Butterfly - Sonya Hartnett

Butterfly
Sonya Hartnett
Penguin


I have always enjoyed coming of age stories; there is a purity of truth about them that I really find appealing. They conjure up old memories and forgotten insecurities that at the time I had felt were uniquely my own. Set in an Australian suburban neighborhood in the 70's Butterfly is one such story.


Plum Coyle is on the cusp of turning 14. She considers her approaching birthday as the start of a new beginning, a shedding of her old self. Until now her best friends have treated her as the least important member of their group. Plum feels tolerated rather than accepted by them. To protect herself she collects small objects - a fanta yoyo, an ABBA badge, a glass lamb, an old penny - and hides them in a small chest under her bed. She pulls them out when she needs them, holding them in her hand like a talisman, using their hidden powers to give her strength.


Plum lives with her parents and her two older brothers - Justin and Cyder - whom she adores. Across from her lives her sophisticated neighbour Maureen with her young son David and her often absent husband. Maureen is everything Plum wishes she could be and when Maureen befriends her, Plum thinks she has found the mentor who will propel her into a new life of popularity.


In Butterfly, Hartnett has not pulled any punches, tackling head on the sensitive subjects of deceit, turbulent teenage years - with its insecurities and uncertainties- and the regret of past choices with delicacy and razor sharp insight.


This is my second book of Sonya Hartnett, the first being The Silver Donkey. It took a little while for me to get into Butterfly but by the end, my patience was rewarded. Its great to come across authors such as Hartnett who are not afraid to tackle a diverse range of topics. It is even better when these talented story tellers are Australian!