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The Butterfly and the Flame
"There's something you need to know about Emily..." In the year 2404, America is no more. In a land ruled by the oppressive theocracy known as the Dominion of Divinity, being gay is a capital offense, adultery is punished with the lash, women are forbidden to work, and forced marriages are common. Fifteen-year-old Emily La Rouche faces an impossible choice. On her sixteenth birthday, she will be forced to marry Jonathan Marsh, the son of her landlord. If she refuses, her family will lose everything. If she takes his hand, it is certain that her life will end by a hangman's noose in front of an angry mob. All because Emily has been hiding an enormous secret for years-she was born a boy. As the wedding approaches, Emily's parents realize the only way that she will be safe is if she is to escape the Dominion. With her brother Aaron at her side, Emily flees across post-apocalyptic America in search for a new home. With vile bounty hunters on her trail, only time will tell if Emily will ever find a place where she can live and breathe free as the person she was always meant to be.
416 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
May 24, 2011
The Butterfly and the Flame is a book I’ve been anxiously awaiting for over a year now, ever since Dana began teasing it under the title of Emily. Equal parts dystopian fantasy, social commentary, and transgender drama, it’s the kind of novel that both enlightens and entertains.
The story is set in a future America where the devastation following an act of Divine Retribution (a series of asteroid impacts) has prompted a return to Puritanical ways. With democracy deemed a sin, and Christianity recognized as the only true faith (although Mormon rebels and Mexican guerrillas might have something to say about that), America suffers under religious tyranny of the Seven Pillars of Faith of the Dominion. The concepts of sexism and homophobia are not only alive and well, but they are mandated by the Dominion, just as works of imagination and scientific progress are prohibited.
If it sounds a little too heavy-handed for comfort, understand that the story itself is not a commentary on faith, but does deal with the abuses of religion. Some of the most wonderful people in Emily’s world are those whose faith is strong enough to survive, and even thwart, the prejudices of the Dominion.
Our window into this world is Emily, a fifteen year-old girl who just happens to have been born a boy. Questioned, challenged, and forcibly denied the expression of her true self by both family and society, Emily is not out to cause trouble, to change the world, or to right the injustices of society. Instead, all she wants is the freedom to be who she is – a young woman, with the same hopes and dreams as any other girl her age.
Emily’s story is an emotional one, a tragic tale that contains just enough hope to make the heartache and the sorrow palatable. She’s a wonderfully well-rounded character, but one who is plagued by the dual angst of being a teenager and being transgender. Only a transgender author could so accurately portray the depths of Emily’s emotion, whether it’s her suicidal despair as she fashions her own noose, or her blissfully innocent joy as she is gifted with her first dress. Throw an arranged marriage into the mix, with the intended's family wholly ignorant of Emily's secret, and you have the makings for a complex take of human relationships.
Dana pulls no punches in exposing us to the depths of human depravity, but doesn’t neglect the heights of human goodness either. Love comes from the most barren of places, accepting Emily without question, while it struggles to take root in what should be the most nurturing of environments. There are definitely some surprises along the way, but I daresay the pleasant ones - especially those connected to motherhood - carry a far greater impact, even if they are outnumbered by the unpleasant ones.
Although largely a tragedy, fuelled by human prejudices and religious justification, there are also moments of triumph to be found in Emily’s story. As the story shifts from Period drama to something more akin to Wild West action in the final act, we get to experience just enough of the wider world to provide context to the Emily’s struggles. The further we get from Emily's Puritanical homestead, the more we realise the world may change, but human nature stays the same. A barren field of 20th century industrial ruins provide a subtle reminder of the past, while the poverty and lawlessness of Lewis Bend serves as a blatant reminder of just how powerless the Dominion is to enact the kind of change that matters.
Delicately balancing heroism and tragedy, hope and despair, Dana takes the novel to a satisfying – if somewhat sombre – conclusion that lingers in your imagination long after you’re done reading, and which ultimately provides the hope for a better tomorrow.
The story is set in a future America where the devastation following an act of Divine Retribution (a series of asteroid impacts) has prompted a return to Puritanical ways. With democracy deemed a sin, and Christianity recognized as the only true faith (although Mormon rebels and Mexican guerrillas might have something to say about that), America suffers under religious tyranny of the Seven Pillars of Faith of the Dominion. The concepts of sexism and homophobia are not only alive and well, but they are mandated by the Dominion, just as works of imagination and scientific progress are prohibited.
If it sounds a little too heavy-handed for comfort, understand that the story itself is not a commentary on faith, but does deal with the abuses of religion. Some of the most wonderful people in Emily’s world are those whose faith is strong enough to survive, and even thwart, the prejudices of the Dominion.
Our window into this world is Emily, a fifteen year-old girl who just happens to have been born a boy. Questioned, challenged, and forcibly denied the expression of her true self by both family and society, Emily is not out to cause trouble, to change the world, or to right the injustices of society. Instead, all she wants is the freedom to be who she is – a young woman, with the same hopes and dreams as any other girl her age.
Emily’s story is an emotional one, a tragic tale that contains just enough hope to make the heartache and the sorrow palatable. She’s a wonderfully well-rounded character, but one who is plagued by the dual angst of being a teenager and being transgender. Only a transgender author could so accurately portray the depths of Emily’s emotion, whether it’s her suicidal despair as she fashions her own noose, or her blissfully innocent joy as she is gifted with her first dress. Throw an arranged marriage into the mix, with the intended's family wholly ignorant of Emily's secret, and you have the makings for a complex take of human relationships.
Dana pulls no punches in exposing us to the depths of human depravity, but doesn’t neglect the heights of human goodness either. Love comes from the most barren of places, accepting Emily without question, while it struggles to take root in what should be the most nurturing of environments. There are definitely some surprises along the way, but I daresay the pleasant ones - especially those connected to motherhood - carry a far greater impact, even if they are outnumbered by the unpleasant ones.
Although largely a tragedy, fuelled by human prejudices and religious justification, there are also moments of triumph to be found in Emily’s story. As the story shifts from Period drama to something more akin to Wild West action in the final act, we get to experience just enough of the wider world to provide context to the Emily’s struggles. The further we get from Emily's Puritanical homestead, the more we realise the world may change, but human nature stays the same. A barren field of 20th century industrial ruins provide a subtle reminder of the past, while the poverty and lawlessness of Lewis Bend serves as a blatant reminder of just how powerless the Dominion is to enact the kind of change that matters.
Delicately balancing heroism and tragedy, hope and despair, Dana takes the novel to a satisfying – if somewhat sombre – conclusion that lingers in your imagination long after you’re done reading, and which ultimately provides the hope for a better tomorrow.
November 11, 2014
Unless I'm mistaken, this book is self-published through an online publisher. I've been reading a lot of self-published works lately, and more have been bad than good, I'm afraid.
I'm really happy to report that The Butterfly and the Flame by Dana De Young falls into the latter category.
The story follows Emily, a nearly 16 year old girl who has had an arranged marriage with her family's landlord's only son in the books since she was about 7 years old, and her quest for acceptance in a society that's willing to offer pretty much anything but. The setting is 2404, hundreds of years after America as we know it fell into the hands of religious fundamentalists. Technology is all but gone, and North America is by and large run by Christian fundamentalists who adhere to its laws in often arbitrary ways to suit the higher-up's needs (sound familiar? It happens in our society even today in some instances).
Emily and her family are hiding a secret though, one that will end up being revealed to potentially disastrous results if her marriage to Jonathan Marsh goes through. Emily was born biologically male, and is consequently a transwoman, something punishable by death in her society.
This is the first book that I've read in a long while that jumped to multiple points of view, seemingly without rhyme or reason. I thought that would be disconcerting or lessen the impact each point of view made on my overall impression of the book itself. That didn't seem to be the case though, and I found myself really enjoying getting a glimpse into a variety of different characters' minds.
The same went for the alternating time periods from chapter to chapter (particularly in the first half of the book). Usually, when authors skip between time periods, I find myself quickly losing interest and wanting to get back to present time to know what's going to happen with the current plot. Again though, I felt these time jumps really supplemented the storyline. Pretty much everything this author did that you're traditionally told you shouldn't do while writing a story seemed to work. I'm impressed.
The book isn't without its issues, of course. There were a handful of missing words throughout the work, a "than" where there should've been a "then," and even one instance where the last letter of one word ended up as the first letter of the next word. None of these errors really took away from the overall quality of the story, or my enjoyment of it either though.
In fact, I think Ms. De Young has really made Emily relatable. I'm transgender myself, so maybe I related more than others might. But Emily's voice is touching to me, and Ms. De Young crafts her story masterfully. Her voice is as feminine as her gender identity, making it clear this really was an individual trapped in the wrong body all along. Trans experiences differ, I realise, but Emily's story is one I'm happy to add to my growing list of trans literature experiences.
In addition, I didn't at all get the sense that anything was forced, or that conflicts were resolved in an unconvincing manner. Emily's father's reaction to her transition was realistic, if painful to endure. Her older brother's reactions too are difficult to read, but understandable. None of the antagonists felt as if they were merely black hats. On the contrary, each had realistic (if sometimes despicable) motives behind their actions.
I truly enjoyed this book, both for its dystopian themes and reference to transgender experiences. I think it was well written and a very impressive first effort. I do hope Ms. De Young continues to write more full-length novels. I'll be certain to purchase them if she does.
I'm really happy to report that The Butterfly and the Flame by Dana De Young falls into the latter category.
The story follows Emily, a nearly 16 year old girl who has had an arranged marriage with her family's landlord's only son in the books since she was about 7 years old, and her quest for acceptance in a society that's willing to offer pretty much anything but. The setting is 2404, hundreds of years after America as we know it fell into the hands of religious fundamentalists. Technology is all but gone, and North America is by and large run by Christian fundamentalists who adhere to its laws in often arbitrary ways to suit the higher-up's needs (sound familiar? It happens in our society even today in some instances).
Emily and her family are hiding a secret though, one that will end up being revealed to potentially disastrous results if her marriage to Jonathan Marsh goes through. Emily was born biologically male, and is consequently a transwoman, something punishable by death in her society.
This is the first book that I've read in a long while that jumped to multiple points of view, seemingly without rhyme or reason. I thought that would be disconcerting or lessen the impact each point of view made on my overall impression of the book itself. That didn't seem to be the case though, and I found myself really enjoying getting a glimpse into a variety of different characters' minds.
The same went for the alternating time periods from chapter to chapter (particularly in the first half of the book). Usually, when authors skip between time periods, I find myself quickly losing interest and wanting to get back to present time to know what's going to happen with the current plot. Again though, I felt these time jumps really supplemented the storyline. Pretty much everything this author did that you're traditionally told you shouldn't do while writing a story seemed to work. I'm impressed.
The book isn't without its issues, of course. There were a handful of missing words throughout the work, a "than" where there should've been a "then," and even one instance where the last letter of one word ended up as the first letter of the next word. None of these errors really took away from the overall quality of the story, or my enjoyment of it either though.
In fact, I think Ms. De Young has really made Emily relatable. I'm transgender myself, so maybe I related more than others might. But Emily's voice is touching to me, and Ms. De Young crafts her story masterfully. Her voice is as feminine as her gender identity, making it clear this really was an individual trapped in the wrong body all along. Trans experiences differ, I realise, but Emily's story is one I'm happy to add to my growing list of trans literature experiences.
In addition, I didn't at all get the sense that anything was forced, or that conflicts were resolved in an unconvincing manner. Emily's father's reaction to her transition was realistic, if painful to endure. Her older brother's reactions too are difficult to read, but understandable. None of the antagonists felt as if they were merely black hats. On the contrary, each had realistic (if sometimes despicable) motives behind their actions.
I truly enjoyed this book, both for its dystopian themes and reference to transgender experiences. I think it was well written and a very impressive first effort. I do hope Ms. De Young continues to write more full-length novels. I'll be certain to purchase them if she does.
March 31, 2012
The first thing that I wanted to mention is that, for me, as a trans chick, parts of this book were triggering. Fairly substantial parts, to the point where I had a hard time getting through parts, and sometimes had to skim pages. I am by no means saying not to read The Butterfly and the Flame, but it's worth keeping in mind that, especially for a trans person, the subject matter may be triggering.
I did enjoy the book, and it kept sucking me back in -- sometimes even when I knew I shouldn't be reading it because it was making me upset. Emily's emotions are well captured, and portray the actual experience of being trans in both convincing and sympathetic. While the character of Emily is a more-or-less typical trans female, the way she is written avoids most of the (awful) stereotypes that plague portrayals of trans people in media.
(minor spoilers past here)
The story here is largely sad, but with a hopeful ending, which is pretty much what I expected based on the book's description. A major flaw is the way that the author jumps between characters, and in some places points in time. I was able to follow the flow of events for the most part, but all of the jumping back and forth between people did get disorienting sometimes. I kind of felt like the story was over too soon. While ending a story in a way that leaves the character's future not completely determinate is not intrinsically a bad thing, The Butterfly and the Flame just felt incomplete. The first three quarters of the book is somewhat over extended while the last quarter is massively rushed. There's so much buildup and then suddenly it's all over. I appreciate that she gave a couple of the minor characters latent redeeming qualities, and a redeeming ending, since it made the book significantly less "The Tale of Horrible Things That Happen to Emily," which is basically what it would otherwise be.
I really wish that the world had been fleshed out more. There was so much that I wanted to know that just wasn't there. There isn't really a mystique to Emily's world, just a sense of being incomplete. I wanted to know more about the greater scheme of things, rather than just name dropping the city of Allegiance without any real detail about it and a passing reference to the state of Europe. Even Emily's hometown never really comes to life. I mean, I got a sense of what it's like there, but it never became a living, breathing place. And with half the book being placed there, I was expecting a little more description of the place, rather than just of the characters being dealt with.
All in all, The Butterfly and the Flame is worth reading, but only because it does a nice job handling a trans character. And there are far too few good stories involving transsexual characters, particularly ones in which they don't die. Add in the dystopian setting and The Butterfly and the Flame becomes pretty unique in the currently literary landscape. It wouldn't have come together as a story if the main character wasn't a trans person. The Butterfly and the Flame is what it is, quick read that I found hard to put down, despite the flaws in pacing and world building.
I did enjoy the book, and it kept sucking me back in -- sometimes even when I knew I shouldn't be reading it because it was making me upset. Emily's emotions are well captured, and portray the actual experience of being trans in both convincing and sympathetic. While the character of Emily is a more-or-less typical trans female, the way she is written avoids most of the (awful) stereotypes that plague portrayals of trans people in media.
(minor spoilers past here)
The story here is largely sad, but with a hopeful ending, which is pretty much what I expected based on the book's description. A major flaw is the way that the author jumps between characters, and in some places points in time. I was able to follow the flow of events for the most part, but all of the jumping back and forth between people did get disorienting sometimes. I kind of felt like the story was over too soon. While ending a story in a way that leaves the character's future not completely determinate is not intrinsically a bad thing, The Butterfly and the Flame just felt incomplete. The first three quarters of the book is somewhat over extended while the last quarter is massively rushed. There's so much buildup and then suddenly it's all over. I appreciate that she gave a couple of the minor characters latent redeeming qualities, and a redeeming ending, since it made the book significantly less "The Tale of Horrible Things That Happen to Emily," which is basically what it would otherwise be.
I really wish that the world had been fleshed out more. There was so much that I wanted to know that just wasn't there. There isn't really a mystique to Emily's world, just a sense of being incomplete. I wanted to know more about the greater scheme of things, rather than just name dropping the city of Allegiance without any real detail about it and a passing reference to the state of Europe. Even Emily's hometown never really comes to life. I mean, I got a sense of what it's like there, but it never became a living, breathing place. And with half the book being placed there, I was expecting a little more description of the place, rather than just of the characters being dealt with.
All in all, The Butterfly and the Flame is worth reading, but only because it does a nice job handling a trans character. And there are far too few good stories involving transsexual characters, particularly ones in which they don't die. Add in the dystopian setting and The Butterfly and the Flame becomes pretty unique in the currently literary landscape. It wouldn't have come together as a story if the main character wasn't a trans person. The Butterfly and the Flame is what it is, quick read that I found hard to put down, despite the flaws in pacing and world building.
April 28, 2021
I'm going to miss Emily and her story.
This book was my first experience of a transgender character and I really liked Emily's character and how the theme was dealt with. The book is set in a dystopian future which bears a lot of similarities with the past. The USA as we know them have been replaced by the Dominium, technology is non-existent and the church holds all the power. Emily is born into a lower class family of farmers who risk everything letting her live as a girl, knowing that, if her secret were to be revealed, they would probably all hang as she is considered a "sodomite" and a "sinner".
A compelling read!
This book was my first experience of a transgender character and I really liked Emily's character and how the theme was dealt with. The book is set in a dystopian future which bears a lot of similarities with the past. The USA as we know them have been replaced by the Dominium, technology is non-existent and the church holds all the power. Emily is born into a lower class family of farmers who risk everything letting her live as a girl, knowing that, if her secret were to be revealed, they would probably all hang as she is considered a "sodomite" and a "sinner".
A compelling read!
July 19, 2025
A trans teen girl in a dystopian USA ruled by Christian fundamentalists — an interesting premise, but unfortunately poorly executed. The book suffers from excessive telling instead of showing, an overly long narrative, frequent jumps between characters and timelines, and a tone that is at times overly preachy. The ending feels rushed.
From a formal standpoint, the lack of proper editing is noticeable throughout.
While the story ends on a hopeful note, I wouldn’t recommend it to a young trans reader — the protagonist is subjected to relentless hardship, which may be more distressing than empowering.
From a formal standpoint, the lack of proper editing is noticeable throughout.
While the story ends on a hopeful note, I wouldn’t recommend it to a young trans reader — the protagonist is subjected to relentless hardship, which may be more distressing than empowering.
June 21, 2012
There are not nearly enough works with trans* protagonists, so the author is definitely to be commended for their contribution, and for handling the subject matter with respect and thoughtfulness. Yes, the attitudes of many of the characters toward Emily are negative, uncomfortable, and potentially triggering, but at no point did I feel like these were gratuitous or out of place. In addition, support and affection for her comes from a few unexpected places, which I greatly appreciated.
As other reviews have mentioned, I felt that the pacing suffered a little toward the end, where most of the major plot issues were resolved at breakneck speed, and the rest were left dangling and incomplete. While I'm not generally a fan of epilogues as a narrative tool, in this case, a small revisitation of the major characters a few years after the events of the novel wouldn't have gone amiss.
The other major drawback for me was a lack of explanation in the worldbuilding. I would have loved to have seen more about how the America we know was transformed into the theocratic wasteland of the book. However, given that the historical knowledge of those times was all but wiped out by that same theocracy, it makes sense that none of the characters would have known enough to impart that to the reader. As the oft-discussed Pillars of Faith are included as an appendix, it would have been nice to have also had a timeline of events to browse as a curiosity, if nothing else.
However, these minor issues did nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the novel. It is uncomfortable to read at times because of the gritty realism of the hatred aimed at Emily and her family. But good fiction should evoke that reaction sometimes, because it means the reader identifies closely with the protagonist, and that the narrative is provoking critical thought. The best fiction is rarely "safe".
As other reviews have mentioned, I felt that the pacing suffered a little toward the end, where most of the major plot issues were resolved at breakneck speed, and the rest were left dangling and incomplete. While I'm not generally a fan of epilogues as a narrative tool, in this case, a small revisitation of the major characters a few years after the events of the novel wouldn't have gone amiss.
The other major drawback for me was a lack of explanation in the worldbuilding. I would have loved to have seen more about how the America we know was transformed into the theocratic wasteland of the book. However, given that the historical knowledge of those times was all but wiped out by that same theocracy, it makes sense that none of the characters would have known enough to impart that to the reader. As the oft-discussed Pillars of Faith are included as an appendix, it would have been nice to have also had a timeline of events to browse as a curiosity, if nothing else.
However, these minor issues did nothing to detract from the enjoyment of the novel. It is uncomfortable to read at times because of the gritty realism of the hatred aimed at Emily and her family. But good fiction should evoke that reaction sometimes, because it means the reader identifies closely with the protagonist, and that the narrative is provoking critical thought. The best fiction is rarely "safe".
September 5, 2013
The first half of the book was great, and I tore through it eagerly. The characters were intriguing and a bit more worldbuilding could have been done, but overall was pretty entertaining. The next part (the escape and chase by enemies) slowed down a lot when it should have picked up, and I set the book down for a month before deciding I should just try to finish it.
Unfortunately, it doesn't bode well for the book when I started skipping through the last 30 pages in an effort to just get it over with... This book could have been 100 pages shorter (and thus more tightly wound) had someone just taken a red pen and crossed out entire sentences and paragraphs that could have been stated much more concisely. Too bad, because this book had a great and interesting premise that I hadn't seen before; the execution was just not as good as it could have been.
Unfortunately, it doesn't bode well for the book when I started skipping through the last 30 pages in an effort to just get it over with... This book could have been 100 pages shorter (and thus more tightly wound) had someone just taken a red pen and crossed out entire sentences and paragraphs that could have been stated much more concisely. Too bad, because this book had a great and interesting premise that I hadn't seen before; the execution was just not as good as it could have been.
September 8, 2011
I liked the dystopian feel of the book - and the author did a fantastic job of making you relate to the main Character and you actually felt that he was truely a girl trapped in a boys body.
It gives you a new insite and hopefully for some a wakeup call, that we dont choose how we are born - we are just born this way.
The only thing I really did not like about the book was the very end - it felt stunted like there was supposed to be more or something got edited wrong and it made the ending feel off
other than that the story if wonderful and the characters feel so real- heart wrenchingly real.
There was a bit of "preachy" but not as much as some I have read, it was minimal enough to skim and not miss any of the good stuff
It gives you a new insite and hopefully for some a wakeup call, that we dont choose how we are born - we are just born this way.
The only thing I really did not like about the book was the very end - it felt stunted like there was supposed to be more or something got edited wrong and it made the ending feel off
other than that the story if wonderful and the characters feel so real- heart wrenchingly real.
There was a bit of "preachy" but not as much as some I have read, it was minimal enough to skim and not miss any of the good stuff
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September 1, 2023This book is a great example of how not to write a trans protagonist. She has no character traits beyond being trans, and her transness is at once incredibly shallow and incredibly heavy-handed. This reads like something written by a cis person who just discovered that trans people exist by reading about us in a sociology textbook, who then envisioned themself a savior by sharing our horrible plight with the world, without ever bothering to hear what we have to say for ourselves.
On top of that, the prose, plot, and world-building were all mediocre at best. I made myself finish this book, but it was a relief to be done with it--so much so that I still remember that years later.
On top of that, the prose, plot, and world-building were all mediocre at best. I made myself finish this book, but it was a relief to be done with it--so much so that I still remember that years later.
January 5, 2013
The story is generally good and engaging. It's easy to immerse oneself in Emily's character and also to understand the other character's thoughts and reactions. The idea using a hyper-conservative dystopian future is great. Unfortunately, the internal consistency leaves a lot to be desired. Characters are frequently reported making decisions based on things that the reader knows but the character cannot possibly know. The editor was also asleep: there are typos, missing words, and broken sentences.
April 5, 2016
This book had so much potential but just missed the mark. The most concise review I could give is "sloppy." So very many random bits of storyline that the author tried to tie up neatly but failed. And the book just...stopped. I turned the page expecting another chapter and it was just over. The "resolution" using that term loosely was out of place and didn't make sense within the flow of the plot. While this book did make me think about hetero- and cis- normative narratives, I just felt the writer could have done so much more with this.
November 3, 2012
I rarely read self-published works because all too often they are merely glorified fan fiction, but The Butterfly and the Flame is a solid piece of original story telling. I was initially drawn to it because of its trans female main character and I am always anxious to read books the positively portray who I am. After the first several chapters, Dana's realistic portrayals of all the characters had captured my interest and Emily, my literary representative, had won my heart.
May 16, 2013
I really, really enjoyed this book. The story was gripping and I couldn't put it down. I finished the book in 2 days. I think it was great because Emily is a really relatable character not only for transgender people, but for anyone just struggling to be themselves.
February 3, 2016
Meh. Too preachy.
February 15, 2013
Great to have a fiction book with a main transgender character but read like it needed a heavy edit.
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