Abeo Kata lives a comfortable, happy life in West Africa as the
privileged nine-year-old daughter of a government employee and
stay-at-home mother. But when the Katas' idyllic lifestyle takes a turn
for the worse, Abeo's father, following his mother's advice, places the
girl in a religious shrine, hoping that the sacrifice of his daughter
will serve as atonement for the crimes of his ancestors. Unspeakable
acts befall Abeo for the 15 years she is held in the shrine. When she is
finally rescued, broken and battered, she must struggle to overcome her
past, endure the revelation of family secrets, and learn to trust and
love again.
In the tradition of Chris Cleave's Little Bee, this novel is a
contemporary story that offers an eye-opening account of the practice of
ritual servitude in West Africa. Spanning decades and two continents,
Praise Song for the Butterflies will break your heart and then heal
it.
"An engrossing novel that truly is a praise song for survivors
everywhere." (Kirkus Reviews)
"A tale set in [West Africa], where a girl is given up by her family,
endures a very hard life, and, once set free, must find a way to heal
and live forward." (Philadelphia Inquirer, included in Must-Read Books
for Summer 2018)
"Recent favorites [at Mahogany Books in Washington, DC]
include...award-winning novelist Bernice L. McFadden's forthcoming
Praise Song for the Butterflies, about a nine-year-old West African
girl sacrificed into religious servitude." (Vanity Fair, included in a
feature on Mahogany Books)
