Bees in the Butterfly Garden by Maureen Lang caught me at the first few lines of the description. The story is about Meg Davenport a young girl who is sent to a boarding school by her father who wants to keep his dark story secret from his impressionable daughter. However once in my hands it was one that was hard for me to get into. As an avid reader this is not typical for me. I believe it was just due to the slow moving nature of the plot. I did like the the characters and the way you really liked a “bad guy” in the story. The book went with me a lot of places, and as I pressed on, I found the quotes from “Madame Marisse’s Letters to Young Wives” at the beginning of each chapter to be a real highlight. I liked the juxtaposition of what you are “supposed to do” in terms of etiquette, what you know – or have been taught- to do, and what your heart is pulling you to do. In the end I was glad I gave the book time and by the end I really could say I had thoroughly enjoyed the book. This surprised even me.
I really liked that the plot was a more original one and I always appreciate a good quality novel that can come full circle and presents a story in a new way. I always enjoy these “feel good” endings – what can I say, I’m just a sucker for a happy ending. I will most definitely look to read another story by Maureen Lang. I felt like her writing was excellent – it was just that I personally took longer to connect well to these characters.
I would love to hear your thoughts on this story. (On a side note this book got packed away when I moved my book collection and I’m so glad I found it!)
Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes.
