The Butterfly Box - Softcover

Montefiore, Santa

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1471132102 ISBN 13: 9781471132100

Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK, 2014

Synopsis

An unforgettable journey of discovery from the number one bestselling author of Songs of Love and War.  
Federica is moved from Chile to Cornwall when her parents separate, and all she has left of the relationship she cherished with her father, is a wooden box which has a secret beauty hidden within.
Swiftly embraced into the eccentric Appleby family, it isn’t long before Federica falls for her friend’s older brother Sam, who barely notices the little girl until it is too late...
Years later, from the sanctuary of a seemingly perfect marriage, Federica embarks on a painful journey of self-discovery. Will she finally learn the true lesson of the butterfly box?

About this title

Review

Santa Montefiore's involving and dramatic novel The Butterfly Box opens in Vina del Mar, Chile, in the sweltering summer of 1982. Frederica is six years old and adores her father Ramon. He is a charismatic, good-looking adventurer who is due home after a long sojourn abroad. Frederica struggles to contain her excitement. Her mother, Helena, travelled with the glamorous Ramon Campione in the heady early days of their relationship; Ramon, a writer and photographer, travels the world and has sacrificed his family for his work. Over the years of growing disillusionment with their relationship, Helena endures his long absences waiting with the children in Chile. On his return, Ramon brings Frederica a gift: a magical box containing coruscating crystals in the form of a beautiful butterfly. According to legend, the butterfly once belonged to an Inca princess. Helena abandons her husband and returns to Cornwall with the children, and the Butterfly Box is now Frederica's sole connection with her past and her father. In Cornwall, Frederica grows up and falls in love with Sam Appleby and, later, the saturnine and charming Torquil Jensen. The lacerating relationship that follows forces her into a punishing voyage of self-discovery during which she learns the true lesson of the Butterfly Box.

Her first novel Meet Me Under the Ombu Tree established Santa Montefiore as a writer of elegance and craftsmanship working within the popular form of the romantic novel. So many novels in the genre are written in leaden-footed prose that it's a genuine revelation to find a writer as gifted as this. The Butterfly Box is couched in language that is always affecting, always truthful--even when saga conventions kick in. Few tales of love and loss exert such an emotional pull as this one. --Barry Forshaw

Review

‘This is Santa Montefiore at her best – an enchanting read overflowing with deliciously poignant moments. If you love a heartfelt, epic trilogy this is for you. I loved it and can’t wait for more’ (Dinah Jefferies, author of The Tea Planter's Wife, on Songs of Love and War)

‘Nobody does epic romance like Santa Montefiore. Everything she writes, she writes from the heart’ (Jojo Moyes)

‘A multigenerational banquet of love: falling in, falling out, rediscovering,rekindling. The Beekeeper’s Daughter features sophisticated, irresistible backdrops and brilliantly drawn characters that made it one of the most engrossing reads of my year’ (Elin Hilderbrand, author of The Matchmaker, on The Beekeeper's Daughter)

‘I raced through this feel-good romantic story, which spans continents and decades’ (Fanny Blake Woman & Home on The Beekeeper's Daughter)

‘This deeply romantic saunter is an ideal summer read. Laced with secrets and forbidden liaisons, it is sure to keep you turning the pages’ (The Lady on The Beekeeper's Daughter)

‘Santa Montefiore is the new Rosamunde Pilcher’ (Daily Mail)

‘A superb storyteller of love and death in romantic places in fascinating times’ (Vogue)

‘A gripping romance . . . it is as believable as the writing is beautiful’ (Daily Telegraph)

‘Anyone who likes Joanne Harris or Mary Wesley will love Montefiore’ (Mail on Sunday)

‘One of our personal favourites and bestselling authors, sweeping stories of love and families spanning continents and decades’ (The Times)

Edition details

• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 1471132102
• ISBN 13: 9781471132100
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 608