Fruit of the dead by Rachel Lyon

Fruit of the Dead is a contemporary novel by Rachel Lyon, which reimagines the ancient Greek myth of Persephone and Demeter within a modern setting. The book was primarily published in early 2024, with various editions released throughout the year and into 2025. Synopsis The story is an electric and beguiling tale that alternates between the perspectives of 18-year-old Cory Ansel and her high-strung single mother, Emer. Cory's Story: Aimless after high school, Cory accepts a job offer from the magnetic Rolo Picazo, CEO of a pharmaceutical company, to work as a nanny on his isolated private island. Plying her with luxury, an NDA, and the opiates his company manufactures, Rolo draws Cory into an intoxicating and manipulative world where her sense of self and autonomy begins to dissolve. Emer's Story: Back in New York, Emer, who runs an agricultural NGO, senses her daughter is in danger when Cory disappears without a trace. The narrative follows Emer's frantic, desperate quest across land and sea to rescue her daughter, paralleling the myth of Demeter's search for Persephone. The novel is described as a literary thriller and a haunting exploration of power, control, addiction, and the complex bond between a mother and daughter in the context of late capitalism.#novel#hardbackbook#ancientgreek#contemporary#greekmithology