The Butterfly Garden

The Inside Story

ISBN 0-8217-7499-9

Love is not about where you're going . . . It's all in how you get there

When I first wrote The Butterfly Garden a few years ago, it was quite a bit different than the version that came out on the shelves. It was written in first person and was titled, My Sister, Myself. I thought that was a reasonable, intriguing title as the story revolves around two sisters, both different, yet ultimately in search of the same thing; coming to terms and finding peace with themselves. And the first person format was a great way to recount Jenny’s real emotions, the push and pull of loving her older sister, yet hating the comparison people, especially her mother, made between the two of them. But, as much as I loved the story and believed in it, I couldn’t garner enough editor interest to get a commitment to publish the book, so, as most writers have had to do at one time or another, I filed My Sister, Myself and began working on another project which later became Simple Riches. It wasn’t until after Simple Riches was complete and I was outlining my next project that once again, I pulled out ‘the Sisters book.’ I just couldn’t give up on it but thought maybe there was some way to make it better, so I reworked the whole thing in third person! That was a supreme effort, changing all the points of view alone, but my editor reconsidered and bought the book! Along the way, My Sister, Myself became The Butterfly Garden because of the beautiful garden in the back of Elliot’s house. It all worked; the title, the cover, the symbolism tied to the butterfly and I’m glad I persisted because I’ve received so many letters from readers telling me how this book touched their hearts. 

Here is a glimpse of the back cover of The Butterfly Garden:

Carefree photographer, Jenny Romano, is nearly as famous as her subjects.  Her globe-trotting 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 dutiful 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.  But Elliot has never met anyone like Jenny.  Brash, outrageous, unpredictable, she's a force of nature--nothing at all like her cool, collected sister. 

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

Review:

"Mary Campisi captured my mind and whisked me away in the world she created through her magical words. Her world is filled with laughter and love, sadness and tears, and more importantly, hope."
-- Patti Fleishman, RomanceJunkies.com onThe Butterfly Garden.