I Lived on Butterfly Hill

In Marjorie Agosín’s historical novel for middle-grade readers, I Lived on Butterfly Hill (2014), eleven-year-old Celeste Marconi uses her letters, journal entries, and poetry to describe both her life in Valparaíso, Chile and the devastating changes that force her parents into hiding, causing Celeste to escape to the United States. Agosín, who was raised in Chile, draws on her own life experiences and her move to the U.S. after Augusto Pinochet’s violent 1973 government takeover of the Chilean government. Although the political unrest in Celeste’s life mirrors that of Agosín’s, in the novel, historical figures are fictionalized.

In I Lived on Butterfly Hill, Agosín portrays important themes of familial love and the power of language to effect change, to communicate, to educate, and to combat poverty. Celeste is a writer and carries a notebook with her to record her thoughts and experiences.

In colorful and lyrical language, Celeste narrates her own story. She relishes living in the Butterfly Hill neighborhood of costal Valparaíso with her adoring parents, her grandmother, Abuela Frida, and their housekeeper, Delfina, who is more like a beloved aunt. Celeste enjoys spending time with her friends from school. Together, Celeste, Cristobal, Gloria, Marison, and Lucila frequently go into town to relax at their favorite cafe. Celeste has a poetic nature and deeply appreciates the beauty and vibrancy of life around her, but she is also sensitive to the extreme poverty in the city. Her parents are both highly educated doctors, who run a clinic for the poor. One day, Celeste notices unusual ships off the coastline. They are warships, and they signal shocking and repressive changes for Chile.



The Dictator General, supported by most of the military, overthrows the government of Chilean President Alarcon. This new martial government is a threat to democratic beliefs and ideals. Suddenly, artists, educators, protestors, people who support the poor, and those who supported President Alarcon, are targeted by the new government. People begin to disappear. Some go into hiding, others are arrested, some are executed. Celeste’s parents are among those who fear for their lives. They go into hiding, leaving Celeste with Abuela Frida and Delfina.

However, Abuela Frida soon realizes that it is becoming too dangerous for Celeste to stay in Valparaíso. The growing suppression and violence remind Frida of the rise of the Nazi Party and her own escape from Austria just before the Holocaust. Now, soldiers guard Celeste’s school, and only half of the students attend class. Celeste’s friend Lucila and her family are among those who have been arrested by the new government. Thanks to the differing politics of their families, Celeste has also lost her friend Gloria. Because Celeste’s parents are fugitives, Abuela Frida fears that the government may come for Celeste next, so she sends Celeste to live with her Aunt Graciela in the U.S.

Life is very different for Celeste in the town of Juliette Cove, Maine, where Aunt Graciela lives. The weather is cold and snowy and dreary, unlike bright Valparaíso. Celeste has difficulty fitting in at her new school. Other students make fun of Celeste because of her poor English. Then Celeste meets Kim, a girl from Korea, with whom she has a lot in common. Both girls are exiled and lonely and homesick. Both Celeste and Kim fled their countries for political reasons, and both are struggling to learn English. Kim and Celeste become good friends, and as time goes by, help each other learn the new language. When Kim’s family suddenly moves away, Celeste is heartbroken. However, Celeste receives unexpected support from some American students in her class, and she succeeds in making new friends.



When Celeste learns that the Dictator General is no longer in charge in Chile and, in fact, a new president has been elected, she returns to her home on Butterfly Hill. She is sad to leave her new friends but excited to go back to Chile. With her old friend Cristobal, she journeys to find her father, who is still in hiding on a ship offshore. Together they all come home. Celeste’s mother returns soon after. Neither of her parents wants to talk about their experiences.

Glad to be home, Celeste realizes that her beloved country will take a while to recover from the upheaval caused by the Dictator General’s rule. As a healing step for Chile, the new president, Monica Espinoza, asks young people to write about their dreams and visions for the future of the country. Celeste’s dream is to bring literacy to everyone in Chile. Celeste’s essay earns her a college scholarship, but Celeste uses part of the money to create a traveling library, giving everyone access to books and new ideas.

Agosín is an outspoken advocate of women’s rights in Chile. In 1998, she was honored by the United Nations for her work in promoting human rights. Agosín also received the Gabriela Mistral Medal of Honor for Life Achievement from the Chilean government. Agosín has written many works of poetry, novels, and literary criticism for adults. I Lived on Butterfly Hill is Agosín’s first work for a younger audience. The novel earned her a starred review in Booklist, and the American Library Association’s prestigious 2015 Pura Belpré Award, which is given to authors whose work best honors the Latino culture.