Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Lady of the Butterflies: A Novel
    Lady of the Butterflies: A Novel
    Lady of the Butterflies: A Novel
    Audiobook20 hours

    Lady of the Butterflies: A Novel

    Written by Fiona Mountain

    Narrated by Josephine Bailey

    4/5

    ()

    About this audiobook

    Eleanor is the daughter of a strict puritan and Roundhead major and lives in a medieval manor on the bleak wetlands of Somerset. Her longing for color and brightness leads to an obsession with butterflies as well as to an illicit passion for charismatic but troubled Richard Glanville. Richard, the son of an exiled Cavalier, embodies all that Eleanor had been taught to despise and distrust, but he also holds for her all the allure of the forbidden. Her first husband dies, seemingly poisoned, freeing Eleanor and Richard to marry. But can their love survive suspicion and prejudice, a bloody rebellion that makes them bitter enemies, and a superstitious community that stirs up hatred toward her for her love of butterflies? It seems the only peace she can find is in her long-lasting friendship with renowned naturalist James Petiver, a clever young London apothecary who is considered the father of British entomology. But when Eleanor and Richard's son becomes apprenticed to James, tragedy strikes, and Eleanor is forced to embark on a dangerous search for her son that is entwined with a personal quest for truth, freedom, and love.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTantor Media, Inc
    Release dateJul 20, 2010
    ISBN9781400187522
    Lady of the Butterflies: A Novel

    Related to Lady of the Butterflies

    Related audiobooks

    General Fiction For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      All I Want For Christmas

      Dec 16, 2020

      IT was more than an icicle. More like an icy boulder, oversized and murkily white, faceted like a cartoon jewel and, shortly, dripping. It had lurked beneath a low stone bridge at the bottom of the wood, where sycamore thickets bald for winter gave w

      18 min read

    • Article

      ‘Peace On Earth And Mercy Mild’

      Dec 15, 2021

      DECEMBER months in Salcombe seldom hold snow, but nevertheless, silver hues and low suns hang over the harbour, the sparsely populated beaches marking out Nature’s quieting of the seasons. Most yawls and yachts are back in boatyards, leaving the wate

      5 min read

    • Article

      FOUR POEMS for Lucie Brock-Broido

      Jul 1, 2019

      Correspondence from Madam Rachel, Purveyor of Eternal Youth, to Mister Walter Potter, Anthropomorphic Dioramist, ca. 1880 Most Splendid Immortalist: Herewith you have a letter sent by my solicitor, writtenin my final leapt year, my sliver of pound ca

      3 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      Jan 1, 2021

      I learned the world through the bottoms of my feet, barein the creeks of summer, stepping on pebbles, the squidgeof moss between my toes. On hot asphalt, the hop and skipover cracks, feet already toughened by bramble, dirt, the pricklyground of pine

      4 min read

    • Article

      Tessa Castro

      May 3, 2023

      IN COMPETITION No 292 you were invited to write a poem called The Walk. How good and numerous were your entries. Congratulations to those printed below, each of whom wins £25, with the bonus prize of The Chambers Dictionary going to Anthony Young. I'

      2 min read

    • Article

      Cul-de-Sac

      Dec 1, 2021

      That old rage for order: how my father drove a square mouthed mower over-and-back, over-and-back, each row of neatly trimmed grass cut just like he told his barber: boy’s short, regular. O pioneer, taming this joke bit of prairie, no bindweed or dog

      5 min read

    • Article

      Here’s Looking At Ewe, Kid

      Jun 22, 2022

      Here’s Looking At Ewe, Kid
      3 min read

    • Article

      Getting Started

      Aug 26, 2022

      Getting Started
      3 min read

    • Article

      Four Poems

      Jul 1, 2022

      The embers of a Thousand YearsUncovered by the HandThat fondled them when they were FireWill stir and understand——from Emily Dickinson’s “1383” Remember when we hurriedourselves into the evening’s sacral blaze: Our coal-covered bridal gownsdrenched i

      6 min read

    • Article

      Perfect Prose II

      May 15, 2020

      Perfect Prose II
      4 min read

    • Article

      Forever Wild

      Oct 1, 2018

      When I think of the Scarborough house, I remember the wind whipping through my salt-hardened curls and my little-girl feet bare and crusted with sand as I run through its heavy wooden doors. I was four and wild as the landscape itself. My grandparent

      3 min read

    • Article

      It’s Come to This

      Sep 1, 2021

      It’s Come to This
      16 min read

    • Article

      Notes From A Nothing

      Feb 14, 2020

      Notes From A Nothing
      13 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Apr 21, 2022

      Letters
      7 min read

    • Article

      My Dinner with Denis Johnson

      Jun 25, 2018

      My Dinner with Denis Johnson
      13 min read

    • Article

      Tessa Castro

      Jun 1, 2022

      IN COMPETITION No 280 you were invited to write a poem called Cutting. My cue was a 19th-century Norwegian painting I’d seen of a woman cutting bread. You widened it to cutting hair and grass, being cut down to size and cutting people dead in the str

      2 min read

    • Article

      Six Poems

      Feb 28, 2023

      Dear C, At first Virgil’s poem is quite dull; equivocalnames of products at The Container Store: Elfa White Medium Drawer, Mesh NarrowRolling Cart (Medium Solution), Narrow Classic Mesh Box and the number of pirouetting starseach product attained. An

      5 min read

    • Article

      Maybe It Won’t Be That Bad

      Dec 9, 2019

      Maybe It Won’t Be That Bad
      4 min read

    • Article

      Fragrant

      Jan 18, 2022

      Fragrant
      5 min read

    • Article

      Press Ganged!

      May 1, 2020

      Press Ganged!
      3 min read

    • Article

      The Periodic Stranger

      Mar 2, 2017

      My roots are in a hilltop village west of Matera, where rabbit and boar run riot in the fields. Figs, apricots, and pears hang in heavy clusters, at eye-level and within easy reach. There, the local girls are famous for their calves, made firm and st

      21 min read

    • Article

      The Periodic Stranger: When exile becomes home.

      Dec 12, 2013

      My roots are in a hilltop village west of Matera, where rabbit and boar run riot in the fields. Figs, apricots, and pears hang in heavy clusters, at eye-level and within easy reach. There, the local girls are famous for their calves, made firm and st

      21 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Lady of the Butterflies

    4/5

    88 ratings21 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5
      "Lady of the Butterflies" was an unusual historical fiction read for me, and one that I greatly enjoyed. The main character, Eleanor Glanville, is from a very young age fascinated by nature, specifically by insects, and especially by butterflies. However, in a less enlightened time, her interests and both misunderstood and scorned. Eleanor was a very perceptive, interesting, and realistic character.I read this book a month or two ago, and since then got extremely busy - sadly it was the last book that I read! Thus, the details are too hazy for me to write a very long review, but I certainly enjoyed this book and will be looking for more of Fiona Mountain's books.This story just confirms in my mind that I could never love any genre better than historical fiction!A very realistic, vivid book that I recommend.
    • 5/5
      Eleanor was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but oh what a strict, boring silver spoon it was for her as a child. As she grows, she wanted her life to be: "A Firework. I wanted to live in an explosion of color and light." Page 319. As the book continues, I believe she gets her wish about her life.Eleanor lived in Tintenbaum with her father...her mother and sister had died of augu....her father then died, and she was left under the guardianship of Mr. Merrill who was even more strict than her father. Tintenbaum was a marshland in England...Mr. Merrill always wanted to have the land drained, but Eleanor's father forbade it.Once her father was dead, Mr. Merrill knew the only way to get the marshland to be drained was to marry Eleanor off to someone who agreed about draining the marshland. Edmund came into the picture, and Eleanor having no experience with men or any social outings, fell madly in love with him. Edmund was very cold and unaffectionate and would leave for long periods of time. Meanwhile, his friend Richard was quite passionate as well as charming, and Eleanor couldn't get him out of her mind.The book focuses on Eleanor Glanville's life and her passion for science, butterflies, her family, and RICHARD. An historical novel and an interesting one for women of today whose careers and interests are an important part of everyday life which wasn't so for our female ancestors. Eleanor was noted as an out-of-the ordinary/strange woman because of her love of butterflies and science and it caused her trouble because of the lifestyle of 1600's concerning the constraints and rules for the conduct of women and the narrow-mindedness of the commoners.The book will hold your interest, and you will cheer at what Eleanor does even though she herself feels guilty about everything and claims things are her fault because of her strict upbringing.Included for all the romantics is a pretty interesting love life for a woman of the 1600's. My thoughts about yearning for something or specifically someone is this: What you yearn for is not always the best or not what it might seem....you can read between the lines. :)The ending makes it worth reading all of the 527 pages. I really enjoyed the book.
    • 5/5
      "Lady of the Butterflies" is a fictional account of the life of the real historical figure Eleanor Glanville. Eleanor was one of the first female naturalists.Set in seventeenth century England, "Lady of the Butterflies" follows the life of Eleanor from her youth through adulthood. Eleanor is raised in her home of Tickenham Court by her father William Goodricke, a wealthy nobleman who is a staunch Puritan in an era when the Puritan faith is strongly shunned by the rest of society. Along with her differing religious background, Eleanor’s overwhelming curiosity and her love of butterflies and the natural world alienate her from those around her. The society she is living in believes it is unnatural for a young noblewoman to run around chasing butterflies and reading scientific books.When her father suddenly falls ill and dies of ague, Eleanor is left in the care of William Merrick, a wealthy merchant who has, on many occasions, tried to convince Eleanor’s father to drain the wetlands of Tickenham. Knowing such a change would have a negative impact on the fishermen, eelers, and sedge-cutters who rely on the wetlands for their livelihoods, Eleanor is firmly set against the idea. Mr. Merrick, however, believes he knows how to force Eleanor into draining the wetlands. He knows Eleanor has fallen for Edmund Ashfield, a dashing young nobleman who happens to be an acquaintance of Mr. Merrick. William Merrick believes that he can convince Edmund of the “wisdom” of having the wetlands of Tickenham drained. If Edmund were to marry Eleanor, Edmund would then be master of Tickenham and would have the authority to order the wetlands drained even without Eleanor’s approval. When Edmund and Eleanor do indeed marry, however, it becomes clear that Edmund will not force Eleanor into any such arrangement.Eleanor quickly bears Edmund two children, a boy and a girl, and by all accounts the marriage is a happy one. Not everything in this marriage is perfect, however. Despite trying her hardest to fight her feelings, Eleanor has fallen madly in love with Richard Glanville, Edmund’s best friend, and Richard makes it blatantly clear that he reciprocates Eleanor’s feelings. It is at this point which Eleanor’s story truly begins. This novel has something for everyone: passion, romance, mystery, science, and a strong heroine. I quickly became engrossed in “Lady of the Butterflies”, not wanting to put it down until I reached the last page. I would highly recommend this book.
    • 5/5
      On the ancient marshlands of Somerset - a place of mists and magic - a girl grows up in the shadow of the English Civil War, knowing that one day she will inherit the rich estate which belonged to her late mother. Her father, a stern but loving Puritan, once a distinguished soldier in Cromwell's army, fears for his daughter in the poisonous aftermath of the war, and for her vulnerability as an heiress. But above all he fears and misunderstands her scientific passion for butterflies. The girl is Eleanor Glanville, destined to become one of the most famous entomologists in history, bequeathing her name to the rare butterfly which she discovered, the Glanville Fritillary. But not before she had endured a life of quite extraordinary vicissitude. Two marriages and an all-consuming love, which proved her undoing, a deep friendship with one of the great scientists of the day and finally, a trial for lunacy (on the grounds that no sane person would pursue butterflies).My Thoughts:Firstly I loved this book because I love historical fiction. Secondly I loved this book because it is based on a real person Eleanor Glanville. It made a change for me to read about an important person who isn’t a king or queen.Eleanor Glanville lead such an interesting life. Her first marriage to the very docile and pleasant Edmund ended suddenly and her second marriage to the very sexy but mysterious Richard Glanville wasn’t what she hoped for. Not only does hse have all the trials of marriage but she also has to fight against people who don’t understand her love of nature and her wanting to discover more, as this is normally a mans world.How much of this story is true as I cannot find much about her on the internet but it didn’t matter as the book was a really good, interesting read. I couldn’t wait to turn the next page to see how things were going to develop. I did think that the love that was between Eleanor and Richard was very much like Cathy and Heathcliffe. They had a wild love for each other with Eleanor being very much like Cathy with a wildness to her.Fiona Mountain is one of my favourite authors and I think she has done a very good job with this book and has bought Eleanor Glanville to life.
    • 4/5
      bookshelves: one-penny-wonder, paper-read, currently-reading, winter-20132014, published-1999, tbr-busting-2014, somerset, civil-war-english, britain-england, sciences, historical-fiction, under-1000-ratings, plague-disease, floods, zoology, lifestyles-deathstyles, philosophy, politics, restoration, religion, love, cover-loveRecommended to ☯Bettie☯ by: JaeRead from June 13, 2013 to February 16, 2014Dedication: For Tim, Daniel, Gabriel and Kezia.Also in memory of my mother, Muriel SwinburnOpening quotes from Sir Francis Bacon and John RayFrom the description: On the ancient marshlands of Somerset -- a place of mists and magic -- a girl grows up in the shadow of the English Civil War, knowing that one day she will inherit the rich estate which belonged to her late mother. Her father, a stern but loving Puritan, once a distinguished soldier in Cromwell's army, fears for his daughter in the poisonous aftermath of the war, and for her vulnerability as an heiress. But above all he fears and misunderstands her scientific passion for butterflies. Eleanor Glanville was in fact destined to become one of the most famous entomologists in history, bequeathing her name to the rare butterfly which she discovered, the Glanville Fritillary. But not before she had endured a life of quite extraordinary vicissitude. Two marriages and an all-consuming love, which proved her undoing, a deep friendship with one of the great scientists of the day and finally, a trial for lunacy (on the grounds that no sane person would pursue butterflies) are all played out against the violent events of the Monmouth Rebellion and the vicious controversy over whether or not to drain the Somerset marshes. Now, if you drive down the M5, you will cross Kings Sedgemoor Drain -- one of the first great ditches which reclaimed the land for farming and destroyed the precious habitat of the Glanville Fritillary.Glanville Fritillary is what I know as Meadow Butterfly.Discarded from Tower Hamlets LibrariesPrologue opening: November 1695: They say I am mad and perhaps it's true.(view spoiler)Part I opens up in the year 1662; Christmas Day in a Puritan household and it is a tough day for a nine year old girl who has to fast and not join in the fun.Charles II is on the throne: 'We had a merry King on the throne of England now, a King who had thrown open the doors of the theatres again and restored the maypoles, much to father's disgust.Tickenham is a wealthy village and civil parish near Clevedon and Nailsea, North Somerset, England. Looking SW at Tickenham Court with the church tower of St Quiricus & St Juliet in the background. The buildings are now a farm but parts date from the 14th CenturyEleanor Glanville is the daughter of Major William Goodricke 'of the Parliamentarian army, Cromwell's formidable warrior.' (page 14) Her mother and sister are dead.Book TrailerA major part of this story is about reclaiming land, the Somerset Levels, and today 28.1.2014, the talk is of the flooding there and the impact of rising temeratures and increased rains upon those very marshes.David Cameron - Somerset Levels(page 74) The lone mound of Cadbury Camp floated above the greyness like a galleon, the only easily distinguishable natural feaure for miles.This was a comfortable ramble for 400 pages; a book that I could pick up, place down and not lose a ha'p'worth of interest... and then came the action.I had to sit up, back straight, be alert to take in what I was reading. Fan Me Fast!Both comfy then exciting modes hit at the right times, which makes for a very enjoyable conclusion.Crossposted:WordpressBooklikesLeafMarkLibrarythingaNobii
    • 3/5
      I listened to this as an audio-book, which had its good and bad points. Sheer narrative flow carried me over several of the lulls in the middle of the story, but I didn't realize until I read some earlier reviews that I missed some of the beautiful production values of the physical book. I also cannot recommend Josephine Bailey as a narrator. Her over-emoting (and she had plenty of opportunities to do so) often caught me in mid-quilting stitch as I paused to wonder--was she subtly making fun of the book and the listener, or was she really getting into it, or what?

      Lady of the Butterflies is Fiona Mountain's first foray into historical fiction as opposed to romantic fiction and it shows. Good research, particularly as regards to the difference between Puritan and Royalist social customs mix with beyond-purple passages of sex and Eleanor's interior monologues on the men in her life.(cue Ms. Bailey's moans and groans) For too long a period of time she drops one narrative thread-Eleanor Glanville's scientific interests in butterflies, the draining of the fens- for her other main concern--Richard/John/Richard/John. {An aside: I lived in drained English fen-lands for some years so I found the enclosure theme more interesting than heaving bosoms, but I could see that other readers might be impatient with all the agricultural details} The book really stalls at the end, with a strangely pointless tour-around-England chase and a bit of a cop-out finish. Nevertheless, the author shows real promise in making the the era come alive, and Lady Eleanor's relationships with her father and the young entomologist James Petiver are described with real psychological depth. I'll be glad to pick up her next book to see what she's learned since writing this novel.
    • 4/5
      Reviewed by AprilReview copy provided by Berkley TradeHistorical Fiction beautifully brought to life through the eyes of a lovely and talented author, Fiona Mountain. Ms. Mountain takes the true life story, struggles and discoveries of Eleanor Glanville and brings forth an epic story that will mesmerize many, in Lady of the Butterflies. To be honest, I did not even realize this was a true story based novel until the very end. That knowledge added an extra depth and appreciation to my perception of the story. I am always amazed and transfixed to read stories of how life once was and how horribly women were once thought as (perhaps not "horrible" but demeaning and unimportant, per-say). This life never ceases to amaze and appall me. Lady of the Butterflies takes place during the time frame of 1662 through 1700, a time when woman were taught to be submissive, take on no education and are owned by their husbands to do with what they please - this includes hitting, beating, etc. What is to happen when a young girl is full of curiosity, adventure and with a father who enables such traits by educating her and encouraging her? What is to happen when this girl's father dies by disease and is left with no one who understands how to care for such a child? This is the life and story of Eleanor Glanville who has always had a deep love and curiosity of life around her. She is a courageous, brilliant and wonderful character who I could not help but fall instantly in love with. Her appreciation of life and the natural God-given gifts provided by nature is lovely and wonderful. I loved her fixation with the butterflies and her unselfishness. I also loved learning about the discovery and usefulness of herbs and the area of apothecary. Lady of the Butterflies was not only an entertaining and emotionally charged story, it was truly interesting and educational. Lady of the Butterflies is one of those books that tears me. Why? It was extremely well written, engrossing and informative; however, on the flip side, the story was rather long and dragged on at times. Perhaps that is just my perception, but for whatever it is worth, that is my thought. This is a story that goes beyond a historical fictional novel and leans more toward an epic story. The writing is incredibly beautiful, thought-provoking and poetic. While parts did run rather descriptively long, the overall appeal of the story was great. For lovers of historical fiction, I recommend Lady of the Butterflies. Be aware that this is not an overly light read, but one that will satisfy and perhaps even pique an interest to delve further into Eleanor's life and history, her children and husbands, and the true life of other characters within the story. I know that I am anxious to do some research of my own now. I also greatly look forward to reading more works by Fiona Mountain! Favorite Quote: "In part, no doubt. But as far back as the ancient Greeks, it has been believed that butterflies represent the souls of the dead. They are a token, Eleanor, a promise. A caterpillar begins as a greedy worm, which surely represents the baseness of our life on earth. Then they are entombed, just as we are entombed in the grave. They emerge on glorious wings, just as the bodies of the dead will rise at the sound of the last trumpet on the final Judgment Day. God put butterflies on this earth to remind us of paradise, of His promise of eternal life. To give us hope."
    • 5/5
      It has taken me a while to read this book, but that's not because it wasn't interesting. On the contrary, it was probably a bit too interesting. I say that because every time I would go to read it, I would find myself pretending that I was Eleanor Glanville, and I would become so wrapped up in this book. The ending definitely was not what I was hoping for, but it wasn't necessarily bad. Throughout the story, I was really rooting for Eleanor to come out on top in the end, and even though it wasn't exactly what I was hoping for her, she was happy and that is all that matters. You know the author has done an excellent job when you are able to put yourself into the shoes of the main character. Excellent book and I highly recommend it.
    • 4/5
      This is a great historical fiction. I enjoyed reading about this strong woman. The story flowed well and brought to life the past superstitions and beliefs.
    • 2/5
      I really struggled with this book it was very repetitive and drawn out didn't seem to get anywhere so gave up which is something I hate to do.
    • 4/5
      This novel charts the live of Eleanor Glanville, a seventeenth-century entomologist with a particular interest in butterflies. I was wary of this novel at first, as I had no interest in reading a five-hundred-page biology of butterflies, but I discovered Eleanor's tumultuous personal life to be as interesting as she apparently found butterflies. The primary virtue of this novel was the rich historical setting. Fiona Mountain does an excellent job of bring late 17th-century England alive and her narrative is rich in detail. The issue of draining the wetlands on Eleanor's lands and the turbulent historical background help bring Eleanor's world to life. I thoroughly enjoyed this fictionalization of Eleanor Glanville and I am interested in reading more about her.
    • 4/5
      First Line: They say I am mad and perhaps it's true.Eleanor Glanville's father fought with Cromwell in the English Civil War. Although she had a stern Puritan upbringing, her father also educated her in the sciences-- a very rare occurrence in the seventeenth century. The estate upon which she grew up was mostly marshland in Somerset, and Eleanor always craved to be outdoors. This craving ultimately led to her love of and obsession with butterflies.Through two marriages and four children, she became one of the world's foremost lepidopterists (authorities on butterflies). Do we know her name? No. Do we know that she's responsible for naming several species of butterflies? No. Why? Because her second husband and her children were people of their time who said she was mad and called her a witch. Mad people are not remembered. Witches are forgotten.That is, until Fiona Mountain spent three years researching Eleanor Glanville in order to tell her remarkable story. No known portrait of Eleanor exists, but I feel as if I know her after listening to her telling me her story.At 516 pages, I feel that the story could have been told in many less. For me, the weakest part of the story was Eleanor's childbearing years where she spent almost every waking minute trying to please husband and children or, when a widow, trying not to lust after the man she really loved.The book did come to life when Eleanor was a child discovering the wildlife in the marshes and learning how important it was to protect the land as it was for the butterflies she loved. I also loved the sections when she met and corresponded with James Petiver, a fellow lepidopterist. Their passion for butterflies fueled their thirst for knowledge and discovery. One scene in particular will stay with me for a long time: a maid walking into a room to discover Eleanor and one of her children with dozens of butterflies floating in the sun-filled space.Anyone who enjoys historical fiction with a scientific angle about an amazing woman whose life's story was almost lost should enjoy Lady of the Butterflies.
    • 3/5
      This book was a fascinating look at a woman who defied her times and seems to be mostly forgotten by history. I enjoyed it immensely, but wished it had been shorter.
    • 4/5
      The late seventeenth and early eighteenth century are considered the beginning of the Age of Enlightenment in the western world, but it was certainly not so for women. Because Eleanor Goodricke is taught science from a young age and loves the natural world, she's looked down on by her neighbors and even ostracized at times. Her life is full of austerity due to her father's Puritan roots and her love of science replaces any girlish indulgences. When her father dies, she's alone in the world with Tickenham Court and a guardian who views her as strange, just like the rest of the townspeople do. When Eleanor meets Edmund Ashfield, she falls immediately in love, but she's destined for larger passion with his best friend Richard Glanville. She also furthers the scientific study of butterflies and becomes a female entomologist no matter how strange others consider her.If there was any doubt that I have revived my interest in historical fiction, this book casts it all aside. It took me five days to read but it was worth each and every one of those days. This was a fascinating book and I was completely drawn into Eleanor's life and loves, both of men and of butterflies. I thought about it when I wasn't reading it and I longed to get back to it in order to find out what was happening. Even though some of the story is immediately apparent just from reading Eleanor's name on the back cover, I didn't feel spoiled at all and instead wondered what would happen and how it would happen.As with much of the historical fiction I've been reading lately, I have read few books set in this time period and I was fascinated by the changing cultures of the times. The Puritans' reign has waned, but Eleanor still endures a stark childhood and bears the prejudices of the daughter of a man who fought for Oliver Cromwell. This, despite the fact that she is so often prejudiced against herself, reveals the fragility of human prejudice and the ultimately unsubstantial reasons we have for setting ourselves against others. It's that prejudice which proves her undoing in this novel and perhaps in life, even when she discovers some of her long-held beliefs are blatantly untrue and harmful.Reading this book is a bit like riding a roller coaster. I wanted, just for a minute, for Eleanor's life to be peaceful and calm, for her to spend time with her butterflies and her eventual children and just be. Of course, that must have happened in her actual life, but the book skips to the most eventful periods in order to keep the pace up throughout nearly six hundred pages. It certainly succeds, because despite the time I took to read this book, I was never once bored and never even thought that I wished it was going faster. Trust me, that never happens; usually I become impatient with books after two days!Mountain freely admits that she's played a little bit with the facts, but it's hard to blame her; Eleanor Glanville did have a thrilling life in reality and she deserves more credit for her scientific study in particular. Mountain has really crafted a wonderful book here, with a gorgeous setting (I could picture the marshes and why Eleanor loved them) and a heroine who is simultaneously a representation of her time and a woman that is perfectly recognizable. Lady of the Butterflies is a fantastic historical fiction read and one that comes highly recommended by me.
    • 5/5
      Luckily for us readers there are authors who stray from the beaten path and write about people from another time who aren't the usual suspects and headline grabbers. With Lady of the Butterflies Ms. Mountain introduced us to Eleanor Glanville. Lady of the Butterflies is a hefty tome that gives one a in-depth look at Ms. Glanville's life. While it largely focuses on her personal relationships there are times when you catch glimpses of her impact on the world of Lepidopterology. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Lady of the Butterflies and recommend to other readers of historical fiction.
    • 3/5
      Lady of the Butterflies has some really beautiful passages about the marshlands, birds, insects, and of course, butterflies. I enjoyed reading about Eleanor and felt really sad that her family turned against her. It seems ridiculous that a person could be considered crazy for wanting to learn more about the natural world, but that's sexism for you! An enjoyable read...
    • 5/5
      LADY OF THE BUTTERFLIESby Fiona MountainG.P. Putnam’s Sons, Penguin Group$25.95, 544 pagesISBN 13 :978-0-399-1563666On Sale:July 2010Eleanor Glanville is viewed by the people who knew her as possessed, a bit odd, possibly a witch and all because she chased butterflies. In history she was a brilliant entomologist, with a butterfly named after her, The Glanville Flitillary. Emma Campion’s version of Eleanor Glanville’e life is one of the best historical fiction books I have read this year. Her writing is beautiful and flows with grace and charm. I cherish each chapter of her novel as many beg to be read again and again. Her writing has a natural cadence and lyrical flow page after page. I didn’t want it to end. A word of caution: read it slowly, you will want to savor this story, it is an emotional journey to remember. Synopsis from the cover: “So begins the unforgettable story of Eleanor Glanville, the beautiful daughter of a seventeenth-century Puritan nobleman whose unconventional passions scandalized society. Still known as on of the great natural scientists of her age Eleanor was a woman ahead of her time. But her life was marked by two reckless obsessions: a fascination with science-especially the study of butterflies-and a romance that nearly cost her everything she held dear.” MY REVIEWThis is a difficult review to write without revealing too much of the story. Therefore, I will concentrate more on the character of Eleanor who is the foundation of the story. Campion has lifted the real Eleanor Glanville from the history books and gives her voice and soul. We may not know what she was really like, but in this story she becomes touchable. As Eleanor studies the perfection in butterflies, Campion exposes the imperfections in humans, and Eleanor is no different, making her truly believable. Eleanor is a woman out of sync with her time period. She is a strong willed, free spirited woman of the seventeenth century, who will not submit to the wifely roles society expects of her. She is so passionate about her views, true love is often secondary. She is a woman alive during the Age of Reason, yet her Puritan upbringing always haunts her decisions. She faces difficult choices about her property, her religion and her loves. Her father’s voice is an omnipresent reminder that has influence on her conscience, a burden throughout her life, especially her inability to trust. Whether right or wrong, good or bad she lives with the consequences of her actions. Eleanor would fit nicely in contemporary society. She must balance career and family, at odds with the 17th century female role, yet perfectly normal today. The three men she loves are completely different men who satisfy her in very different ways. There were so many times while reading, I would pause and a foreshadow of doom would arise. I had no power to stop it. I wanted to shake her and say, “NO!” This is what makes this book such an agonizing yet fulfilling read. The unexpected, the expected, the frustration, the joy, the sadness, the agony, the bliss and the hope for Eleanor’s future. A kaleidoscope of feelings that radiated from beginning to end. Highly recommended as it is without question one of my favorite books of 2010.© [Wisteria Leigh] and [Bookworm's Dinner], [2010].
    • 5/5
      I have a new favorite. In my book this read is neck and neck with “The First Princess of Wales” by Karen Harper. “Lady of the Butterflies” is a chunkster that I have to say is one of the best chunksters I have ever read.Eleanor was the daughter of one of Cromwell’s Puritan noblemen. After the Royalist reclaimed the throne for Charles II, Eleanor’s father retreated to his home at the moors of Tickenham court. He held fast to his firm Puritan beliefs with his daughter. Eleanor’s mother and only sister were lost to ague, which left Eleanor to be raised with her father who never remarried. Her life in Tickenham was not easy because even as a girl she was centuries ahead of her time.Her mind was not like other people in her town. She was a gifted person who had a deep love for nature. Her favorites were butterflies of all kinds. She pursued them on the moors with a fervor. The villagers saw her as insane or soft headed. In reality people back then feared what they did not understand and butterflies have been commonly linked to witch craft in history. They could not comprehend her love of butterflies or her fathers stick Puritan beliefs which out casted them from the villagers.Sadly Eleanor inherited Tickenham court young and her wardship was placed on one of her father's advisers. Sweet Eleanor later married the only man she had ever met face to face besides her father’s adviser. She loved him whole heartily and found he truly loved her for who she really was. What is crazy is that all the mentioned above happens with in the first 150 pages. The real story takes off once Eleanor meets her new husbands best friend, the dashing Caviler Richard. Nothing could or would ever be the same again at Tickenham court.5/5+++ one of the best reads to date. Normally I avoid chunksters because I am lacking in patience for them. This one was not the same for me. I found it fast paced, and every time I thought I had it figured out I found out I was wrong, which just made it more thrilling. Eleanor was “one of the great natural scientist of her age” in a time when science and alchemy were frowned upon by society. I could never forget her story now. It was that compelling and it had more intrigue than you could shake a stick at. Expressively written, Fiona Mountain magnificently brings Eleanor Glanville to brilliant life with in the pages of “Lady of The Butterflies”I do have to make a brief mention that this read is a R rating in my book as far as sexual references goes. It does go into details of sex and specifically states the big “P” word. I can say though it was done with class and taste. It defiantly was not the main focal point of the book.
    • 5/5
      The copy I read was an uncorrected proof.I really had a tough time putting this one down. I ripped right through it. If Mountain continues down her current path, she will have devoted fans for her historical novels. The imagery of the setting was well written. I was devoted to the right characters and tricked into liking some that were meanies. It was yummy.What did I not like about the book? The last three pages. I just wanted a different ending for the main character.Where did her friend James come from? I must have skipped something and not realized it. When James entered the book I didn't know where he came from. And he actually ended up being pretty important. Maybe when James was mentioned early on, it was not pointed out in that obvious way that makes one not miss the character.
    • 5/5
      "Lady of the Butterflies" is a very engaging historical novel about Eleanor Glanville, one of the first entomologists. It appeals on several levels to a variety of audiences: those interested in 17th-century Europe/England and the Restoration, those interested in the history of science and of zoology, and also to those who just enjoy a good female protagonist.We follow Eleanor's story from girlhood on, seeing how the forces of love (her father, husbands, and lovers) and nature (the marshes surrounding Tickenham and their butterflies) shape her into a formidable, passionate, and intellectually curious woman. All of which, of course, were dangerous things to be as a female in the 17th century, and that also comes into play.It's a lengthier book at 500+ pages but the length is from richness of story and detail: it doesn't feel padded or too long by any means. The story gripped me pretty quickly and it's one I wouldn't mind rereading again on a rainy day.
    • 4/5
      Very compelling read. I read this book in a matter of two days. One cannot help but fall in love with Eleanor and pull for her through the trials and good times in her life. She is seen as quite the eccentric mistress of Tickenham and faces gossip and tribulations because she adhere to the standards that were set for gentry women in her time. She doesn't care what people think of her and does what she feels right. She is completely lead with her heart. You follow her life as a child and then a young woman and then into a woman who stands her ground for what she believes in. She has a very inquisitive mind and is not afraid to ask the hard questions. She is a lady that was denied her true potential due to the ways of society and how they viewed women and learning at those times. This book is very well written and the historical facts seem to be right on par. This is a lovely historical fiction novel and I look forward to seeing what else the author can do in the future.