My review of The Butterfly's Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe is reprinted with permission. It appeared in the Feb. 15 issue of Library Journal.
Monroe, Mary Alice. The Butterfly’s Daughter. Gallery: S. & S. May 2011. c.400p. ISBN 9781439170618. $25. F Esperanza Avila worries about her 21-year-old granddaughter. Luz doesn’t know her family traditions, doesn’t speak her native Spanish, and is trapped in a foundry job in Milwaukee. After Luz’s mother disappeared, the abuela raised the girl on Aztec myths along with stories of the monarch butterflies in the mountains of Mexico. One phone call changes everything. Esperanza buys a VW and tells Luz they must drive to her home village by November 1, the Day of the Dead, to be there when the migrating monarchs return. But her death leaves Luz to make the pilgrimage alone. Following the path of the butterflies, she finds herself on a journey of discovery, seeking her inner courage and the secrets of a vanished mother. VERDICT Monroe, known for her environmental fiction (The Beach House; Sweetgrass), skillfully incorporates lore about the monarch butterflies into a rich novel about generations and tradition. This book, filled with unusual female characters, is highly recommended for book clubs and readers of women’s fiction. [Author tour; feature title at ALA.]—Lesa Holstine, Glendale P.L., AZ
Copyright 2011. Library Journals, LLC. Reprinted with permission.
FTC Full Disclosure - My copy was supplied by Library Journal in order to review the book
