AustLit

'Butterfly's Children is set on the planet of Thalassa some way into the future, that has moved beyond the Anthropocene into the Ecozoic Era. The inhabitants are both clearing up the toxic mess left in their ancestors' wake, and are trying to find a way to honour the prophetic question: "How do we love all children of all species for all time?" Within this context, a young woman called Meriel goes on a journey, both inner and outer, multifaceted and metaphysical, where she leaves the safety of her foster parents and community and faces her uncertain future.

'Sailing forth into the Deep and Dancing Ocean she meets her guardian angel and other folk who help her to weave her story. Yet Meriel is restless and as mercurial as the seas she sails upon. In a bid to find out why the planet was ravaged to such a degree by her ancestors, she recklessly sets sail without telling a soul and is shipwrecked upon an island that is not marked on any map. Knowing that rescue is unlikely - for who can find an island that does not exist? - Meriel gradually accepts her fate, looking death in the face, and finds there unimaginable beauty. However, having a shape-shifting guardian angel has distinct benefits, for who else could navigate The Atlas of Forbidden, Hidden and Mysterious Places to find her?'  (Publication summary)