Book Review and Giveaway: The Butterfly's Daughter

Title: The Butterfly's Daughter
Author: Mary Alice Monroe
Publisher: Gallery Books
Published Date: May 2011
ISBN: 9781439170618
Pages: 382

I received a free copy of this book for my honest review.

I have one copy of this book to giveaway. The contest is open to US only and the winner will be chosen on May 14. Please leave a comment to enter.


Synopsis:
The legend of las mariposas-the beauriful monarch butterflies that every year fly more than two thousand miles on fragile wings to return to their winter home in Mexico-is Luz Avila's birthright. She learned of their ways and their mystical powers from the grandmother who was the only family she ever knew. Now it is her turn, like the butterflies, to make that long, perilous journey. In order to honory a promise to her beloved abuela, Luz must return her grandmother's ashes to her ancestral village in the mountains of Mexico. But while this ofrenda, a tradition so old its origins are lost in the mists of time, will mean leaving behind a man who loves Luz deeply, the journey promises to bring deep spiritual meaning ot the life of a woman who cannot find her way into the future until she comes to terms with the past.









About the Author:
Mary Alice Monroe is the New York Times bestselling author of Last Light Over Carolina and Time Is A River as well as many other acclaimed novels. She received the 2008 Award for Writing from the South Carolina Center for the Book. An active conservationist, she lives in the lowcountry of South Carolina, where she is at work on her next novel.
www.maryalicemonroe.com



My review:
The book follows Luz Avila as she takes a journey from Milwaukee to Mexico and back. She has a road trip adventure that introduces her to several characters that will help to shape the pattern her life is taking. Monroe writes throughout the book about the process of how a butterfly actually becomes a butterfly and weaves their story into the lives of the main characters. However, it is all just a metaphor for Luz's life as she is the one that is following the path of becoming a butterfly and learning to spread her wings. Although the end point of reaching the maturity of life is the goal, the journey that Luz takes is more important than where she ends up.

I really enjoyed this book and it is evident that Monroe did extensive research on the monarch butterflies and on Mexican culture and beliefs to get the story just right. I highly recommend this book.