Meadowlark: A Novel

Simrin and Arjun are old friends, connected by the childhood they spent in the cloistered, cult-like commune Ananda. But a complicated escape attempt sent Simrin into the free world and Arjun back to Ananda, where the other residents’ reverence grew to a new and dangerous intensity. Decades later, Simrin—now Simone, with a child of her own—is surprised by how excited she is when she receives a message from Arjun asking for her help. He is the head of a new community called Meadowlark, a group convinced that their children are remarkable—and that they can reach new levels of consciousness and success if given total freedom to do so. There are people, however, accusing Meadowlark adults of terrible crimes, and police are at the gate. Simrin agrees to help but isn’t sure what to believe. Arjun’s wife Bethany has her own reasons to fear the controversy—and Simrin. These women’s lives are about to collide, putting everything they love most at risk.

Meadowlark is a page-turning, gripping story about both the wonder of childhood and the adults who both envy and exploit it. Arjun’s attempts to access the children’s “gifts” are both pathetic and profound, calling into question what potential lies untapped and who has the authority, or the ability, to search for it. If there are no limits, how far might a child go? Who gets to say what “gifts” are worthwhile? And, more troubling—if there is no oversight, who will say “enough”?