Reading ‘The Patron Saint of Butterflies’ is a harmless little act of rebellion

    Book three of my New Year’s Resolution Reads was “The Patron Saint of Butterflies” by Cecilia Galante. This book was different. I didn’t immediately love it, but after sticking with it, I became invested in the story and ended up liking it.
    Like the other books reviewed so far, “The Patron Saint of Butterflies” was written for teens. Unlike those other books, this one reads like a couple of actual teenagers are telling the story. Maybe that’s something that wouldn’t bother a younger reader, but I think it’s a large part of the reason it took me so long to get into the story.
    Published in 2008, the novel is written from the perspective of two girls, Honey and Agnes. They’ve been friends for as long as they can remember, but the thing that sets their story apart is that they live in a religious commune called Mount Blessing. The voice of the book gave me the sense that I was in a junior high or high school. The girls’ experiences, however, were a jarring contrast. Galante successfully made me feel uneasy imagining regular teenage girls living in a commune where they were manipulated, lied to and physically abused.
    Most unsettling of all was that she made it all sound so normal. After finishing the book and beginning to read up on its author, that phenomenon began to make more sense. Galante was actually raised in a religious commune herself. No wonder she was able to make it sound so natural.
    As I continued to read about the book and its author, I came to appreciate it even more. “The Patron Saint of Butterflies” has been banned in some libraries. If I’d known that beforehand, I would have read it even sooner. Just knowing a book has been banned makes me want to read it and see for myself what the big deal is.
    Having finished the novel, I wouldn’t say it’s not something kids need to be protected from. It does broach some difficult topics. Agnes and Honey lived in fear. They were abused by adults who they were taught to trust. They are presented a twisted view of God and religion.
    But those things happen in real life, too. This book can offer insight into a vastly different way of life. I’d call it a learning opportunity and a chance to have some really interesting conversations about the tough topics it addresses. If you hadn’t guessed it yet, I really appreciate books that show teens that there are other life experiences than their own.

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