I Lived on Butterfly Hill
By Marjorie Agosin
Illustrated by Lee White
Part of The Butterfly Hill Series
Table of Contents
About The Book
An eleven-year-old’s world is upended by political turmoil in this “lyrically ambitious tale of exile and reunification” (Kirkus Reviews) from an award-winning poet, based on true events in Chile.
Celeste Marconi is a dreamer. She lives peacefully among friends and neighbors and family in the idyllic town of Valparaiso, Chile—until one day when warships are spotted in the harbor and schoolmates start disappearing from class without a word. Celeste doesn’t quite know what is happening, but one thing is clear: no one is safe, not anymore.
The country has been taken over by a government that declares artists, protestors, and anyone who helps the needy to be considered “subversive” and dangerous to Chile’s future. So Celeste’s parents—her educated, generous, kind parents—must go into hiding before they, too, “disappear.” Before they do, however, they send Celeste to America to protect her.
As Celeste adapts to her new life in Maine, she never stops dreaming of Chile. But even after democracy is restored to her home country, questions remain: Will her parents reemerge from hiding? Will she ever be truly safe again?
Accented with interior artwork, steeped in the history of Pinochet’s catastrophic takeover of Chile, and based on many true events, this multicultural ode to the power of revolution, words, and love is both indelibly brave and heartwrenchingly graceful.
Celeste Marconi is a dreamer. She lives peacefully among friends and neighbors and family in the idyllic town of Valparaiso, Chile—until one day when warships are spotted in the harbor and schoolmates start disappearing from class without a word. Celeste doesn’t quite know what is happening, but one thing is clear: no one is safe, not anymore.
The country has been taken over by a government that declares artists, protestors, and anyone who helps the needy to be considered “subversive” and dangerous to Chile’s future. So Celeste’s parents—her educated, generous, kind parents—must go into hiding before they, too, “disappear.” Before they do, however, they send Celeste to America to protect her.
As Celeste adapts to her new life in Maine, she never stops dreaming of Chile. But even after democracy is restored to her home country, questions remain: Will her parents reemerge from hiding? Will she ever be truly safe again?
Accented with interior artwork, steeped in the history of Pinochet’s catastrophic takeover of Chile, and based on many true events, this multicultural ode to the power of revolution, words, and love is both indelibly brave and heartwrenchingly graceful.
About The Illustrator
Lee White
Lee White lives with his wife and their three crazy cats in Portland, Oregon, and you can visit him online at LeeWhiteIllustration.com.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (March 4, 2014)
- Length: 464 pages
- ISBN13: 9781442494763
- Ages: 10 - 14
- Lexile ® 770L The Lexile reading levels have been certified by the Lexile developer, MetaMetrics®
Awards and Honors
- ALA Notable Children's Books
- ILA Teachers' Choices
- Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Intermediate Title
- International Latino Book Award 1st Place
- ILA Notable Books for a Global Society
- Pura Belpre Award
- MSTA Reading Circle List
- National Jewish Book Award Finalist
- Sydney Taylor Notable Book
- Massachusetts Book Award "Must Read" List
- Idaho Pocatellecott Award
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): I Lived on Butterfly Hill eBook 9781442494763