Review for The Memory of Butterflies by Grace Greene

 

The Memory of Butterflies by  Grace Greene 

 

Kindle Edition, 290 pages

Published September 5th 2017 by Lake Union Publishing

 

 

To keep devastating family secrets from being revealed, a young mother lies, but her secrets could end up destroying everything, and everyone, she loves. The Memory of Butterflies is a poignant story of family and forgiveness--of knowing when to let go and when to hold each other close.

Hannah Cooper's daughter is leaving for college soon. The change is bittersweet. A single mother since the age of eighteen, Hannah isn't eager to confront the pain of being alone, but she's determined not to let her own hang-ups keep Ellen from the future she deserves. As Ellen's high school graduation approaches, Hannah decides it's time to return to her roots in Cooper's Hollow along Virginia's beautiful and rustic Cub Creek.

With the help of longtime friend Roger Westray, Hannah devotes her energies to building a new house on the site of the old family home, destroyed in a fire more than a decade ago. But Hannah's entire adult life has revolved around one very big secret. And her new beginning comes with unanticipated risks that will cost her far more than she could have imagined--perhaps more than she can survive.

When a confrontation forces Hannah to expose her secret, the truth may destroy her beloved daughter. Hannah is prepared to sacrifice everything to protect her family, but can their lives and their bond withstand the seismic shift that's coming?

 

My Thoughts…

 

What a position Hannah is put herself in.   As a young girl, excited about going to college, makes some life-altering choices.    Hannah was put in adult positions before she was ready and made choices that she could not have imagined the outcomes for.    She takes all that is thrown at her and does the best she can until she must tell her daughter about her life.   She knows that telling about her past and the choices she made can change her daughter’s future. 

 

Whatever choices Hannah made and continue to make, no one can doubt her love for her daughter.   Ellen is her everything.   Every choice, every decision, everything Hannah has done is so that her daughter will be happy, successful, and loved.   I could feel my heartache as she wrestled with how much to tell her daughter knowing that what she has to say would change their relationship forever. 

 

The Memory of Butterflies is a heart-wrenching story of the love a mother has for her daughter and the lengths she will go to protect her.    The characters are not perfect, their circumstances difficult, but their love is strong and pure. 

 

**I received my copy as part of Amazon Prime Reads.  

 

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