The Butterfly Groove: A Mother's Mystery, A Daughter's Journey

Description

A decade after twelve-year-old Jessica loses her mother, Dianne, to cancer complications, she finds herself curious about Dianne's mysterious youth. Armed with a journalism degree, Jessica sets out on a quest to find two of Dianne's former lovers, an old ballroom dance partner and a Vietnam war hero, along with anyone else who can tell her about Dianne. The Butterfly Groove features Jessica's journalistic approach complemented by reimagined portions of Dianne's life. Part mystery, part coming-of-age story across decades, this memoir is a heartwarming exploration of how our pasts tell our truths, and how love survives us all.

Journalist by heart, marketing professional by day, and writer by moonlight, Jessica Barraco is a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder's School of Journalism. She has contributed for EliteDaily, ModernLoss, 944 magazine, The Denver Post and more. She spent three years working at HarperCollins Publishers' headquarters, working on both nonfiction and fiction books. The Butterfly Groove, Barraco's debut investigative memoir, tells the story and research behind her late mother's mysteries and hidden love affairs from her past. Barraco currently resides in her home state of California.

"An intimate portrait of the abiding love between a mother and daughter." -Simon Van Booy, bestselling author of The Illusion of Separateness "A powerful debut memoir weaving the lives of a mother and daughter. The Butterfly Groove offers a web of insights into unraveling the mysteries of being a motherless daughter. This book is a reminder that loved ones become even more alive after they are gone. Barraco remains nurtured by her mother's wisdom, including the importance of commanding self-respect and smothering people with kindness. This book is a gem to be read in one sitting." -Diana Raab, Ph.D., author of Lust and Regina's Closet: Finding My Grandmother's Secret Journal "There are few relationships more enigmatic than that of mothers and daughters. In The Butterfly Groove, Jessica Barraco beautifully melds her investigative instincts with a storyteller's flair to intimately reveal the links that exist between our past and our present selves. To read this book is to know the author's heart-and to come one step closer to knowing our own ..." -John Valeri, Hartford Books Examiner "A beautiful blend of heart and journalism, The Butterfly Groove is an ethereal portrait of innocence, loss, and a young woman's unwavering curiosity surrounding her mother's past. Barraco's writing is witty and profound, and she has an undeniable skill for breathing new life into the most intimate of memories." -Charlee Fam, author of Last Train to Babylon "With compassion and insight, Jessica Barraco relates her quest to discover all she can about her mother, who died young. Heartfelt, humorous, and perceptive." -Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train