Available July 1, 2026
Lake Union Publishing
PREORDER NOW! |
A widowed mother finds the recipe for happiness when she visits a long-lost relative in a heart-lifting novel about family, food, and second chances. Widowed and overworked, museum curator and food historian Maggie Brodbeck struggles to spend quality time with her five-year-old daughter, Hannah. Fueled by on-the-go meals, she doesn’t even have time to breathe, let alone pursue personal happiness. Then, out of the blue, Maggie receives an invitation from her estranged great-aunt Alice to visit her Wisconsin farm. The time has come, Magpie. Desperate for a break, for herself and for Hannah, Maggie finds Rosehill Farm to be a revelation. In the enigmatic Alice, Maggie finds a kindred spirit. Whether baking together or just looking at the stars, they share a natural rhythm. The calming pace of country living is made even sweeter when Maggie meets the charismatic Brady, a local pastry chef. Then Maggie opens her aunt’s treasured box of generations-old recipes and discovers the surprising threads of her heroic family history. The recipes not only shed light on the past, but reconnect Maggie to her love of cooking and to a life of contentment close to her heart―and back to herself. |
Reviews for Happier Here With You
“Happier Here With You is a warm, hygge-shaped hug for the burned-out reader who wishes life would just slow down…As Maggie learns more about her family’s history at the farm, stretching back to World War II and the Women’s Land Army, she will find out what she truly wants for herself and her future. Amy Gail Hansen will make you crave a slower-paced life, a farmhouse kitchen, and homemade scones, in that order!”
~Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club
“Happier Here With You has all the ingredients of a novel you can escape into. Hansen combines the perfect blend of mouthwatering foodie fiction with a generous helping of historical fiction and a dash of romance. Touching and heartfelt, this story speaks of loss, tempered by the restorative powers of love and family bonds. It was a delight from start to finish!”
~Renée Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of Let’s Call Her Barbie
“Happier Here With You is the kind of book you want to settle down with and just bask in its warmth! Amy Gail Hansen has created a main character, Maggie Brodbeck, whose journey to find herself after being widowed reconnects her with a great-aunt she never knew, as well as her family’s long-buried history in a small town in Wisconsin. Best of all, Maggie rediscovers the pleasures of cooking and the joy of food, as she works to save her great-aunt’s legacy. I adored this deeply satisfying story.”
~Maddie Dawson, bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners
“Heartfelt and immersive, Happier Here With You by Amy Gail Hansen is the kind of book that feels like eating a warm chocolate chip cookie. Hansen has woven a beautiful tale of found family, community, romance, and the healing power of food. I savored every page!”
~Laura Barrow, author of Call the Canaries Home and The Marriage Slip
“With warmth, charm, and a perfect hint of nostalgia, this novel pulls you in from the first page and delivers a deeply satisfying story about love rediscovered in unexpected places. Treat yourself to this delicious read!”
~Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, authors of The Naysayers
“What a scrumptious treat of a story! Delightful, delicious, and heartwarming, get ready to curl up and savor every page!”
~Rachel Linden, author of The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake
“Escape to Wisconsin in this sweet tale of overcoming loss and finding sustenance, love, and home.”
~Ellen Baker, author of Summerland Cove
“A tender, deeply reassuring novel about a woman who discovers how wide the world can become when she reconnects with her instincts. Maggie’s move to her great-aunt’s Midwestern home sets in motion a cascade of small, brave choices that open her to new possibility. Her journey from burnout to renewal, from disconnection to love and community, comes alive through the vivid celebration of cooking and the sensory richness of food, as well as the steady generosity of the people who welcome her in. As past and present intertwine through the home that shaped generations of her family, long-buried stories rise to the surface and draw her back to the roots she thought she’d lost. The result is a quiet kind of magic: finding where and with whom you truly belong, and remembering that opening your heart can lead to a life you never imagined.”
~Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy and The Moon Sisters, and cofounder of Writer Unboxed
“Amy Gail Hansen’s Happier Here With You celebrates the landscape, food, and good-hearted people of Wisconsin―all while tugging at readers’ heartstrings. Whether you have a connection to the Midwest or not, her charming and deeply moving story will make you feel right at home in the rolling green hills of the Driftless Area. (Also, it will make you very hungry, so have snacks handy.)”
~Laura Anne Bird, author of Marvelous Jackson and Crossing the Pressure Line, and cofounder of the Great Midwest Book Group
~Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Briar Club
“Happier Here With You has all the ingredients of a novel you can escape into. Hansen combines the perfect blend of mouthwatering foodie fiction with a generous helping of historical fiction and a dash of romance. Touching and heartfelt, this story speaks of loss, tempered by the restorative powers of love and family bonds. It was a delight from start to finish!”
~Renée Rosen, USA Today bestselling author of Let’s Call Her Barbie
“Happier Here With You is the kind of book you want to settle down with and just bask in its warmth! Amy Gail Hansen has created a main character, Maggie Brodbeck, whose journey to find herself after being widowed reconnects her with a great-aunt she never knew, as well as her family’s long-buried history in a small town in Wisconsin. Best of all, Maggie rediscovers the pleasures of cooking and the joy of food, as she works to save her great-aunt’s legacy. I adored this deeply satisfying story.”
~Maddie Dawson, bestselling author of Matchmaking for Beginners
“Heartfelt and immersive, Happier Here With You by Amy Gail Hansen is the kind of book that feels like eating a warm chocolate chip cookie. Hansen has woven a beautiful tale of found family, community, romance, and the healing power of food. I savored every page!”
~Laura Barrow, author of Call the Canaries Home and The Marriage Slip
“With warmth, charm, and a perfect hint of nostalgia, this novel pulls you in from the first page and delivers a deeply satisfying story about love rediscovered in unexpected places. Treat yourself to this delicious read!”
~Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, authors of The Naysayers
“What a scrumptious treat of a story! Delightful, delicious, and heartwarming, get ready to curl up and savor every page!”
~Rachel Linden, author of The Secret of Orange Blossom Cake
“Escape to Wisconsin in this sweet tale of overcoming loss and finding sustenance, love, and home.”
~Ellen Baker, author of Summerland Cove
“A tender, deeply reassuring novel about a woman who discovers how wide the world can become when she reconnects with her instincts. Maggie’s move to her great-aunt’s Midwestern home sets in motion a cascade of small, brave choices that open her to new possibility. Her journey from burnout to renewal, from disconnection to love and community, comes alive through the vivid celebration of cooking and the sensory richness of food, as well as the steady generosity of the people who welcome her in. As past and present intertwine through the home that shaped generations of her family, long-buried stories rise to the surface and draw her back to the roots she thought she’d lost. The result is a quiet kind of magic: finding where and with whom you truly belong, and remembering that opening your heart can lead to a life you never imagined.”
~Therese Walsh, author of The Last Will of Moira Leahy and The Moon Sisters, and cofounder of Writer Unboxed
“Amy Gail Hansen’s Happier Here With You celebrates the landscape, food, and good-hearted people of Wisconsin―all while tugging at readers’ heartstrings. Whether you have a connection to the Midwest or not, her charming and deeply moving story will make you feel right at home in the rolling green hills of the Driftless Area. (Also, it will make you very hungry, so have snacks handy.)”
~Laura Anne Bird, author of Marvelous Jackson and Crossing the Pressure Line, and cofounder of the Great Midwest Book Group
THE BUTTERFLY SISTER
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