Module 5: Other Award Winners

"Celeste, do you remember when we talked about earthquakes? Well, tonight we felt an earthquake of the soul". 

I Lived on Butterfly Hill, Marjorie Agosin

Book Summary:

Based on true events in Chile, a young girl witnesses first hand the political turmoil during the overthrow of the Chilean president in 1973. Celeste Marconi lives in Valparaiso and notices warships in the harbor and people begin to disappear from class without a word. Celeste isn;t sure what's going on, but understands quickly that no one is safe. 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. Celeste's parents are targeted for being doctors who help the poor. They are forced into hiding and soon after Celeste too must "disappear." She is sent to Maine in America, to live with her aunt. In exile in Maine, she never stops dreaming of Chile and her questions haunt her. Are her parents ok? Will she ever be safe? What happened to all her friends and their parents?Very well written with innocent drawings that will speak to any reader. Lots of details of Pinochet's takeover of Chile, with many true events, this speaks to the human spirit and the power of revolution, courage and love.

Reference: Agosin, M. (2014). I Lived on Butterfly Hill. New York, N.Y. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions: 
Chile is a country I knew very little about before I read this book. I also knew nothing about the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, Valapariasio, Pablo Neruda, Café con leche, Cuchufl, Ajiaco and a dozen other things I found myself googling while reading this book. As a child with a small traditional white American family, I often envied those around me from Hispanic backgrounds with large families with lots of tradition and culture with to identify. Reading this book made me almost feel a part of this country and the tragedy that had befallen the beautiful people. I felt the anger and frustration Celeste was feeling through each day and a new situation she faced. I was proud of her courage, and I loved the message of the entire book that Faith is with you always.However the part I loved more than anything else was how her grandmother had protected and hidden the books from the community. Then she asked her granddaughter to become a librarian and a writer to protect the knowledge of the people. What an awesome message that is to every person who reads this book. Freedom of knowledge is the future and keeping that knowledge available to everyone is what will change the world.

A country is only as strong as its knowledge.

Professional Review:

Eleven-year-old Celeste Marconi, who lived with her parents, Abuela (grandmother), and nanny in the port city of Valparaiso, Chile, had no idea that her happy and carefree life was about to be turned upside down. As news spread that the newly-appointed Chilean president was overthrown by a dictator, Celeste's joy was quickly overshadowed by fear, especially when some of her classmates mysteriously began disappearing. Just when Celeste thought that she couldn't handle another bout of terror, her parents, who were doctors and seen by the new government as subversives for aiding the poor, decide to go into hiding. And worse --- they tell Celeste that she must leave her beloved Butterfly Hill (her home, named after her favorite flower) to live with her aunt in America.

Told in the first person, Celeste narrates her life's journey during a turbulent time in Chile's history. Parallel to Celeste's experiences, award-winning Chilean poet Agosin knows, first-hand, what it was like to live in fear --- she escaped the horrors of Pinochet's 17-year dictatorship by moving to the US. In her first book geared for young adults, Agostin has taken her experiences and created a story of courage against all odds. Tightly woven with historical facts, Celeste is confronted with a plethora of obstacles --- both in her homeland and during her three-year stay with her aunt in Juliette Cove, Maine.Masterfully and beautifully written, Agostin has produced an all-time classic.

Agosin' s narrative is remarkably laced with poetic imagery of beauty, love, and hope in the midst of horrific crimes toward humanity. Coupled with this imagery is the handful of strong role models who help mold how Celeste will ultimately address tough decisions. The challenges that Celeste faces are well balanced with her dreams of becoming a writer someday, as well as the subtle nuances of nature that attract her senses.

I LIVED ON BUTTERFLY HILL is a longish story, but one that indeed needs to be told since there are very few pieces of literature covering this time period that are written specifically for young adults. Each chapter is brief, not only keeping the narrative crisp and moving, but also riveting from beginning to end. Masterfully and beautifully written, Agosin has produced an all-time classic.

Lock, A. (March 7, 2014) [Review for I Lived on Butterfly Hill by Marjorie Agosin], Retrieved from www.teenreads.com/reviews/i-lived-on-butterfly-hill-0

Library Uses:

There are many uses for this book both in a library setting and in a classroom. It can serve as part of a must read list about culture and heritage of other lands, it can serve as a lesson for strong girls, and it can be a launching point for introducing poets from other countries such as
Pablo Neruda.

One last thought, this is a message from the author that I stumbled across, but after reading this book I would say that this could be a message from Celeste Marconi.Union College 2015 Commencement - Marjorie Agosin speech