Dellarobia wishes her life were even a fraction as interesting as her name. Pregnant and married at 17, she lives with her husband in a home his parents built for them in the shadow of their own and under their thumbs. One miscarriage and two children later Dellarobia is trying to escape her life in the only way she knows how – affairs with other men. On her way to her first actual liaison she climbs a mountain near her home and sees something that will change her life forever – millions of Monarch Butterflies. This encounter introduces the phenomenon, fictional, though possible, of butterflies swarming in the Appalachian hills. She later learns it is because their usual winter nesting place has been destroyed by floods and mudslides. The author deftly weaves Dellarobia’s story with that of environmental scientists studying the butterflies. An unusual tale with unexpected twists and turns, this book will appeal to readers interested in current environmental issues as well as complex family relationships.