Marjorie Agosín (1955–2025)

Reading children’s historical fiction I am always amazed at how much I don’t know about other countries. Celeste’s family is torn apart by a dictator’s rule in Chile. Although never mentioned by name, Pinochet is the model. History does repeat itself, as evidenced in her grandmother’s memories of escaping the Nazis in Germany. Agosin’s description of the dictatorship as an “earthquake of the soul” is poetic language for a horrible event. Eleven-year-old Celeste’s account of show more the disruption of school and family puts a real face to history. Both her parents go into hiding and she emigrates to Maine, living with an aunt until the dictator is deposed. Excellent historical fiction. show less

This book whisked me away to Valparaíso, where I imagined myself riding a colorful cable car down the hills overlooking the ocean, as a pod of pelicans flew gracefully overhead. In my hands, I could almost feel the warmth of a bag filled with freshly baked empanadas from one of the charming bakeries just down the road.

This is a beautifully written realistic fiction for middle-grade children about the military takeover of Chile through the eyes of a young girl. It explores the themes of show more loss, displacement, and the power of hope and resilience. I learned that the author had escaped the terror of the Pinochet dictatorship with her family and drew heavily from her experience in this book.

Celeste, the protagonist, is smart, imaginative, and compassionate. She lives a privileged life and deeply loves her family, friends, and home. I particularly loved her bond with her grandmother. I love it when children are close to their grandparents.

What didn't work for me, however, were the length of the book and the pacing of the story. At 464 pages, this book is quite long! While I enjoyed and breezed through the first part of the novel, the second part dragged on to the point where I found myself getting bored and skipping pages, and the third part felt overly fantastical and rushed.

Despite these shortcomings, I find "I Lived on Butterfly Hill" a thought-provoking novel that sheds light on a dark chapter in Chilean history. Anyone interested in historical fiction or stories of resilience will enjoy this book. show less

Celeste's story takes place during Pinochet's takeover which hugely impacts her family and community. Her doctor parents flee into hiding and Celeste is sent to live in exile with her Tia Graciela in Maine. Neighbors and friends disappear without a trace.
Intriguingly, the story doesn't end after the General's death and happy reunions; we see how events continued to emotionally affect how people lived, with lingering fear and mistrust. It's a hopeful story and Celeste's voice is poetic and show more florid (at times there is a touch of telenovela drama to her exclamations). The portrayal of her family and friends is warm and loving, and wouldn't everyone want to live on her bustling, friendly Butterfly Hill with its sparkling ocean vista and air scented with flowers and pastries? show less

Very interesting and sad. Celeste is living in Chile with her family when the president is assassinated and a general takes over. The book covers the disappearances, Celeste's exile in Maine, the search for her parents and the attempt of the country to return to some sense of normalcy with the death of the general. The spanish text was well integrated into the rest of the text. The characters were all interesting and distinct although some less well developed than others. My only critique show more about the book was that there were about 4 places where the book could have ended naturally. show less