Mark Barrett’s Dreams of the Black Butterfly is a compelling combination of short stories brought together under one larger plot. The book begins with a descriptive introduction into Peru during its colonization. Barrett successfully portrays the environment, feelings of the characters, and mysterious surroundings of the black butterfly. Although the opening is only a short story of sorts that opens to present day Peru. Here we find Moise Quispe, a young Peruvian teen. He is in search of the mysterious black butterfly. This butterfly has a large price on its head, and Moise is determined to catch it. It becomes apparent as the story develops, that Moise works for a shady company called “Emerald Earth.” The leader of Emerald Earth, Dollie, will stop at nothing to discover the secrets of this butterfly. It is said that the wings, when read under a microscope, reveal fascinating stories based on the reader. However, not everyone has the ability to read the wings of the butterfly; thus why Moise becomes so important in the story.

Barrett’s ability to describe the environment is flawless although sometimes overzealous. These descriptions come to consume the beginning of the stories and each story is vastly different from the previous. Stories range from fantasies about clay people to ones more relevant; such as how Dollie conducts business. Each story is truly as work of art in its own right. When put together they are often confusing if one is not paying very close attention to the beginnings and endings. It took me a few stories to understand how the writer transitioned from one scene to the next. The overall quality of the book is quite fascinating. It is obvious that the writer has done research into the Peruvian culture. The book incorporates a number of different myths and customs held by the native Peruvian culture which gives this book great depth. Many themes are used throughout the book. At first, I noticed that the author continually incorporates the mistreatment of children in the overall plot and short stories. For example, Emerald Earth hires their children employees from orphanages. When many disappear one man in charge of a particular orphanages begins to grow suspicious but decides the money is worth it. Overall, The Black Butterfly is an engaging narrative that leads the reader on a crazy adventure. It is well written and brings the authors world to life.

Pages: 201 | ASIN: B01BKE9MBM