as she sets out to find explanations for some troublesome events in her past. The experiences and encounters thar develop, and her reckonings along the way, lead to a dramatic conclusion. It is an engrossing story, bound to challenge the reader's own reckonings.

Anne has been a housewife for decades: now she's an author and talk show host handling social issues and an ongoing concern over a long-missing daughter. She's drawn to girls who may have been her daughter, to a married man who has helped her search, and to a life and world filled with complicated choices. An absorbing story of an examined life.

In "A Hole in the Water," Mae Briskin has written an emotiional and intelligent exploration of a woman on her own. She uses memories and anticipation to fuel our desire to accompany the heroine, Anne, on her journey. And carry us along she does. From the earliest pages, we are intrigued with this woman who is traveling to Italy to search for a lost daughter and a possible lover, and to pay homage to catholics who she knows helped the Jews during World War II.

Anne is seeking "the pleasures of the senses," but she wants moral and ethical behavior to accompany them. We discover that she is witty, wise, angry, fallible, human, loving, and vulnerable. Looking back, she learns. Looking ahead, she is strengthened by every new experience and is optimistic about her own capacities for good.

Briskin treats many disparate themes, ranging from the Pope's conduct during the Nazi era, through the confused fidelity between parents and children, and the vagaries of adultery, with compassion and even humor. We care about Anne and the other characters who inhabit her world, who are all distinctly drawn. The reader is left with much to think about, including the fact that this book is truly a pleasure to read.

I read this years ago, and I've kept it because I do remember how well crafted and compelling the short stories were. It's important to note that the cover, with an illustration which I find to be incredibly unappealing, belies the quality of the writing inside.