“It starts with a fire, which is both metaphoric and real, transformative and damaging. It starts with a mother and a daughter, both (like all of us) flawed, both in a hospital, both ill in their own ways, joined by a spectral presence who may or may not actually be there. It is a memoir that circles around the question of what it is to be a parent, whether we can ever do it right, whether the best we can do is keep showing up for it. It is, in the end, a hard-won journey toward radical acceptance, and the power of simply asking another human being for help—in its simplicity it is incredibly moving.”

—NICK FLYNN, award-winning author of Another Bullshit Night in Suck City and This is the Night Our House Will Catch Fire: A Memoir

Craving Spring is the story of a mother’s love for her daughter as her daughter struggles with addiction, but also a mother’s acceptance of herself and her own limitations. I imagined myself in her position and could so relate to all of her desire to protect her daughter, keep her safe, keep her from feeling the pain of life. I could also relate to her understanding that try as we might, we can’t do any of those things really. It’s the painful part of motherhood. We are wired to keep our children safe, and we are forced to let them go and trust that they will be okay. Craving Spring is a memoir that can help guide us through that process. With lyrical prose, Batchelder weaves the myth of Demeter and Persephone throughout the story in an effort to find meaning in her own experience. I highly recommend this book!

—MELANIE BROOKS, author of A Hard Silence and Writing Hard Stories: Celebrated Memoirists Who Shaped Art from Trauma

“Batchelder's compelling story is an irresistible page-turner. This is memoir writing at its best.”

—LAURA CATHCART ROBBINS, best-selling author of STASH and podcast host

“As teen mental health concerns continue to rise in our country, Craving Spring offers a story of hope and resilience. Ann Batchelder redefines her ideas about motherhood, addiction, and recovery through the lens of compassion and discovers what it takes to heal.”

—JUDY L. MANDEL, New York Times Bestselling author. Her new book is White Flag.

“Batchelder writes vivid scenes depicting her journey to understanding that, like Demeter, she must let her daughter face “the fires of the underworld” and wait patiently for her return…Those of us who travel this difficult path alongside the author are reminded to challenge our preconceived notions of who our children are and who we will become as they step into the world on their own.”

—THE LINDEN REVIEW

“In her memoir Craving Spring, Ann Batchelder writes movingly of her daughter’s struggles with depression and addiction and her own desperate attempts to save her. Weaving myth and mysticism into an unflinching portrait of a family in crisis, she explores what it means to be a mother, the limits of parental control, and the enduring nature of the mother-daughter bond. She reminds us that in sorrow, there lies the potential for greater wisdom and personal growth. Inspiring and eye-opening.”

—BEVERLY CONYERS, author of Addict in the Family: Support for Loss, Hope, and Recovery

As a family physician who specializes in college health (& as a mom), this universal story of the cycle of addiction, anxiety, and depression deeply resonates with me. The author helps us look within our minds and emotions as we parent our own kids through their challenges, whatever they might be. This book is ideal for parent book clubs and for any parent struggling through the heartbreak of watching a child battle addiction. Every AA chapter should have a copy for their library as well.

—JILL GRIMES, MD, author of the award-winning book The ULTIMATE College Student Health Handbook

“A beautiful book—rich, layered, and insightful. An impressive work both of writing and spiritual reflection.”

—KEVIN GRIFFIN, author of One Breath at a Time: Buddhism and the Twelve Steps

I am in awe of this beautiful book! The writer brilliantly weaves her story and a reimagined version of Demeter and Persephone, and the result is an honest, lyrical, story of acknowledgment, growth, and love. I am beyond grateful for memoirs like this one that show us specific and personal struggles through courage and that reveal universal truths we can all relate to and learn from. What an amazing, gorgeously written story. One of the best memoirs I have read in a very long time.

—LESLIE FERGUSON, memoir coach and author of When I Was Her Daughter

“Craving Spring is a gripping tale that elegantly illustrates the relevance of the ancient Greek myth of Demeter and Persephone to modern-day mother-daughter struggles. 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. This book 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: How Women Can Transform Their Relationships with Food Through Myths, Metaphors, and Storytelling

“One of the few truly honest expressions of what it is to be a parent of a child suffering from addiction, this book is vitally important to the field of recovery in all its forms. Written from the heart and with extraordinary insight, Ann Batchelder has achieved a triumph with memoir, myth, and the intersection of spiritual renewal and self-discovery. Essential for anyone who has been touched by addiction—as a parent or as an individual.”

—KIMBERLY BERLIN, LCSW, CSAC, author of the forthcoming book Rise in Recovery: The Spiritual Path for Healing Addiction

“With crisp sentences and thriller-like pacing, Ann Batchelder has crafted an unforgettable book about a mother’s desperate quest to save her troubled daughter—and herself. 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

“Heartache to healing. Darkness to hope. Despair to revelation. From every day of every experience, Ann’s journey provides us with a striking reminder of life’s teachable moments and the power of perseverance sustained by unconditional love.”

—WILLIAM C. MOYERS , Vice President for Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and author of the NY Times best-selling memoir Broken: My Story of Addiction and Redemption.

“This is a mythical, powerful, and true story of a mother’s heroic journey home to her own heart as she comes face-to-face with her daughter’s addiction. Ann Batchelder has expressed something extraordinary with relevance and profound teachings for any person who has ever sought to be free and to live life fully. Craving Spring is a story of triumph. I highly recommend it.”

—TOMMY ROSEN, Founder of Recovery 2.0

A well-written and compelling book for any reader and a testament to the power of a mother's love. Yet, the beauty of this story comes not from Batchelder's love for her daughter, but from the love and care that she slowly, quietly, finally gives to herself.

—AMANDA K. JAROS, editor and author of In My Boots

As a memoir teacher, I'm always looking for exemplary memoirs for my students. I've found one in Craving Spring! The story is compelling but also so well crafted. It's tight, focused, not a word wasted, and a quick read without sacrificing depth. Ann is vulnerable and generous as a writer, showing us how to be reflective about our own responsibility in difficult relationships, and how we're all on a spectrum of addiction to something. I've very moved by this memoir and will continue to teach it in my courses.

—JENNIFER LEIGH SELIG, Ph.D. and author of Deep Memoir

Exquisitely written….This memoir enveloped me entirely. The way the author details the complexity of her relationship not only with her daughter but herself is so beautiful, raw, and honest. This is a must-read….As a former addict now working in and writing about addiction, I will be suggesting Craving Spring for many years to come.

—HANNAH SWARD, author of Strip: A Memoir

“Craving Spring is a beautiful truth-telling memoir of a mom's struggle to not only understand her daughter's addiction but her own as well. For the daughter, it’s drugs. For the mother, it’s the drug of wanting to be a perfect mom. Batchelder weaves her story with mythology that grounds her mother/daughter relationship (both with her daughter and her own mother). Reading Craving Spring, I held my breath and cheered along with the author as she embraced her part in the snarly snarls of addiction, as she found peace on the other side.”

—ANNE GUDGER, author of The Fifth Chamber

“Ann's brilliant writing clearly defines codependency and how to recover. Enthralling story and journey from start to finish. As a retired psychiatric and addiction therapist of 42 years, I find Ann's book a must-have for recovering parents and loved ones.”

—SUSAN HICKERSON, LPCtherapist

“I am so glad that this book is in the world for anyone who loves someone who is dealing with addiction--that it offers an opportunity to reconsider what feels imperative: trying to control, save, keep safe, or fix. This reconsideration provides real freedom and healing not just to oneself but for that person who is struggling with addiction. And of course, to have patience, faith--trust--with the process. …This is a fiercely honest narrative, beautifully written, with brave offerings of transformation and hope.”

—JANET HURLEY, author of Glove Shy

“Beautifully written, Craving Spring is a gut-wrenching yet uplifting story. It traces a mother’s attempt to understand her daughter’s struggles and find the answers to two questions most parents ask at some point: Why is this happening? and Am I good enough?”

—JAY CUTSPEC, Director of Health and Counseling, UNC-Asheville

“With elegant prose, Ann Batchelder offers the reader a poignant, candid account of the complexity of motherhood and personal transformation. Through anguish and despair, Craving Spring not only explores the parent-child relationship but also illustrates a woman’s determination to love unflinchingly, to honor the maternal self she is meant to be, and to share her experience in service of a greater truth that words, stories, and mythologies can change lives.”

—ALLISON HONG MERRILL, author of Ninety-Nine Fire Hoops, A Memoir

“I loved this book for hundreds of reasons. Ann Batchelder's brilliant memoir unearths the dank truths about a mother’s needs when her child is suffering. Craving Spring shows us how to untangle maternal judgment to access love and create meaningful relationships with our kids and ourselves.”

—LOREN GREIFF, Founder of PortfolioRocket