The Butterfly Café - by Diane Hawley Nagatomo (Paperback)

About the Book

Jessie Yamada builds a new family with the help of her quirky friends and neighbors in a rundown Tokyo neighborhood after her husband dies and leaves her penniless.

Book Synopsis

Set in modern-day Tokyo, The Butterfly Café tells the story of American Jessie Yamada. When her emotionally-abusive husband suddenly dies in a traffic accident, she is overcome with guilt because while making plans to leave him, she had often thought how much easier it would be for her if he were dead. Those feelings quickly shift to shock and anger after discovering her entire marriage had been built upon secrets and lies. Jessie unexpectedly inherits a dilapidated café full of cats, where with the help of old friends and quirky neighbors, she constructs a new life for herself and her daughter. But just when things finally seem to be going right, a twist of fate forces her to make a decision that will have a far-reaching impact on herself and all the people she loves.

The Butterfly Café explores issues such as friendship, family, and love. It shows how second chances at happiness can be found in unexpected ways.

Review Quotes

"The Butterfly Café is an engaging and entertaining book that explores the challenges faced when navigating new aspects of a different culture. It includes some difficult themes, such as emotional abuse and suicide, but the story keeps moving forward and overall maintains a lighthearted feel. Diane Hawley Nagatomo writes in such a way that I soon became emotionally invested..." -Readers' Favorite

"It takes a village to raise a child... and Jessica finds one when her husband dies unexpectedly and she inherits a cafe from his grandmother. With engaging characters, and more than a sprinkling of Japanese history, customs, and family relations, this is a great read." -Rebeca Otowa, author of The Mad Kyoto Shoe Swapper and Other Stories

"Diane Hawley Nagatomo's The Butterfly Café is a lovely, engaging romance full of twists, turns and surprises, as sweet as its title. Five stars!" -Patti Liszkay, author of the Equal and Opposite Reactions Trilogy

"Loved it. No desire to visit Japan, but this was a wonderful way to experience it. A sweet romance, heartwarming and heartbreaking issues all combine to make a terrific story." -Barbara Tobey, NetGalley Reviewer

"...it's a celebration of second chances and found families. Also, there are cookies. This is the novel I've been waiting for." -Suzanne Kamata, award winning author of The Baseball Widow

"The Butterfly Café is a compulsive page-turner that radiates a warm humanity." -Lea O'Harra, author of Dead Reckoning

"Nagatomo immerses the reader in Japanese culture..." -Muriel Ellis Pritchett, author of Sour Grapes and Balmy Knight