The Butterfly Girl, Rene Denfeld, author; Alyssa Bresnahan, narrator
Two children, who were living in an orphanage in a farm town in Oregon, suddenly went missing and were never found. The Child Finder, Naomi Cottle, was one of those children. When she escaped, at age 9, she had left her younger sister behind. She was in shock, and could remember very little, she did not even remember her sister’s name. She was unable to lead the authorities back to where she had been captive. They could not find her little sister.
Naomi was placed in the care of a kind and loving foster parent who helped her recover. It was there that she met Jerome, a Native American Indian, who was now her husband. He had also been a foster child living with Mrs. Cottle. He, too, recovered from his painful past with the help of this wonderful woman. Now, just about two decades after her escape, both 30 years old, they are searching for her sister. Naomi believed that her sister might still be alive. Their efforts have taken them back, full circle, to the place it all began, in Oregon. She and Jerome were staying with Naomi’s friend Diane.
Although she was hoping to find her alive, even though so much time had passed, when she heard of the Green River Killer, a murderer who was dumping women into the river, she feared one of them might be her sister. She was drawn into the investigation which was so close to the place where she had been abducted so many years ago.
As she walked about town posting flyers and questioning residents about her sister, she met street children, young kids living from hand to mouth on handouts. They were always in danger. Celia was one of the kids on skid row. She was 12, almost 13 years old, and had been on the street for 9 months. She had brought criminal charges against her stepfather. When he was acquitted she ran away from home to escape further physical and sexual abuse. Her mother, addicted to drugs because of him, had vouched for him, and so Celia was branded as a liar. Now she goes back home occasionally, only when he is gone, in order to check on her 6 year old sister, Alyssa, and to clean up the house. Her mother is generally stoned. She doesn’t think that her stepfather has sexually abused her sister yet and has no idea how to protect her.
Meanwhile, Naomi is looking for a needle in a haystack. She doesn’t know her sister’s name, first or last, and she has no photo of her, but she relates her story and tells those that she meets that her sister is approximately 25 years old now. She and her sister had been kept underground. It was a terrible story. She notices a scar-faced disheveled man watching Celia who hangs out at the library reading a book about butterflies. She puts notes into the book so that someday, someone will find them and know that she existed. She imagines that she is a butterfly and can fly away. Naomi wonders if the scar-faced man is a danger to Celia. She is drawn to Celia and Celia is drawn to her.
Will Naomi find out anything about her sister? Will Celia be safe? This novel skillfully delves into the lives of runaways. Their reasons, experiences and various deprivations are explored compassionately, offering insight into the lives of troubled youth. Is there hope for their future?