Reading Journal 2024: Where Butterflies Wander

Reading Journal 2024: Where Butterflies Wander
Author: Suzanne Redfearn

The book does stumble a bit in the middle, especially where the back and forth nature of the drama starts to get drawn out and repetitive. But it is also bolstered by a strong premise and a really riveting first quarter. Even where it stumbles, there are more than enough stellar moments and sequences to keep the plot invested and interesting and me, as a reader, immersed.

The film is ultimately about money. Or the question, can money buy happiness. Which sounds cliche of course, but the question emerges from a tangible and practical scenario, giving it some real world substance. Pressing in on this question is a subsequent theme of grief, established in the opening chapter of the book. Thus, a big portion of this money question gets reframed around the question of, can we still be happy when the muck of life presses in on our well-made and tightly controlled plans and accomplishments? What happens when the muck gets tied to difficult, life defining things like failure, responsibility, forgivness, regret. Perhaps it is in the muck of life that the greatest lessons about happiness emerge. Perhaps our conceptions of, or pursuit of, happiness need to be dismantled first before the true desires of our hearts can be made known..

The book is structured around a handful of characters, each chapter speaking from an individual perspective. Most of these characters are of one family, with a few external voices speaking into the mix. Often the chapters will replay a scene from a different vantage point, filling in the gaps and progressing the story. Its an effective device here, and it fits well with the books breezy approach- short chapters, easy prose, and a consistant pace.

I did ultimately file this under the good not great category, but that doesn’t, or shouldn’t, steal anything from my enjoyment of the story. I was hooked by the first quarter, enough to be committed to the rest no matter what. But ts a story that I found myself easily returning to and wanting to finish in the end. Even offering some memorable moments to reflect on along the way.