Introduction

“...Boudreaux threads the wondrous natural world, friendship, and a path through childhood trauma to healing. A compassionate, hope-filled, and psychologically astute tale.”--Cheryl Grey Bostrom, award-winning author of Sugar Birds

A wounded girl, a mysterious stranger, a journey through the darkness of pain towards the light of hope and healing. For fans of Kristin Hannah and Sue Monk Kidd, a debut literary fiction novel about the quest for transformation and belonging through the telling of fairy tales.

Early one summer morning, nine-year-old Sherry Gallagher flees in panic into the woods behind her house to hide from her abusive father. Following the death of their mother her older brothers and sisters have all left home, leaving Sherry to deal with her father alone.

In the woods, Sherry encounters an enigmatic old woman who has just moved into a previously abandoned forest cottage. They form an unlikely friendship, agreeing to exchange fairy tales, which are by turns enchanting and heartbreaking. The old woman introduces the shy and damaged girl to wonder and beauty, but in Sherry’s world hope is a dangerous thing that threatens to unearth the secret she has so carefully buried--the secret of her darkest trauma.

A compelling novel that explores the intersection of myth, love, imagination, and psychological resilience, Sherry and the Butterfly Lady is painful, surprising, and, ultimately, profoundly hopeful.

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Discussion Questions

From the author:

1. What strategies and coping mechanisms does 9-year-old Sherry use to survive in her neglectful and abusive home? What kinds of unspoken messages has she internalized about herself?? 

2. What do you notice about the fairy tales that Sherry tells in the book, compared to the ones Miss Mary tells? What purposes do the fairy tales serve in the story? Did any of the imbedded tales strike a chord with you, either positive or negative?? 

3. The forest is a common setting in fairy tales, and can be a place of darkness, mystery, and transformation. What is the forest for Sherry, and how does it contrast with the house she shares with her father?? 

4. The relationship between Sherry and the stray kitten mirrors another relationship in the story. Whose? And in what specific ways are they similar?? 

5. How did you feel towards the three main characters: Sherry, her father, and Miss Mary? Did your feelings fluctuate or evolve at any points in the book?? 

6. Why do you suppose Sherry was so determined to find the fairy fort? What is underneath her fascination with fairies?? 

7. What do you think are some of the themes and major symbols of this book? How well are they developed?? 

8. What does Miss Mary say on page 122 is the most powerful catalyst for transformation? Do you agree or disagree? ? 

9. What do you think Queen Gossamer represents in the book? What is her relationship to Sherry and/or to Miss Mary?? 

10. What was your response to the way the book ended?

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