The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper picks up on two facets of Australian history. The first history is that of the arrival of the monarchs in Australia in the 1870s. The second history is an unsavory one of baby farming. The element of mystery adds to the story. The setting and the descriptions of the landscape, the river, and the homes add to the story as well, making it a very visual one. This is the first book I have read by Tea Cooper. I look forward to reading more.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2025/03/the-butterfly-collector.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2025/03/the-butterfly-collector.html
Reviewed for NetGalley.
I really enjoy dual timeline novels; those I read usually have a contemporary and a historical storyline. The Butterfly Collector by Tea Cooper, an Australian author, is unique for me because both plots take place more than a century ago, in 1868 and 1922. The novel explores events in Australian history, primarily baby farming and the unexpected migration of monarch butterflies to Australia.
Baby farming was the shocking practice where infants were taken from poor parents and sold to wealthy families resulting in tremendous profits for the criminals arranging such "adoptions." The appearance of monarch butterflies was extraordinary because at this time they were believed to exist primarily in North America.
It's interesting to read a novel about history with which I'm completely unfamiliar, and it's evident the author researched her subjects thoroughly. However, it was challenging for me to connect with this book due to the large cast of characters, the timeframes being in such close proximity, and the multiple connections between the intertwined stories. The plot develops very slowly and unevenly; the baby farming topic didn't arise until quite late in the story and then all of the action happened all at once.
I appreciated the audiobook narrated by Emily Barrett. Her Australian accent kept the setting top of mind for me. Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for access to the advanced listening copy of it.
Baby farming was the shocking practice where infants were taken from poor parents and sold to wealthy families resulting in tremendous profits for the criminals arranging such "adoptions." The appearance of monarch butterflies was extraordinary because at this time they were believed to exist primarily in North America.
It's interesting to read a novel about history with which I'm completely unfamiliar, and it's evident the author researched her subjects thoroughly. However, it was challenging for me to connect with this book due to the large cast of characters, the timeframes being in such close proximity, and the multiple connections between the intertwined stories. The plot develops very slowly and unevenly; the baby farming topic didn't arise until quite late in the story and then all of the action happened all at once.
I appreciated the audiobook narrated by Emily Barrett. Her Australian accent kept the setting top of mind for me. Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for access to the advanced listening copy of it.
