The Butterfly's Daughter - (A Romance Bestseller) by Mary Alice Monroe (Paperback)

About the Book

Now in paperback from "New York Times"-bestselling author Monroe, the story of four very different women who embark on a transformational journey following the migrating monarchs across the United States.

Book Synopsis

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Lowcountry Summer trilogy, a poignant and moving story of one woman making her way from Wisconsin to Mexico, learning her family's history and, subsequently, the power of forgiveness.

Every year, the monarch butterflies--las mariposas--fly more than two thousand miles on fragile wings to return to their winter home in Mexico. Now Luz Avila makes that same perilous journey south as she honors a vow to her beloved abuela--the grandmother who raised her--to return her ashes to her ancestral village. As Luz departs Milwaukee in a ramshackle old VW Bug, she finds her heart opened by a series of seemingly random encounters with remarkable women. In San Antonio, however, a startling revelation awaits: a reunion with a woman from her past. Together, the two cross into Mexico to await the returning monarchs in the little village Abuela called home, but they are also crossing a border that separates past from present--and truth from lies.

Review Quotes

"In "The Butterfly's Daughter", Mary Alice Monroe gives us a novel that, like the monarch butterfly, has a plentitude of beauty and wonder. Luz Avila is a character we cheer on as she makes her journey from Wisconsin to Mexico and, equally, toward knowledge and forgiveness."

--Ron Rash, "New York Times" bestselling and award-winning author of "Serena"

"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."

- "Library Journal"

About the Author

Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-seven books, including the bestselling The Beach House series. Monroe also writes children's picture books, and a middle grade fiction series called The Islanders. She is a member of the South Carolina Academy of Authors' Hall of Fame, and her books have received numerous awards, including the South Carolina Center for the Book Award for Writing; the South Carolina Award for Literary Excellence; the SW Florida Author of Distinction Award; the RT Lifetime Achievement Award; the International Book Award for Green Fiction; the Henry Bergh Children's Book Award; and her novel, A Lowcountry Christmas, won the prestigious Southern Prize for Fiction. The Beach House is a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie, starring Andie MacDowell. Several of her novels have been optioned for film. She is the cocreator and cohost of the weekly web show and podcast Friends & Fiction. Monroe is also an active conservationist and serves on several boards. She lives on the South Carolina coast, which is a source of inspiration for many of her books.