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