Customer Reviews

Dancing with Butterflies: A Novel

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This riveting book writes on a micro-scale about the day-to-day lives of 4 Mexican-American women that are involved in a Folkloric dance company in Los Angeles. Although the book focuses on their daily lives and not with suspense or action, the characters are so well portrayed that the reader is drawn in. And there WILL be at least one character if not more that you can relate to. They all have their flaws, and their charms, and are fully three-dimensional. Each chapter is labelled by the voice it will be written in, and to the author's credit, each voice is authentic. It is easy to forget that these are not true stories but fiction.

I was immediately drawn into Yesennia's story. I'm a dancer myself and if you replaced Folklorico with Bellydance, there are many similar feelings. You do it for the love of it, not money, and you come to love and care for the dance, the music, the culture. Yesennia was living my dream, running her own studio and company. But, like me, she has a knee injury. Her knee injury however is bad enough that she is forced to give up dancing. I can't imagine how difficult that would be. She turns to plastic surgery, focusing on her appearance as a way to regain the joy in her life that she lost with dancing - dancing had made her feel forever youthful.

Adriana is an interesting character. She suffered a lot of abuse from her family, and as a result, she is drawn to abusive men. Although she has a kind Gringo neighbor who would love to treat her well, she keeps returning to the same relationship that she had with her father. The experiences written here perfectly capture the experiences and feelings of a battered woman, and it's so visceral that I remember physically clenching up my whole body as I read certain passages. It shows how Adriana can want the abuse, can keep returning to it, even though it's clearly not good for her. This portrayal is so real you can taste it.

Then there's Elena. She has a troubled marriage after her miscarriage, and the sadness from that has also caused her to give up dancing. One of my good friends lost her soulmate and likewise was not able to dance again. So I, again, saw echoes of real people and real lives here.

Finally, one of the most eye-opening segments of the book focuses on Soledad. Soledad is the seamstress for the group, an illegal. She goes back to Mexico to see her grandmother on her deathbed, knowing she may never be able to return. She sacrifices everything she has for her family. She's a very compelling character, and I haven't read too many narratives of this nature. This story within a story - of all of them - really brings in some issues of the day - immigration - and raises awareness without seeming like it was intended to do that.

I only wished we had learned more about Ruben/Ruby's story. She was introduced as such an interesting character, but turned out to be only a foil for Soledad as well as a way to reflect upon cosmetic surgeries in comparison with Yesennia. True, the book chose to focus primarily on four women, with other women and men in their life only seen through the eyes of these women. However, it seemed like Ruben/Ruby completely disappeared from the story after serving her part. That said, the author did well in portraying a transgendered person sensitively, although I cringed reading that Ruby was out of the hospital and drinking so soon after surgery. Likewise, the surgical adventures of Yesennia also made me uncomfortable. I can tell you one thing - I will not be having plastic surgery after reading this book (not that I was planning on it anyway).

Like another reviewer has stated before me, I too do not believe in revealing everything in my current review because then there is nothing left to say/read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel! Originally I was pulled in by the title and short summary; once I began the novel I found myself immersed in the character's lives and tribulations. The novel revolves around 4 women (Yesenia, Soledad, Elena & Adriana), their trials and association with the Alegria Folklorico Dance Group. Folklorico is a Mexican dance and before this I never gave it a second thought. After reading this book, I have a better understanding of the costumes and traditions that painstakingly go into each "folklorico" dance.

In true chic lit form, you have your girlfriend and spousal drama that will leave you being able to relate with these sometimes unrelatable characters. The author has a way of painting wonderful imagery of the Folklorico costumes and dances. I have never been interested in the Mexican dances nor will I walk away recommending this book because of it. For me, the Folklorico was the tie that bound them and weaved/intertwined the women to one another. My recommendation for this novel will stand alone on the beautifully developed characters that Ms. Grande was able to mold from her own life experiences; especially immigration.

My favorite character would have to be Soledad because she is the character that in every story just suffers all the way through yet never lets life beat her down. She is the understated heroine and has you rooting for her. Some of the women just make me cringe and wonder how they themselves can deal.

Highly recommend to all readers for custom filled novel that will immerse you into a world of immigration, love, friendship, incest, abuse, passion and all that life has to offer. ENJOY!

At times, I think Amazon book reviewers get carried away, and take away all of the fun of reading a book. I have absolutely nothing to add after the first review as it's so completely outlined in detail. While this type of review (which gives away all of the details, including last chapter info) is appropriate for textbooks, how-to manuals, Thomas Bros. maps, etc....it is totally inappropriate for novels. Take away the mystery and there's little point in reading the book. All I can say is that I'm now a fan of Ms. Grande's work and am seeking out her other writings. Her style of writing reminds me (alot!) of Barbara Kingsolver (albeit a hispanic version), and I now find myself hooked :)

I had not heard of this author previously, and I decided to give this novel a try because I like to read about different cultures and different traditions within those cultures. I was not disappointed in this novel.

The story revolves around a Folklórico group in Los Angeles called Allegría - named after the founder, Yesenia Allegría. Highlighted in the story are 4 characters, each with issues and problems of their own, yet all inter-connected:

~ Yesenia: founder of the group, and facing the sheer fact of getting older and the limitations of her body.

~ Elena: one of the best dancers of the group, but who plummets into an abyss of grief after the death of her child.

~ Adrianna: the sister of Elena, who is constantly fighting demons too scary to face.

~ Soledad: the illegal immigrant and costume maker for Allegría, who only has simple dreams and fears they will never come true.

Each one of these women's story could have been a novel in and of itself, and a novel with all 4 women's stories in it might have been too brief or convaluted. However, Ms. Grande does justice to this story. Each chapter incorporates the voices of all women, and the reader does not get "lost" or confused. Ms. Grande, to her credit, keeps the "voice" of each character individual and unique to the character. Another quality I appreciated with Ms. Grande's writing was her ability to keep it "real." A lot of books written with a predominately female audience in mind ("chick lit") has a tendency to get far-fetched in my mind, and the characters act unrealistically. Ms. Grande has control of this: her characters make real world choices and decisions for the situations they are in at that moment. I truly appreciated this.

This book is actually a very fast read. The author keeps the reader intriqued, not only with the characters stories, but also with the story of Folklórico. By integrating the costumes and regions into the story, it helped me to understand this dance, and I'd never really paid that much attention to it. I'm thankful for that. Now I'm curious about it!

So, why 4 stars, and not 5? I felt the author got a little too preachy, and I take a real dislike to that, especially in what is supposed to be a fictional novel. I realize Ms. Grande was herself an illegal alien to the US (as she many times in the interview at the conclusion of the book), and I understand that one character of the novel is an illegal alien. Fine, whatever. Allow me, as the reader, to draw my own conclusions and have my own opinions. I do not appreciate having an author "preach" at me in their novels - such as Ms. Grande attempts to do. (I don't like it when other authors do it as well, so it isn't just here) If she feels that strongly about the immigration policies of the US, and its laws, and wants to get her opinions out to people, then write a NON-FICTION piece. That way, her audience will know exactly what to expect.

I really did enjoy this novel, and felt it a good effort. I will be more discriminating of Ms. Grande's work in the future, with her proclivity towards preaching to her audience.

Reyna Grande has written an autobiographical novel in which she reveals her personal and family history through four very different characters. The Hispanic women, living in Los Angeles, have a common focal point, Folklorico, but have divergent interests and goals. Folklorico is traditional Mexican dance that draws on the regional culture of Mexico, each region with its own favorite dance and costume. The choreography involves creative interpretations of the rich history of Mexico. The characters express culturally determined dreams but also hold realistic personal goals. The interesting dilemma is that there are two cultures fighting for the souls of the women who take turns narrating the story.

Yesenia in her 40s is the oldest, and has pushed her body so hard in her years of dancing that she has permanently injured her knee. The Grupo Folklorico Alegria was founded by Yesenia but her injury causes her to look at it with bitter regret instead of pride since she can no longer dance.

Elena is younger and one of the best dancers in Alegria. She took maternity leave from the group but maintained contact with the dancers. A tragedy makes Elena reject Folkorico, her husband, and her Mexican culture as she suppresses her desire to dance.

Adriana, Elena's sister, is the youngest of the four narrators with a history of an alcoholic father who sexually abused her. She has only a week bond with Alegria, and her dance shows some technical skill but no heart. She blames Elena for abandoning her allowing their father to have a free hand with Adriana.

Soledad is the costume designer for the group, an overweight non-dancer. She is the most self-sacrificing of the four characters. Yet, she feels the closest bond with Folklorica and her Mexican heritage. She would like to open her own dress shop. Unlike the others though, she is without "papers," an illegal immigrant.

The women interact closely with one another and come to individual turning points where they have one more chance to fully embrace their heritage, their meaning in life. The decision, that must come at great personal cost, is worth it if they can dance with butterflies. Butterflies are the souls of dead loved ones who return on the Day of the Dead to visit the living and revitalize the connection with the bountiful Mexican culture.

The novel contains a "Conversation with Reyna Grande" at the end. She reveals that the four characters represent aspects of her being. She indicates that Adriana is the character with whom she has the greatest personal identification. Grande's meaning in life is expressed not in dance but in creative writing, drawing, and painting. She drew the line sketches of Flokorico dancers at the beginning of each chapter. The integration of the four parts of the author's inner life creates a realism of thought and behavior in the characters.

Dancing with Butterflies is reminiscent of One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, but is written in a simpler style. As in Marquez' novel, the theme is continuity of culture, families, and tradition during peaceful times and invasions of aggressive cultures. The outcome is resilience in times of destructive state and personal weaknesses, all culminating in this novel in the celebration of the spirit through dance.

I read this for my book club this month. I really wanted to like it and it had some redeeming qualities. I loved learning about the dance, the cultural, the costumes. That part of it was so interesting.

However, the stories were mind-numbing. The ladies were terrible, the stories were terrible. The writing was wonderful, but I really felt the author did a disservice to those of that are just learning about what Folklorico is. It deserved some really good, really strong stories to surround the culture with. Instead we were left with sub-par soap opera-esque stories that made me want to smack each and every woman in this book.

The ending was fine, and coupled with the way the culture was woven into the story, is the only reason this isn't a one-star.

This book is recommended for those that don't mind shallow soap opera characters and who want to learn more about Folklorico. I really wish I could say I enjoyed the stories. I just didn't.

When I ordered this book, I thought, "Oh, how cool. A book about Folklorico dancers." I love Mexico's beautiful traditional dancers. I envisioned a fluffy read, beautifully costumed. Forget that. This is a serious piece of literature set within a world of dance. It's an ensemble work, centered on Alegria, a Folklorico dance ensemble, and a group of Latino men and women associated with the dance troop. I'm not going to go into more detail about the characters, because other reviewers have covered them thoroughly.

I recall reading an interview with one of our great living authors. He said words to the effect that making readers care deeply for intriguing characters and then doing terrible things to them was the secret of writing. Author Reyna Grande does that to the max. Her portrayals are so vivid that I almost stopped reading this book a couple of times. Watching her characters making obviously destructive life choices over and over really disturbed me. But I couldn't stop reading. "That's the definition of a good book," my husband said. "You can't stop reading."

I read on to the end and was very rewarded. I would never use the term "chicklit" to describe Reyna Grande's work. This is too deep and impactful and carries a compelling message for and about all human beings. The author also weaves information about Folklorico and love of dance throughout. A highly recommended book.

I'm on the fence with this book. I read it almost two months ago and have been struggling with my love/hate relationship with it.

Overall the writing is supurb and colorful. The dialogue is believeable. I LOVE the cultural history. I love Soledad who was by far the stand out character in the book. The rest of the characters I disliked and found myself wanting to yell at them!

Without saying too much and ruining the story, I was also conflicted about the ending but have come to accept it and appreciate it. It was the perfect ending for this story.

If the point a novel is to make one think and ponder, then this has done so. I found myself sharing an event from one of the characters with someone in my family. The fact that two months later, I'm still churning this in my head says quite a lot. Real people aren't perfect. The characters in this book were far from perfect which might be why they are more believable than I originally thought.

This is a decent read and I do recommend it. Read while drinking a hot beverage as you may get a sore throat from yelling at the characters.

This was a wonderful book. It kept me anticipating what would happen next with all the characters. They all connected in different ways throughout the story. It had emphasis on the Mexican culture and art. The author made clear and vivid images come to life. I highly recommend the book.

This was a book I read in a book club I belong to and we loved it. I felt like I could identify with each of the characters. There were times I just couldn't put the book down because I wanted to know what happened to these amazingly complex women. It made me laugh, cry, scream, and wish I could jump into the book. I can't wait to read another book by this author!