Craving Spring: A mother's quest, a daughter's depression, and the Greek myth that brought them together

By Ann Batchelder

Book Overview

ANN IS CONVINCED SHE IS A GOOD MOTHER until her teenage daughter admits to suicidal thoughts. In a desperate

attempt to rescue her child, she gathers wisdom from therapy, the 12 Steps, and Buddhist teachings, yet she finds her greatest solace from an unlikely source: the Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone. Connecting this ancient story to her experience as a traumatized mother, Ann is vindicated in her desire to save her child but also learns the secret to returning to herself. A memoir about honesty, compassion, and trust, Craving Spring explores the pain and beauty of mother-daughter bonds and celebrates the universal desire for renewal.

"A masterful storyteller, Ann Batchelder takes us deep into the heart of a mother's love while demonstrating the power of myth to illuminate a path toward healing. Craving Spring is a gift to anyone trying to navigate the complexities of the mother-daughter relationship."

-Anita Johnston, Ph.D., psychologist and author of Eating in the Light of the Moon

"Craving Spring is so deeply heartfelt that I felt it in my own heart, often pounding as I read-and yet I could not put it down."

-Lynn Melnick, author of I've Had to Think Up a Way to Survive:

On Trauma, Persistence, and Dolly Parton

"Ann Batchelder has expressed something extraordinary with relevance and profound teachings...Craving Spring is a story of triumph. I highly recommend it."

-Tommy Rosen, founder of Recovery 2.0

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0CH22NHW4
• ISBN13: 9798987482315
• Release Date: August 2023
• Publisher: Legacy Book Press
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.60 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Mother-Daughter and a Greek myth

Craving Spring was a short book and an easy read. Ann Batchelder's honesty and vulnerability were the best parts of the book. I felt as if the Greek myth of Demeter and her daughter Persephone and well as the vision of Malvado and Graffiti Girl were really just literary devices included to fill the mere 167 pages (a number that includes a one-page Epilogue written by Ann's daughter as well as acknowledgements and a blurb about Ann). My wish would have been to read more in depth details in the personal chapters, especially regarding some of the changing attitudes and relationships. I felt that Ann's relationship to her mother jumped from one critical and distant to a closeness that wasn't explained at all or at least well enough to explain the transition. There were other issues like this that seemed inadequately revealed. This book was well worth reading but left me wondering why it wasn't a longer telling.