The Butterfly Heart

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Description

A lyrical story from the butterfly heart of Africa. Bul-Boo and Madillo are worried about their friend Winifred, who has lost her gentle smile and no longer puts up her hand in class. Then the twins discover her secret: she is to be married off to her uncle's friend, who drinks heavily and is old enough to be her grandfather. While Winifred has become resigned to her fate, her friends are determined to put a stop to the marriage. But what can they do They ask the advice of Ifwafwa, the snake man, who promises to think about the problem. Ifwafwa is wise and has a gift with snakes, but he does not like to hurry and Bul-Boo becomes impatient. Will he be too late to save their friend

Reviews

...her portrait of the children's woefully ignorant teacher, Sr Leonisa, is convincing and hilarious - if ignorance were not so tragic. -- Mary Shine Thompson Irish Times A beautifully written debut - transporting the reader into the heart of Zambia. Leyden has created an epic tale, with mesmeric voices, suspenseful narrative and vivid imagery. One to watch! Bookfest, CBI A story with humour, charm and mystery Books for Keeps

Author Bio

Paula Leyden was born in Kenya and spent her childhood in South Africa and Zambia before attending boarding school in England for a number of years. As an adult she went on to live and work in South Africa, first as a teacher and then for a human rights organization, during which time she campaigned tirelessly for the end of apartheid and the death penalty in South Africa. In 2003 she moved to a farm in Kilkenny, Ireland with her family, where she now breeds horses and is a member of the Crab Apples Writers' Group. The Butterfly Heart is Paulas first novel.