Agosin, Marjorie I Lived on Butterfly Hill, 454 pgs.
Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2014. $16.99 Language: G; Mature Content: G;
Violence: G
Butterfly Hill is a
beautiful neighborhood in Valparasio, Chile. Celeste lives a charmed life there
until a military coup overthrows the Chilean government and fear replaces
contentment. Celeste’s parents are doctors and supporters of the ousted
president and so must go into hiding. When the crisis escalates, Celeste is
sent to live with her aunt in Maine. The culture shock and fear for her parents
and country seem overwhelming, but Celeste is determined to survive.
This book is a commendable
attempt at explaining the troubles Chile experienced during and after their
military coup, but makes some missteps. Some of the plot points are of a
fantastical theme and cause the overall story to lose validity. The author is a
poet and that may account for the flights of fancy, but the distractions they
cause are detrimental to the importance of the event. The book is a relevant attempt
to introduce young readers to the political crisis in Chile and for that alone
is recommended.
MS,HS—ADVISIBLE.
AEB
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1 comment:
I did have trouble figuring out if this were historically accurate or not, or if the figures mentioned were real. There should have been somme notes to that effect to make this something worth purchasing. I did love the illustrations.
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