Described as ‘nostalgic, dark and enchanting’, Scars is a unique narrative-in-verse from an accomplished fiction and essay writer. It is the story of a year in the life of a fictional family in the 1960’s told through a series of poems ‘written’ by the 15-year-old poet-daughter, Hope. Madden’s themes of loss, betrayal, and family role reversals are engrained in the text; we begin to recognize the voice of each of the family members, as the narrator relates the events of a dark year in their lives. The scars are literal, figurative and emotional. They form a sort of bond of intimacy which binds these characters beneath family tragedy and dysfunction. Deceptively simple in presentation, Scars is clever, unpretentious and moving. As a bassist Amy Madden has been a longtime presence on the New York City music scene. A member of the NY Blues Hall of Fame, her songwriting is acclaimed for its cinematic story-telling and unusual lyrics. As ‘Writerless’ she maintains a blogsite of essays, and as Amy Madden Taylor she previously published a novel, Losing My Accent.