The Butterfly Girl audiobook

What if we are all capable of lying to ourselves? 3 1/2 stars. The Butterfly Girl is the sequel to The Child Finder, which I personally thought was a beautiful, eerie and atmospheric thriller. I didn't enjoy this one quite as much, but I do love how Denfeld focuses once again on the disadvantaged - the poor, the homeless, the abused - especially when it feels like every thriller is another upper-middle class domestic drama.Where The Child Finder was predominantly about private investigator Naomi Cottle's search for a missing girl, this one turns its focus more onto Naomi herself, and her search for the sister she left behind years ago. Naomi has very few memories of her time being held captive as a child, but she knows one thing: she had a sister. A sister who didn't make it out with her. A sister she hopes may still be alive.While the case of another young girl - Celia - becomes entwined with Naomi's search, I think this book lost a little something by mostly being about Naomi's missing sister. The novel was at times oversentimental and heavy-handed, with Denfeld's trademark poetic writing feeling too saccharine for the subject matter. The investigation seemed driven by emotion and instinct rather than logic, too.Celia's story was far more interesting to me, even with all the parallels that can be drawn with Naomi's story. At twelve years old she has run away from her abusive father and is now living on the streets, exchanging sexual favours for cash. She, too, has a sister she left behind, and she is wracked by guilt that she couldn't and didn't protect her. The complex examination of Celia's guilt, plus the way the author shows how social systems frequently fail at-risk children, offer the most heart-wrenching and effective moments of the novel.Mostly, I love how Denfeld reminds us of the people society has forgotten; the ones we look away from; the ones who we have failed. She continues to be a must-read author for me. Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Youtube

As Henry David Thoreau said: “Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves”Naomi is back, a brilliant investigator, a child finder, who was also tormented and lost kid, achieved to run away from her capturer but left her sister behind, now bringing the children back their homes, she also try to help herself to bring back her lost memories to find any crumble of truth about her past to find her sister.This time Naomi and her husband, partner, childhood friend from foster home helping her hold onto her life and following new traces about Naomi’s sister case. (They decided not to get new lost cases till they find her, even they’re financially struggling) But their investigation crosses with the several lost girls’ cases whose bodies found in the river some time later. Even though Naomi wanted to fully concentrate on finding her own sister, her connection with 12 year homeless girl Celia who created herself a fantasy world filled in butterflies to endure her struggling and depressingly hard life conditions as neglected abuse victim, living with the other kids on the streets, forced her to help those kids. This book is really dark, suffocating, extremely realistic, even the pacing is fast enough and mysterious parts hook you from the beginning, you feel like breathless and want to take breaks for fresh air. The cold facts of the foster kids’ lives force them to grow faster are harsh slaps hit on your face. You feel shaky, emotionally unbalanced. You want to scream, curse, cry and do something to change things for them. You deeply feel every pain, every wound, every scar they had especially the emotional scars cannot be seen and cannot be healed throughout their entire lives. Reading a book was watching a dark, thrilling, heart throbbing European movie with all gory, realistic scenes taken place at dirty, dilapidated, abandoned streets and we slowly watch the poor little children’s turning into wild savages to protect themselves from the jackals who are blood thirsty for fresh preys.But I can happily say that at least the author show us the light at the end of the tunnel and give us big pieces of hope that we can hold on to get up and wipe our crying faces, lighten our blue and saddened moods. Conclusion of the story made me smile, whisper several “thank you” to the author.Because of the heart shuddering, claustrophobic, completely dark parts pushed me lower my stars but the beautiful connection between Celia and Naomi, all those soul brushing, lyrical, amazing words and hard work and investigation about real life cases based on this book made me change my mind to give five shining, hopeful, strong, powerful stars to this book because the gifted author’s fantastic job fully deserved to a genuine tribute!I loved Celia’s dream world which helped her getting through her painful life and protecting her from real monsters of the life. This made me remember this inspirational quote: “Hold fast to dreams, for if dreams die, life is broken winged bird, that cannot fly.”No matter what happens in your life, keep on dreaming!

Lost. You can be lost even when you’ve been found. You can make the wrong turn in life even if you’re surrounded by people who love you. That was what suicide was, Naomi figured. It was choosing the final exit instead of another path. Not because you wanted to hurt anyone, but because you feel too hopeless to find your way home. There was more than one kind of suicide, too, more than one kind of leaving. How many people spend their entire lives not even knowing that they have already left? ======================================== “Children of the forgotten. Harvested like the berries of the field.” The Butterfly Girl (changed from an earlier title, The Butterfly Museum) is the second in a series featuring private investigator Naomi Cottle. (The series opened with The Child Finder, released in 2017) Twelve-year-old Celia is not being held captive by a creepy perv, but she is certainly at risk. She is more of a throwaway child, forced into living on the street by a sexually abusive stepfather and a junkie mother, whose addiction to illegal substances and her husband’s lies exceeds her love for her child, and any notion of decency. But the streets were a kind of captivity, too. She has two besties, Rich and Stoner, a street family of three. Together they manage, picking up meals from a soup kitchen, sampling the daily delectables from dumpsters, and doing whatever is needed to bring in some cash for occasional stops at a deli, or luxuries, like bus rides. They dress in the latest designer fashions from the house of Goodwill, and have found a squat that has not yet become too dangerous, by virtue of being undiscovered by dark elements, or worse, by gentrifiers. Celia endures her fraught existence by imagining swarms of butterflies that offer her comfort and direction, and a heavenly image of a Butterfly Museum where she can enjoy their company in total safety. Rene Denfeld - image from Jane Eaton Hamilton’s siteNaomi Cottle has made a career of searching for children still missing after the authorities have thrown in the towel. She has a gift. Well, a gift and a ferocious tenacity. She understands that it takes not only insight, but several Imelda-size closets worth of shoe leather to get from where? to there! She has an extra bit of underlying motivation. She’d been held captive as a child herself, managed to escape, but not with her little sister. All she can remember is running in terror, barefoot, through strawberry fields. Snatches of that time come back to her in dreams, bit by bit. But her sister would be in her mid-twenties by now, and, really, what are the chances that she is still alive? Naomi decided a year ago to focus solely on the search for her sister, that search taking her to Portland. Girls, or, the remains of girls, have been turning up there in growing numbers, and Naomi is determined to find out if there might be any connection between these crimes and the taking of her and her sister. Painted Lady - image from Cyprus-mail.comIn searching for clues to her sister’s whereabouts in Portland’s Skid Row, Naomi meets Celia, and feels a connection. She also notices a very scarred man who seems to be lurking about. Naomi follows clue after clue as the body count grows and the danger to Celia, and scores of other Portland street kids, increases. Swallowtail - image from FactsAboutButterflies.netOne element furthering the connection between Naomi and Celia is that, like Naomi, Celia has a younger sister she wants to save. The evil stepfather is still in the scene and mom is still a junkie, making the danger to her sister a question of when rather than whether. Viceroy - image from WikipediaWe follow the tension of Naomi trying to have a personal life. Now married to her lifetime bff, Jerome, they struggle with life issues that may sound familiar, like what are we gonna do for money? since they have been exhausting their resources on Naomi’s full-time quest. Where are we gonna live? Can we put down roots somewhere, anywhere? We also see flaws in Naomi, as she sometimes misses things that are right in front of her because of her obsession with finding her sister.Gray Hairstreak – image from Wiki Denfeld brings to her writing a familiarity with street culture, and dark experiences. She has had plenty of her own. And has gotten to see much, much more in her day job as a private investigator, with particular focus on helping death row inmates. She wrote a non-fiction (All God’s Children- 2007) about Skid Row life that has some very surprising conclusions. In this one, I particularly enjoyed seeing how Naomi interacted with official sorts, offering information, analysis, and insight in exchange for help finding her sister, not just relying on convenient snitches to keep the lead-feed rolling. I grew up with a lot of trauma. My stepdad was a registered predatory sex offender, for instance. Much of my writing is informed by my own history, including my efforts to use my experiences to help others—I'm now a therapeutic foster mom and investigator as well as author. I did have someone close to me disappear when I was a child. It was extremely traumatic, and helps me understand when working with those who are dealing with such terrifying losses. - From GR’s Ask the AuthorWhite Tree Nymph - image from The Boardwalk.comHer other superpower is a poetic sensibility that is mesmerizing. She brings to The Butterfly Girl the same appreciation for beauty, the same admiration for imagination, and the same command of language that she wielded so deftly in her prior two books. She also shows times where unchecked imagination can get one into trouble. Great Spangled Fritillary - image from Oregon Conservation Strategy.orgDespite this being a riveting read, the notion of imagination as a saving grace, while fabulous, seems maybe a bit too similar to the mechanism the young captive used in book #1 of this series. On the other hand, the notion of captivity extending to circumstances in which one may be able to physically move about, but which are still hugely constraining is perceptive and very real. Another difference from prior Denfeld novels is her portrayal of the baddie. Previous books offered a closer look at the humanity of the people doing awful things. Although there is a bit of history presented on how the perp came to be such a twisted sort, it seemed thinner to me than the more faceted depictions of her previous bad actors. Sagebrush checkerspot - image from ButterfliesandMoths.orgOne extra bit you should take from The Butterfly Girl is the portrait of a social realm that makes it into the news-maw only when someone not of the place is done in. The street life of homeless Portland children is no less Dickensian for being a century and a half removed from the London he showed the world. The same conditions are likely to be present in most American cities. One particular gap in social service attention to younger homeless residents is surprising and rage-inducing, as the kindness of the caring institutions and individuals trying help them is warming, and hope-sustaining. And while assaults by the better-off on those down on their luck is a popular sport in the nation’s capital and in many state capitals, that hostility is made personal and kinetic here. Red admiral - image from Insects of Alberta.comOne of the things that makes this such a resonant book is that Denfeld shows how a culture of rape and abuse can flourish when perpetrators are people of means and their targets are not. Headlines about Jeffrey Epstein’s long history of raping children, without being held to serious account offers a particularly relevant real-world example. The novel looks at how the silence of uninvolved people in the face of obvious wrong-doing allows such outrages to persist, and how victims of powerful criminals cannot count on the legal system to come to their defense.White Peacock - image from WikiYou will keep flipping the pages of The Butterfly Girl to see how Naomi fares on her quest, and if Celia can remain beyond the clutches of the mysterious Portland killer. But as you read, you may notice that the beauty of Denfeld’s writing leaves small sparkles on your hands, and in your head, bits of literary pollen that attach and nourish. She remains a poet with a deep appreciation of beauty, in the world, in the imagination, and in language. She possesses a gift for story-telling, writing engaging characters, and shining a bright light into some very dark places. If you are searching for a smart, soulful, engaging, mystery/thriller, you would do well to alight on The Butterfly Girl. It is a nourishing, satisfying read that is also a thing of remarkable beauty.Mardon Skipper - image from Fish and Wildlife Service I had an extremely difficult childhood and every day after school I'd go to the public library, which was my sanctuary. I learned early about the power of story and imagination to save lives—the poetry of the books became the poetry of my life, the ability to find hope even in despair. In writing fiction I feel I can capture that poetry of life and the lessons I've learned. - from the GR Ask the AuthorReview posted – July 12, 2019Publication dates----------Hardcover - October 1, 2019----------Trade Paperback - August 4, 2020=============================EXTRA STUFFThe author’s personal, Twitter, and Facebook pagesPrevious Denfeld books I have read and reviewed-----2017 - The Child Finder (Naomi Cottle #1)-----2014 - The EnchantedInterviews-----The Center for Fiction - An Interview with Rene Denfeld on The Child Finder-----The Rumpus - It’s Never Too Late to be Found: A conversation with Rene Denfeld- by Kelly Thompson – 9/4/17-----Goodreads - Ask the Author-----The Bulletin - Author’s dark and moving fiction is rooted in reality - by Kim Himstreet – July 5, 2018 While you might assume Denfeld’s work and advocacy could wear her down or make her cynical, the author said in a 2017 interview with The Rumpus, “The longer I’ve done this kind of work, the more I’m in awe at the resiliency and the strength of the human spirit, and the more I feel connected with the magic of the world. I think the world is full of magic.” -----Kirkus Reviews - Fully Booked - by Kurt Andersen – audio – from about 33:00 – about The Child Finder, but still relevant-----Jaggery - Drunk on Ink Q & A with Rene Denfield and ‘The Child Finder’ - by Soniah Kamal on August 7, 2018My earliest memories include running to the public library every day after kindergarten. I would build walls of books and lose myself in them, and not leave until closing…books were my sanctuary. As a young child I especially loved fairy tales and fables. Think about it. Where else can someone be imprisoned in dungeons, roasted in ovens and trapped by evil and still find a way to survive? Fairy tales are messages of hope for those trapped in trauma.-----Portland Monthly - Writer and Private Investigator Rene Denfeld on Portland Sexism by Zach Dundas - 2015-----Portland Tribune – News - Street life — and death - by Nick Budnick - January 25, 2007Because in Summer 2019 GR reduced the allowable size of reviews by 25% it was necessary to move some of this review into the comment section - See Comment #3 below

“But mostly, in her secret heart, she was a butterfly, with magic wings beating hard for escape.”The Butterfly Girl is a tragic but hopeful story that recounts the tragic events from one woman’s past which bind her to a young girl in the present. Both are running from their pasts, both feel an immense amount of guilt and are tempted to give up on life, but they are compelled to keep living for their sisters. Celia, a 12-year-old street kid, is turning tricks to get by, lives in a fantastical world of butterflies. They are her escape from her tragic childhood and keep her safe. Every day she struggles to survive the danger of life on skid row. The danger intensifies when young girls start disappearing from the streets--their bodies turn up days and sometimes months later in an industrial canal. Celia becomes a target, but an encounter with Naomi Cottle, the "child finder," changes the trajectory of her life.Naomi, a private investigator who specializes in finding missing children, first comes across Celia on skid row. Naomi is roaming the streets, looking for her sister whom she left over 20 years ago when she ran away from captivity. While looking for her sister, she gets caught up in the missing girls' case. While she feels a connection with Celia, her missing sister consumes her, putting Celia’s life in danger.Celia’s story, which mirrors Naomi’s, is uncomfortable and hard to read. Sexual and physical abuse occurs frequently. There were times when I had to put this book down and clear my mind. However, the parts where Celia escapes to her dream world filled with butterflies offers some relief. The writing is lyrical and Denefeld’s personal experiences add a layer of authenticity to the narrative. Overall, this was an emotional and difficult read but the ending left me feeling hopeful. I strongly recommend reading book #1 The Child Finder before reading The Butterfly Girl. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher and Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars "Lost. You can be lost even when you've been found. You can make the wrong turn in life even if you're surrounded by people who love you."The Butterfly Girl is the second in the Naomi Cottle a.k.a. the Child Finder series. It can be read as a stand-alone but I highly recommend reading the first book in the series, The Child Finder first as I found it to be exceptional.In this book, Naomi is still looking for her sister while interacting with "street (homeless) kids" in Portland, Oregon. There she has learned that young girls have gone missing only to have their bodies found in the river some time later. Naomi wants to dedicate her time to locating her sister but can't resist the pull of the homeless teens -especially a teen named Celia. A young teen who hopes one day to visit the butterfly museum and save her own sister. Each identifies with the other. "...the stories we tell ourselves have more meaning than the facts. That doesn't make them lies. Seeded with every myth was the emotional truth."I found Denfeld's writing to be lyrical, poetic and beautifully poignant. She doesn't shy away from difficult subjects and gently places them in the readers face. Reading about homeless teens, crimes against children and what one needs to do to survive on the streets might be difficult, but we can't pretend these things do not exist. They exist more than we even know or may want to acknowledge. In her acknowledgements section, she writes with admiration and love for the librarians in Portland, Oregon who cared for her when she herself was a homeless kid. How public libraries and books saved her. She writes from a place of familiarity and personal knowledge.Besides her deep and personal knowledge about the subjects she writes about, she writes using beautiful descriptions and imagery. The words, like the butterflies, flew off the pages, flew over my head and gracefully landed back on the pages. Riveting, captivating, thought provoking and suspenseful, this one had me from page one. With two plot lines going on at the same time, I usually prefer one over the other but in this case, I was equally invested in both and thoroughly enjoyed how she wove them together. Plus, how about that beautiful cover!Thank you to the publisher and Edelweiss who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The second in the Naomi Cottle series, this novel is easily read as a standalone. As always with Denfeld, the writing is lyrical and the subject matter is difficult. Sexually abused and neglected young children thrown away as trash try to live as best they can on dangerous streets. Some of these kid

The stories we tell ourselves have more meaning than the facts. That doesn’t make them lies. The Butterfly Girl is the second book in the The Child Finder series with private investigator Naomi. Though it can be read as a standalone, I would recommend that you read the first book in the series, as it will tie all the loose ends. Naomi, the investigator with an uncanny ability for finding missing children, is trying to find her younger sister who has been missing for years. Naomi has no picture, not even a name. The search takes her to Portland, Oregon, where scores of homeless children wander the streets. She soon discovers that young girls have been going missing for a month. During her search, Naomi gets emotionally attached to a twelve-year-old girl named Celia who is running from an abusive stepfather. As danger creeps closer, Naomi and Celia find that their lives are more connected than they can imagine. It’s hard to rate a book like The Butterfly Girl because it’s not a regular murder mystery or police procedural. The Butterfly Girl is an emotional story of hope and redemption that somehow binds the lives of two unconnected but very similar individuals. Both having a traumatic past and an uncertain future but both sharing an unspoken bond. In a way, Naomi sees her own past in Celia’s present.This story is dark, emotional and extremely realistic. The author did an excellent job of depicting the lives and struggles of homeless children. The many challenges they have to face just to survive every day was truly heartbreaking. Denefeld’s personal experiences as a street kid and now as an investigator; helping sex trafficking victims have added a level of authenticity to the story making you feel emotionally connected to the kids and their struggles. The writing is beautiful and poetic. The writer has beautifully explored the connection between Celia and Naomi. I especially loved the imagery of butterflies, used to depict Celia’s dream world; as her way to escape her painful life. Celia is a memorable character; one which will stay with you long after the story is over. Celia’s life, which mirrors Naomi’s, is uncomfortable and hard to read at times. The story has a lot of instances of sexual and physical abuse but it was dealt with a lot of empathy. The mystery surrounding Naomi’s sister felt a bit stretched and with too many coincidences rather than investigative work. The way both the tracks merged also felt too convenient. I liked the emotional story of Celia, so I would have liked if the story had focused more on Naomi & Celia’s story.Overall, The Butterfly Girl is an emotional and moving story. I would recommend the readers to read the first part to appreciate this book better. 3.5 stars out of 5. Many thanks to the publishers HarperCollins, the author Rene Denfeld and Edelweiss for the ARC.

Can you still be lost even when you are found?SUMMARYA year ago, Naomi a private investigator specializing in missing children, made a promise that she would not take another case until she found her younger sister who has been missing for years. Naomi has no picture, not even a name. All she has is a vague memory of trapdoor, a strawberry field at night, and black dirt under her bare feet as she ran for her life. Naomi was nine when she was found. She had been missing for five years. Naomi’s continuing search for her sister takes her to Portland Oregon, where scores of homeless children wander the streets, searching for money, and food. Though she does not want to get involved, Naomi is unable to resist the pull of the children in need and the fear she sees in the eyes of a 12-year-old girl name Celia, who is running from her abusive step-father and an addict mother.REVIEWTHE BUTTERFLY GIRL is captivating and an impossible book to put down. It’s a perfect blend of characters, setting and story. The twenty-five year-old Naomi is my favorite character of the year, perhaps even a character for the ages. She is someone you will be thinking of long after the the cover is closed. Her strength, resolve and intensity to find her sister are brought to life of the pages. Naomi’s connection with Celia is also poignant and the author effortlessly blends Naomi and Celia’s story, adding both depth and emotion to the novel. RENE DENFELD is a lyrical storyteller. She uses butterflies to bring beauty and imagination to a raw and haunting story of survival and resilience. I first fell in love with Naomi when I read The Child Finder in 2017 and honestly hope she appears in Denfeld’s future books. It’s so important to have books with strong female characters, who can take care of themselves, survive the unimaginable and serve as a role models for us all. My favorite part of the story was how Celia finds hope and solace among the butterflies. She spends her days at the library to escape the dirty and difficult streets of skid row and she surround herself with pictures of colorful butterflies. DENFELD is the author of The Child Finder (2017), and The Enchanted(. Her books always explore themes of survival, resiliency and redemption. She lives in Portland, Oregon where she is a happy mom of three kids adopted from foster care, as well as other foster kids. Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Taking a bleak look into the lives of missing and homeless youth, Rene Denfeld’s latest is equal parts chilling, tragic and hopeful. Denfeld combines her haunting, lyrical prose with a page-turning and harrowing mystery, putting THE BUTTERFLY GIRL into a league of its own. Fans of THE CHILD FINDER will devour this.

Both deeply moving and hugely suspenseful, the novel interleaves the story of Celia, a twelve-year-old eking out a precarious existence on the street, traumatized by sexual abuse, obsessed with butterflies, with the story of Naomi, the child-finding investigator in search of her lost sister, left behind twenty years ago when Naomi escaped a kidnapper as a very young child. Set in Oregon, the book weaves together the human affinity for decency, yearning for truth, and reaching out for beauty with the demeaning struggle of street life for vulnerable youth, the complex, traumatizing situations which set them there, the harrowing danger and the lasting wounds stemming from adult silence. All of it in the hands of a masterful storyteller come together in this purposeful, electric, and at the same time humane and tender book. Publishes in Oct. 2019.

I enjoyed this one much better than The Child Finder!! Very haunting, chilling, creepy read, that was somehow, also beautiful. I loved that this was essentially a prequel to her first novel, giving a backstory to our protagonist, endearing her to me so much more in the process. Incredibly, it took me only one day to read this because it's only 250 pages, but it packs quite the punch! I didn't realize the author was, at one point in her life, homeless as our characters we're in this novel, but it makes complete sense to me now...The detail and passion in which she describes this incredibly difficult life can only be from personal experience. I would say this novel defies genres because there are many elements to it, but I would most definitely recommend this to all of my fellow thriller/suspense enthusiasts! I simply can't wait to see what else Denfeld does with these characters and where she takes this storyline!

“The Butterfly Girl” is the second novel in Naomi Cottle series by Rene Denfeld that focus on the life of the infamous child finder, Naomi. Naomi, the private investigator with a knack for finding missing kids, has put all of her work on hold, determined to keep the promise she made to herself years ago- find her sister. Years ago, Naomi and her sister were kidnapped, and only Naomi escaped. Without any memories or even the name of her sister, Naomi’s sparse search leads her to Portland, Oregon, where she is soon thrust into the world of child homelessness. After meeting a young street girl named Celia, Naomi is even more determined to find her sister, and just may try and help Celia and her friends along the way. The Child Finder was beautiful, powerful and life-altering. It is one of those books whose creativity left a lasting mark. With that as a predecessor, “The Butterfly Girl” had its hands full, but it definitely succeeded in reaching the bar. I am still a fan of Naomi- I love her perceived callousness and her protective nature that still allows her to struggle through a functional relationship with her husband, Jerome. Celia is deeply damaged and scarred by the traumatic events of her young life, and you cannot help but root for her (particularly in the fact that she takes refuge in a library on many occasions and hides among the books.) Denfeld speaks from personal experience, as a homeless child herself in her youth, and it is evident in the honest and heartbreaking depiction. A short novel, I easily read through it in two days. Addicting, with short chapters, it was difficult to put down. Although the novel doesn’t necessarily have to be read in conjunction with The Child Finder, it would make things much clearer and form a deeper connection if the first book is read before taking this one on. The ending was predictable but delightful, and I am left with a gamut of emotions and thoughts, as Denfeld’s books tend to do. A sweet novel that is also powerful, and will leave you with bittersweet feelings, while still providing that sense of justice. Denfeld’s life, however challenging, has led to some pretty incredible storytelling ideas, and I pray she continues to share them with the world.