Deidra

Deidra is a gripping, character-driven novel that explores the intersection of identity, survival, and personal freedom. Fourteen-year-old Deidra Florakis, a high school freshman in Atlanta, Georgia, has her life turned upside down when a drugging incident leaves her unconscious and near death. She is discovered by Drak, an undocumented immigrant who mistakes her for a modern-day Persephone, the Greek goddess he reveres. Fearing deportation, Drak decides to help Deidra but soon finds himself on the run with her as she battles amnesia and a disoriented sense of reality.

As Deidra’s memories return, a national manhunt is launched by the FBI, viewing her as an abducted minor. But Deidra remains loyal to Drak, believing that he saved her life. Their journey becomes a race against time as they seek refuge from bounty hunters and federal agents. Along the way, Deidra’s growing sense of autonomy forces her to confront both society’s expectations and her right to decide her own future. In a heart-wrenching climax, Deidra faces a moment of truth where she must choose between loyalty to the man who protected her and the life she thought she had.