Demeter's Daughter — Beth Mitchum

Demeter's Daughter is the third book in a contemporary series by Beth Mitchum. Each book is dedicated to a different Goddess. Although the Goddesses represented here are all ancient Greek Goddesses, there is no connection between the books and the land of Greece, except in a metaphorical sense. The books are dedicated to the spiritual energy these Goddesses can bring to our lives by helping us to become all that we are meant to be. Set in the late 1990's on the cusp of the internet revolution, the series begins with Artemisian Artist, where we meet four women who become connected to each other in sometimes unexpected ways. In the first book, we see their lives through the eyes of Liz Higgins, an artist who is just beginning to find success in her work. In the second book, Gaia's Guardian, we follow the thread from the perspective of Gerry Pearcy, a Lakeland police officer. In this third book, we follow the narrative from the perspective of Melissa Higgins, a student at the University of Central Florida and Liz's younger sister. While attending college, Melissa deals with strong maternal urges and a sometimes confusing love life. Melissa's life takes a puzzling metaphysical turn while she grapples with the sudden return of her mother, who vanished when Melissa was a toddler. The series reaches its exciting conclusion in Hestia's Healer, which is told by Dr. Terri Jackson, a healer in more ways than one, and the fourth character in this extraordinary quartet of friends. Each one of the books focuses on one of the women and is narrated by that character -- Liz, Gerry, Melissa, and Terri. Together they weave a tapestry of women's empowerment through self-growth and strong relationships.