What a powerful and emotional novel by Rachel Burton. This dual timeline left me deeply moved, shedding a few tears and sighing with satisfaction by the end. It held my attention from the very start with its intriguing plot and endearing lead characters. I was immersed in the storyline with its many twists and turns and filled with suspense at the finding of those letters and a locket! The Butterfly Cottage is a beautifully written family tale of two women generations apart sharing common DNA and a passion for a home and its garden treasures.
In 2018, Meredith is stunned to discover she has inherited a cottage in a little English village (Carybrook in Suffolk) from an aunt she never knew. This is just after her life has fallen apart. She is a hairdresser with a business that is failing financially. On top of this, her fiancé has cheated on her so everything is in shambles. She owes money to him and the bank for her business. She extended too far, took a gamble but it did not pay off. She decides this unexpected inheritance may be her ticket to getting out of debt so she heads to the cottage after talking to the solicitor. But what she finds waiting there is quite a surprise. A man is living on the property who states he is an owner as well. What is going on? Why would her aunt do such a thing? There is only one person she feels can give her the answers: her father. But he disappeared from her life a number of years ago. How will she ever find him to ask these important questions? In the meantime, her mother offers to fly home from Spain to help her sort out her life.
In 1963, we meet Clara, the schoolteacher who has inherited money from her parents and buys a cottage. It was unusual for women at that time to be able to buy a property, partly due to their lack of funds as their jobs did not offer much financial payment. But Clara enjoys her independence and is not quite like other women of her time. We learn of her love for the English cottage and its garden and the man from her childhood who re-enters her life. This provides quite a backstory that includes the disaster that follows and her disappearance.
Back in 2018, Meredith gets to know the young man named Zach who is a gardener and co-owner of the cottage. We hear his perceptions of Aunt Clara and learn she was a very private person who never shared much about her life. The story ramps up at this point as we wonder what part Zack will play in the current drama but also why did he become a recipient of this house? Meredith wants to know, too, more about the aunt she never knew so starts on a quest, aided by Zach. Together they try to sort out the answers and their search takes them down a number of interesting roads. There are some big twists in the story that you might expect and others you may not. Personally, I enjoyed getting to know all the characters of both timelines and their paths to restoration and discovery.
The two timelines were well delivered and come together effortlessly at the end. Meredith’s personal and business crisis, her family’s revelations, her unexpected inheritance and path forward was fresh and believable. Clara’s independence, re-connection with her childhood friend and sweetheart, her heartbreak, rebuilding of her life elsewhere and then her return home was moving and convincing. This is a lovely novel that is both heart-warming and heart-breaking. But everything works out in the end and there is a positive and uplifting message in the climax. Happiness is in the cards, plus restoration and love for these deserving characters. I thoroughly enjoyed The Butterfly Garden and highly recommend it. It is a well-written, unforgettable story that shines with genuine substance and beauty. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thanks to Boldwood Books and Netgalley for a review copy.
