Marc Bendavid was 12 years old when he saw her for the first time. Decades later, he can still vividly recall the moment when his new art teacher entered the classroom. He realizes now that this was when his life began to shift. It’s also the reason for the appearance this autumn of his uniquely personal novel, The Sapling.

“I was absolutely struck by her,” he’s telling Postmedia now. “I don’t know why. It’s the way one feels when they see a pop star or an actor — you don’t know if you want to be with them or to be them or study how to be more like them. That’s how it was. I don’t think I’d ever been that fascinated by someone.”

What also happened was that it would lead to a close and loving friendship with this woman 32 years older — a friendship now celebrated in The Sapling, an autobi

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