As I’m 12 books into the Women’s Prize Longlist, common themes are starting to emerge, mostly the validity of marriage, women challenging society’s norms and migration. Praise Song for the Butterflies touches on all these aspects but it adds something totally new into the mix.
Abeo leads a happy life in Ghana. She is loved, lives comfortably and is liked. However bad luck starts to occur and she is sold to a cult, or the more technical term in this case is , ritual servitude. Eventually after many years and mishaps she is discovered and rehabilitated.
The reason why I’m skimming over the plot is because it is more worthwhile for the reader to discover all the plot surprises. This is definitely not a straightforward story. Bernice McFadden tackles many topics in Praise Song; the concept of slavery by people of the same skin color, the Ghana government’s treatment of ritual servitude, how pagan mentality occurs in times of stress, the clash of cultures between the African and African American. For a breezy read this is a novel is rich with themes and symbolism.
Although not a tough read, Praise Song for the Butterflies has moments where the readers will feel Abeo’s suffering. McFadden’s writing style has no fluff or padding which amplifies the violence in the book. This is not a criticism as I feel that it’s good to shake the reader up now and then.
I never have any expectations or preconceived thoughts when starting a book but Praise Song for the Butterflies was a complete surprise. For a coming of age story it is quite original and due to it’s many themes, it is the type of book that is open to discussion.
The Bobsphere 
One thought on “Bernice L. McFadden – Praise Song for the Butterflies”