BOOKS
Buy The Butterfly Sister |
Twenty-two-year-old Ruby Rousseau is haunted by memories of Tarble, the women's college she fled from ten months earlier, and the painful love affair that pushed her to the brink of tragedy.
When a suitcase belonging to a former classmate named Beth arrives on her doorstep, Ruby is plunged into a dark mystery. Beth has gone missing, and the suitcase is the only tangible evidence of her whereabouts. Inside the bag, Ruby discovers a tattered copy of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, the book she believes was a harbinger of her madness. Is someone trying to send her a message, and what does it mean? The search for answers leads to Tarble. As Ruby digs into Beth's past, she has no choice but to confront her own—an odyssey that will force her to reexamine her final days at school, including the married professor who broke her heart and the ghosts of illustrious writers, dead by their own hand, who beckoned her to join their tragic circle. But will finding the truth finally set Ruby free or send her over the edge of sanity?
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OTHER BOOKS BY AMY GAIL HANSEN
Il libro delle verità nascosteThe Butterfly Sister, translated in Italian, published by Garzanti Libri.
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Taylor Swift:
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Taylor Swift:
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REVIEWS"That rare thing, a dark mystery that also works on your heart, 'The Butterfly Sister' is a beguiling, terrifying story and Amy Gail Hansen a true find."
~JACQUELYN MITCHARD, author of The Deep End of the Ocean “The Butterfly Sister begins with the arrival of a mysterious suitcase, but that is only the first of a serious of surprises Amy Gail Hansen has in store for readers. Just when we think we have a handle on the latest plot twist, here comes another--and the suspense builds again, all resting in the hands of Ruby Rousseau, a spirited young woman who has great taste in literature but not in men. Hansen’s first novel is heartfelt, suspenseful and very, very satisfying!” ~NANCY WOODRUFF, author of My Wife's Affair “I LOVED IT. That book is the perfect beach read... girls who like dishy romantic thrillers are going to go nuts for it this summer. I myself couldn’t put it down til I was done, like it was a big fat pina colada.” ~MEG CABOT, New York Times Bestselling Author "Rewarding Reading." ~ PUBLISHER'S WEEKLY "Hansen’s debut cleverly entwines these literary ghosts into a suspenseful and swiftly paced light mystery." ~ KIRKUS REVIEWS "The Butterfly Sister offers an intimate and fluidly told tale of one young woman’s seeming to find love, nearly losing her mind, and slowly uncovering a complex history of betrayal...finding out what has happened to Beth leads Ruby to find out, in a satisfying and well-constructed conclusion, what happened to herself." ~BARBARA HOFFERT, Library Journal "Hansen’s debut tale of madness, mystery, revenge, betrayal, love, and literature will keep you guessing until the surprise ending.” ~KAREN BRIGGS, Great Northern Books & Hobbies, Oscoda, MI "Hansen creates a multilayered mystery that hooks the reader from the very beginning...One hopes for more offerings from Amy Gail Hansen." ~ NEW YORK JOURNAL OF BOOKS "Ruby proves to be a smart, complex, and very engaging character. An agreeable mix of suspense and literary fiction." ~HEATHER PAULSON, Booklist |
NEWSBookstore Signings
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BLOG REVIEWS
FOR BOOK CLUBS
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The Butterfly Sister boasts a William Morrow PS Section, including an About the Book essay, Author Q & A, and Discussion Questions, making it a perfect choice for book clubs.
Has your book club chosen The Butterfly Sister as a monthly pick? Would you like to chat with the author? If your book club is in the Chicago suburbs, Amy Gail Hansen may be able to attend your book club meeting in person. For book clubs outside of the Chicago area, Amy Gail Hansen may be available to chat with your club via Zoom. To schedule a chat/visit with Amy, e-mail: [email protected] |
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BOOK CLUB MENU & Hosting IDEAS
Book Clubs who like to pair food & drink with the selected title will have plenty of fun options with The Butterfly Sister. Below are the possible dinners, desserts & beverages that either appeared in the book or are themed to a locale. Dishes with a hyperlink will direct you to Amy's favorite recipes.
A NOTE FROM AMY: "I gave birth to and nursed two of my three children while writing and revising this book. That's obvious with the number of food references I made. I must have been one starving gal! I do love food, though, pregnant or not! It's one of the first questions I ask someone when they retell me a story about a night out or a party or a vacation. What did you eat? And I don't know anything that goes better with book club, than good food and wine. Try your hand at making some of the items below if you're hosting at home, order out, or meet up at a specialty restaurant and order a few of these dishes for a stress-free night. You should never leave book club hungry for food or conversation!"
Book Clubs who like to pair food & drink with the selected title will have plenty of fun options with The Butterfly Sister. Below are the possible dinners, desserts & beverages that either appeared in the book or are themed to a locale. Dishes with a hyperlink will direct you to Amy's favorite recipes.
A NOTE FROM AMY: "I gave birth to and nursed two of my three children while writing and revising this book. That's obvious with the number of food references I made. I must have been one starving gal! I do love food, though, pregnant or not! It's one of the first questions I ask someone when they retell me a story about a night out or a party or a vacation. What did you eat? And I don't know anything that goes better with book club, than good food and wine. Try your hand at making some of the items below if you're hosting at home, order out, or meet up at a specialty restaurant and order a few of these dishes for a stress-free night. You should never leave book club hungry for food or conversation!"
Dinner
New Orleans Style Gumbo
(Chapter 1~A recipe Annette Rousseau knows well)
Shrimp Etoufee
(Chapter 1~Another recipe Annette knows by heart)
Mongolian Beef & Crab Rangoon
(Chapter 1-Ruby's Comfort Food from Wu's)
Roast Beef Po'Boys with Lettuce & Tomato
(Chapter 2~A sandwich Ruby and Mark discuss in his Jeep)
Filet Mignon & Au Gratin Potatoes
(Chapter 2-Ruby & Mark's first dinner)
Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza
(Chapter 3~What Ruby's coworkers eat for lunch)
Pepperoni & Green Pepper Pizza
(Chapter 9~ Ruby & Heidi's favorite college pizza)
Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
(Chapter 11~What Ruby orders at the Lakeside Diner)
Cheeseburgers & Fries
(Chapter 11~ What Heidi orders at the Lakeside Diner and also
Chapter 4~What Ruby and her father always ate before the Holiday light show.
Plus a mention to Burger King in the epilogue)
Chilean Sea Bass with Honey Lime Sauce and Pimento Risotto (Chapter 11~Alumni dinner)
Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Peas
(Chapter 18~The cabin)
Other themed dinners:
Fried shrimp
Red beans & rice
Crawfish Etoufee
Cheese and cracker tray with Pepperidge Farm Butterfly Crackers
(Chapter 1~A recipe Annette Rousseau knows well)
Shrimp Etoufee
(Chapter 1~Another recipe Annette knows by heart)
Mongolian Beef & Crab Rangoon
(Chapter 1-Ruby's Comfort Food from Wu's)
Roast Beef Po'Boys with Lettuce & Tomato
(Chapter 2~A sandwich Ruby and Mark discuss in his Jeep)
Filet Mignon & Au Gratin Potatoes
(Chapter 2-Ruby & Mark's first dinner)
Deep Dish Chicago Style Pizza
(Chapter 3~What Ruby's coworkers eat for lunch)
Pepperoni & Green Pepper Pizza
(Chapter 9~ Ruby & Heidi's favorite college pizza)
Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes and Gravy
(Chapter 11~What Ruby orders at the Lakeside Diner)
Cheeseburgers & Fries
(Chapter 11~ What Heidi orders at the Lakeside Diner and also
Chapter 4~What Ruby and her father always ate before the Holiday light show.
Plus a mention to Burger King in the epilogue)
Chilean Sea Bass with Honey Lime Sauce and Pimento Risotto (Chapter 11~Alumni dinner)
Roast Chicken, Mashed Potatoes and Peas
(Chapter 18~The cabin)
Other themed dinners:
Fried shrimp
Red beans & rice
Crawfish Etoufee
Cheese and cracker tray with Pepperidge Farm Butterfly Crackers
Desserts
One Book Club, which graciously hosted me at The Olive Garden, ordered these delicious Zeppole doughnuts as a replacement for Beignets. Very similar! (And the chocolate dipping sauce was a welcome addition)
You can make Beignets from scratch or use a mix. Buy the official Café du Monde beignet mix from the store online. Also sold at Cost Plus World Market stores.
Maurice Lenell Cookies
(Chapter 1~What Ruby and Heidi ate the day they met)
Pumpkin Loaf
(Chapter 3~What Ruby brings Georgene at work)
Fresh oranges
(Chapter 4~ What Ruby's father buys her at the French Market)
Bananas Foster
(Chapter 4~ Mark & Ruby's dessert in New Orleans)
Beignets
(Chapter 4~ Café Du Monde)
Buy the mix from Café Du Monde
Online or in-stores Cost Plus World Market
Pralines
(Chapter 4~Ruby mentions this sweet treat)
Thin Mints (Support the Girl Scouts)
(Chapter 9~ Ruby & Heidi's favorite sweet treat, eaten from the freezer)
Blueberry Muffins
(Chapter 10~Professor Barnard's half-eaten food on her desk)
Cherry Pie
(Chapter 11~The slice of pie for one buck extra at The Lakeside Diner)
Chocolate Torte with Dark Ganache (Chapter 11~Alumni Dinner)
Other themed desserts
Mardi Gras King Cake
Butterfly Iced Sugar Cookies
Purchase personalized cookies
(Chapter 1~What Ruby and Heidi ate the day they met)
Pumpkin Loaf
(Chapter 3~What Ruby brings Georgene at work)
Fresh oranges
(Chapter 4~ What Ruby's father buys her at the French Market)
Bananas Foster
(Chapter 4~ Mark & Ruby's dessert in New Orleans)
Beignets
(Chapter 4~ Café Du Monde)
Buy the mix from Café Du Monde
Online or in-stores Cost Plus World Market
Pralines
(Chapter 4~Ruby mentions this sweet treat)
Thin Mints (Support the Girl Scouts)
(Chapter 9~ Ruby & Heidi's favorite sweet treat, eaten from the freezer)
Blueberry Muffins
(Chapter 10~Professor Barnard's half-eaten food on her desk)
Cherry Pie
(Chapter 11~The slice of pie for one buck extra at The Lakeside Diner)
Chocolate Torte with Dark Ganache (Chapter 11~Alumni Dinner)
Other themed desserts
Mardi Gras King Cake
Butterfly Iced Sugar Cookies
Purchase personalized cookies
Beverages
Earl Grey Tea (Chapter 1 ~What Ruby drinks on the front porch. Bergamot is a natural antidepressant!)
Boxed Wine (Chapter 1~What Ruby and Heidi drank in college)
Vanilla Latte (Chapter 2~ What Ruby orders at the café)
Warm Honey Almond Milk (Chapter 3~What Ruby's mom makes to help her sleep)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Chapter 3--What Ruby brings Georgene at work
Café au lait (Chapter 4~ Café du Monde)
Purchase chicory coffee from Café du Monde
online or in-store at Cost Plus World Market
Cinnamon Apple Herbal Tea (Chapter 5~What Ruby drinks at Richards' home)
Coffee with Hazelnut flavored creamer (Chapter 10~What Heidi gives Ruby in the morning)
Herbal tea: Wild yam, alfalfa, ginger, sage and chamomile (Chapter 10~The Professor's Office)
Cabernet (Chapter 11~Alumni Dinner)
Other themed drinks:
Wines with butterfly themes on the label
Butterfly Tea
Boxed Wine (Chapter 1~What Ruby and Heidi drank in college)
Vanilla Latte (Chapter 2~ What Ruby orders at the café)
Warm Honey Almond Milk (Chapter 3~What Ruby's mom makes to help her sleep)
Pumpkin Spice Latte (Chapter 3--What Ruby brings Georgene at work
Café au lait (Chapter 4~ Café du Monde)
Purchase chicory coffee from Café du Monde
online or in-store at Cost Plus World Market
Cinnamon Apple Herbal Tea (Chapter 5~What Ruby drinks at Richards' home)
Coffee with Hazelnut flavored creamer (Chapter 10~What Heidi gives Ruby in the morning)
Herbal tea: Wild yam, alfalfa, ginger, sage and chamomile (Chapter 10~The Professor's Office)
Cabernet (Chapter 11~Alumni Dinner)
Other themed drinks:
Wines with butterfly themes on the label
Butterfly Tea