The Butterfly Garden [Paperback]

Mary Campisi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

When tragedy turns her life upside-down, a carefree photographer discovers that real life happens whether you want it to or not - and truth gives wings to the heart's most important journey.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Zebra (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821774999
• ISBN-13: 978-0821774991
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,917,375 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

A woman once told me my stories will pull you apart and put you back together, but never in quite the same way. I should've known I'd become a writer when at age thirteen I began changing the ending to all the books I read. It took several years and a number of jobs, including registered nurse, receptionist in a swanky hair salon, accounts payable clerk, and practice manager in an OB/GYN office, for me to rediscover writing. It all began on a brisk Ohio morning at the hands of a 286 computer, a failing marriage, and three daughters under the age of five. Writing proved wonderful (and inexpensive) therapy as I let my fingers and my bruised heart begin a tender love story where the hero and heroine surpass incredible obstacles in search of true happiness and eternal love. But the story was only 100 pages complete when I packed it away and moved with my children to a little rental bungalow where I took on the challenge of single motherhood and re-entering the work force. The 5 ¼" floppy disk containing the love story remained sandwiched between Lotus and PacMan until years later, when I discovered it while unpacking boxes for the home I shared with my new husband, three children, and two stepchildren. I powered up the old 286 computer, popped in the disk and spent the rest of the afternoon re-reading my story, and mapping out my future as a writer. I powered up the old 286 computer, popped in the disk, and spent the rest of the afternoon re-reading the story and mapping out my future as a writer. Since then I've written several books and even published a few! When I'm not writing or following the lives of five "almost" adult to young adult children, I'm digging in the dirt with my flowers and herbs, cooking, reading, walking our rescue lab mix, Cooper, or on the perfect day, riding off into the sunset with my very own "hero" husband on his Electra Glide Classic. (edited by author)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A truly wonderful book filled with life's complexities!, January 6, 2004

By 

Heidi (Indiana, Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Butterfly Garden (Paperback)

The Butterfly Garden is a thoroughly satisfying book about complexities in relationships. Although classified as a Contemporary Romance, it touches on relationships between mothers and daughters, sisters, friends, and spouses.

From the back cover:
"Carefree photographer Jenny Romano is nearly as famous as her subjects. Her globetrotting life leaves little time for a serious relationship, and that's just the way she likes it. Besides, her perfect older sister Grace already occupies the role of ditiful wife and mother -- or so it seems. Suddenly, Grace needs her sister more than ever, and Jenny finds herself in the sort of small town, suburban life she swore to avoid."

"For psychologist Elliot Drake, healing pain is an around-the-clock job that keeps his own relationships short and bittersweet. Elliot has never met anyone like Jenny. Brash, outrageous, unpredictable, she's a force of nature -- nothing at all like her cool, collected older sister. She's also made it clear that she's not sticking around for long. And suddenly, Elliot's not so sure that short-term is the way he wants things..."

"Taken by surprise and unsure of the next step, Elliot and Jenny discover that real life happens whether you want it to or not. And truth gives wings to the heart's most important journey."

This story tells of fear, hope, love, yearnings and triumphs. I really loved it. This book would be an excellent book for a readers' study group. In fact, after reading The Butterfly Garden, I visited Mary Campisi's homepage and found there a list of recommended questions to use for a study group.

This is a book which delves honestly into the things which hold us back and set us free.