I Lived on Butterfly Hill

Title: I Lived on Butterfly Hill

Author: Marjorie Agosin

Summary: Celeste is living in Chile on Butterfly Hill in a very nice neighborhood. She has fun with her friends and enjoys helping her nanas around the house and going out to help the poor receive medical care with her parents, who are doctors. Life seems like it is pretty easy at first, but things take a turn for the worst when a war and disagreement breaks out in Chile, sending some of Celeste's friends and her parents fleeing to remote parts of Chile or other countries to go into hiding to save their lives.

Celeste is not in danger at first, but things grow more and more dangerous, so Celeste is sent away to Maine to live with her Tia (aunt) and finds things hard at first; she has to learn English, go to a new school, and winter and snow are foreign to her in such months. After about a year, she gets used to it and continues to live there for the next few years (she is there for about a total of 3 years). She ends up making friends, finding herself, and realizing her talent for cooking just about everything. Eventually, the chaos in Chile dies down, and Celeste is allowed to go home. Back at home, things are far from how they were. She meets up with some of her old friends but others are either still against her or missing. Her parents are missing as well and Celeste, with help, goes out to find them.

 

Comments: This book is so powerful. The story is deep, emotional, sad, and wonderful at the same time. Celeste's unfaltering bravery really touched me and her trust in faith really was a brave thing to see. She is a great role model because she wanted to help the poor, truly cared about her country and sought ways that she could make a difference for the better, she gave her family love, and it was very interesting to watch her grow from a 10 year old girl to a 14 year old girl and I felt like I grew up right along with her throughout the book (even though it only took me 3 hours to read XD).

The book has a few scary parts about the war and people "disappearing", and there are some violent sequences, but it is still an amazing book and I think that it would be very appropriate for kids 10+ (maybe younger if they are mature).

There are illustrations in this book, but it is in no means a "lower reading level" book and the illustrations are done tastefully and put in just the right places without bringing down the length or the hard words in the book. The illustrations are fun, good, and have a child-like whimsy to them, which I enjoy. (I am 13)

 In fact, the book is more like a "Spanglish" book (Spanish English mixture) and anyone could easily pick up on the wonderful cultures).  

This is a wonderful book and should be enjoyed by all.

Complaints: I felt like "Part #2" about her living in Maine was a bit rushed through and I felt like the 3 years there passed rather quickly for such a long time when a month could pass over a few chapters in other places. The book was already a little over 400 pages though, so I cannot complain about the length - it was perfect!

Rating: 5 stars!