The Butterfly's Daughter

This is the second of Mary Alice Monroe's books I've read in quick succession, and in it I found many of the same themes as in the earlier The Beach House -- estrangement between a mother and daughter, the death of an elder, a pregnant girl fleeing an abusive boyfriend, and the healing found in caring for another species.The protagonist of The Butterfly's Daughter Luz Avila, is a young Latina who works in a Milwaukee foundry and lives with her grandmother, known in the neighborhood as "The Butterfly Lady" for her practice of raising monarch butterflies and teaching the children about them. A mysterious phone call sets in motion a train of events that will lead Luz on a long journey of discoveries about her family, herself, and monarch show more butterflies.

This is another good beach book that would be equally enjoyable in the mountains or really anywhere. There is a bit of romance, but the romance is not the central matter of the novel. My only cavil is that if and when I read a third book of Monroe's, and it uses every one of the themes mentioned above, I'll be disappointed. Oh, and (since the above Butterfly Lady named her daughter Mariposa, the Spanish for butterfly) I devoutly hope that she never has a hero or heroine whose mother was enamored of the American robin. show less

Book on CD read by the author
2.5**

Luz Avila’s mother abandoner her when she was a toddler, and she’s been raised by her grandmother. Now she sets out on a road trip to take her grandmother’s ashes back to her native village in Mexico, an area near the Monarch butterfly sanctuary.

I knew this was a chick-lit, road-trip, find-yourself kind of novel going in. I was intrigued by the link to the monarch butterfly migration, and by the main character’s journey from Milwaukee (where I currently live) to San Antonio (where I grew up) and on to Mexico.

There were parts of this story which I really liked. I liked that Luz was a young woman with some uncertainty in her past and uncertainty about her future, who decided to take on this show more trip without help or assistance. Of course, that’s a somewhat foolish goal, and she DOES need help along the way, but she manages to usually figure out a way to keep going without relying on her boyfriend to rescue her. Brava! I also liked the various people she picks up along the way: Ofelia, Margaret, even Stacie. These characters bring a new way of thinking to Luz, and help her to eventually find her own path.

I also liked that the ending, while hopeful, was NOT just wrapped up in a pretty little happy-ever-after bow.

I was not so keen on the way that Monroe basically dropped the additional characters along the way, however. And I really disliked Mariposa, Luz’s supposedly dead mother. I quickly got tired of her self-imposed guilt trip and how thoughtless she was about Luz and the ofrenda she had worked on to honor her Abuela, Mariposa’s own mother.

In general, I would probably give this 3 stars – an enjoyable, chick-lit read. Except…

Monroe reads the audiobook herself. She clearly has the emotional connection to the book and to these characters, and that comes through on the audio. Her pacing is good, as well. However, her pronunciation of Spanish was so bad that it completely distracted me from the book. I kept yelling at the CD whenever she mispronounced “la Virgen de Guadalupe” and other key Spanish phrases. So, she gets only 1 star for her audio performance, and that brings the entire rating down. show less

The Butterfly’s Daughter by Mary Alice Monroe is a 2011 Gallery Books publication.

A wonderful story of family, forgiveness, traditions, and personal growth-

Luz tormented by grief and a bit guilty about not agreeing to accompany her beloved grandmother, Abuela, to Angangueo, Mexico on a quest to follow the monarch butterfly. Sadly, Abuela passed away suddenly, prompting Luz to follow through on the pilgrimage her grandmother had so desperately wanted them to take. Despite, her boyfriend’s misgivings, Luz, with her grandmother’s ashes in tow, climbs into her VW bug for what will turn out to be one long, and very eventful road trip…

I discovered Mary Alice Monroe several years back when I fell in love with her ‘Lowcountry show more Summer’ series. Since then, I have become an enormous fan of the ‘Beach House’ series, too. I’ve always wanted to go back and read some of her older titles too- well, I really want to read all her books, so I decided to hunker down and make that happen.

This title is a decade old, but it has Monroe’s signature style stamped all over it. The author includes a wealth of information about Monarch butterflies in the same way she does spotlights Dolphins in the ‘Lowcountry’ series and Turtles in the ‘Beach’ series.

A few things in the novel are already slightly dated, and this one is not quite as polished as Monroe’s later series, but the story is one that still resonates today. It features four different women who make important life choices, create new bonds and friendships, and begin new chapters in their lives by shaking off the parts of themselves that have been holding them back, as they find the courage to move forward with renewed hope and purpose.

Overall, I enjoyed this ‘oldie but goodie’ from one of my favorite authors. I’m looking forward to reading more of her older titles as well as her new novel due out this coming May!

3.5 stars show less

One of my "read in the bedroom while Fiona eats" books! It was the perfect antidote to the recent serial killer books I've read! The information on the Monarch Butterflies at the beginning of each chapter was fascinating. The story is about Luz Avila making the journey with her Abuela's (grandmother) ashes to her ancestral village. A sweet story.

Luz is raised by her grandmother after her mother abandons her. Abuela raising Monarch butterflies, and the Monarch's migration tale is woven throughout the story. Labeled as a romance, I felt it was really women's fiction.

I really liked reading this book. Twenty-one year old Luz begins a journey to return her grandmother's (abuela's) ashes to her ancestral village in Mexico. Luz had been raised by her abuela, who told her that her mother died when Luz was only five years old. Her abuela taught Luz all about the monarch butterflies; how they are born, live and fly to Mexico every year.
As Luz departs Milwaukee in an old, orange VW nicknamed El Toro, she begins an incredible journey. She is also under a time frame so she can arrive in Mexico along with the returning monarch butterflies. Along the way she encounters some amazing women who help guide her towards her destination.
I loved that this book suggests that their is a reason about the people and show more situations that you may encounter. That life is not just a series of random coincidences. The book was very uplifting and full of hope. A great read. I have never read this author before, but want to check out her other books now. show less

I started reading this book just as the monarch butterflies were showing up in my yard. It was perfect timing to read this book. Each chapter begins with a tidbit about the monarch butterflies life and journey to their winter home in Mexico. I found it very interesting as I watched the butterflies make a quick stop in my yard on what I imagine is part of that journey.

At the same time Luz, the main character, is on a journey which coincides with the monarch butterflies journey. She is taking her grandmother's ashes to home in Mexico, which is where the butterflies are also heading. Luz meets some interesting characters along the way. Each plays a roll in Luz's growth and journey along the way as do the butterflies.

I enjoyed this book and show more found the journey of the butterflies and Luz beautifully written. This was my first Mary Alice Monroe novel but won't be my last. She captured my attention with her wonderful details and great characters. show less