The Butterfly Cafe

Book cover of The Butterfly Cafe

Book description

Set in modern-day Tokyo, The Butterfly Café tells the story of American Jessie Yamada. When her emotionally-abusive husband suddenly dies in a traffic accident, she is overcome with guilt because while making plans to leave him, she had often thought how much easier it would be for her if he…

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Why read it?

2 authors picked The Butterfly Cafe as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Peggy Joque Williams

Author

The characters in this book felt like people I know, except they were in an entirely different setting--in Japan! I loved the setting as well as the characters.

From Peggy's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Susan E. Sage

Author

Despite the complexities of the main character’s situation—raising a daughter alone in Japan, and having to make ends meet on a tight budget—Jessie is not only assisted by friends, but also a couple of kind strangers, when she decides to re-open the Butterfly Café—a café she has inherited.

I kept wondering what was going to happen next. At first, I thought the tone would be serious, the gravitas overarching, but it curiously wasn’t. Jessie manages to provide a loving home to her daughter.

The dialogue is credible, and the pacing—perfect. The book also paints a good picture of modern day…

From Susan's 3 favorite reads in 2023.