The Boy with the Butterfly Mind

by Lorelei Brush

For fans of Jodi Picoult and Bonnie Garmus, an illuminating novel about a mother struggling to raise a healthy neurodivergent child with a husband worn down by depression.

When Julie Crawford’s whirlwind four-year-old is kicked out of preschool, suspected of having ADHD—likely genetic—her husband moans from his recliner that “even my genes are failures.” At work, Julie is a high school math teacher who requires her students to solve complex problems. But faced with an unsafe daycare home and no other daycare openings, a husband who hates the idea of labeling their son as a “problem,” and a supervisor who’s angry at the amount of time she’s taking off school, she’s at a loss for how to come up with a solution to this particular dilemma.

Julie’s struggle to help her son ultimately demands a number of mindset shift: a willingness to become a student and ask for help, a humble acceptance of her errors, a burgeoning strength to reckon with a dominant father and retreating husband—and the self-confidence to trust her instincts when it comes to deciding on the best next steps for her son.

312 pages, Paperback

Published August 11, 2026

About the author

After writing thousands of pages of government reports, Lorelei Brush retired and launched into writing fiction. Each of her books addresses a question that has haunted her. Uncovering explores how a young woman in a fundamentalist society can possibly realize her dreams. Chasing the American Dream asks why her father felt he had to lie about his service in World War II, making himself out to be a superhero. And The Boy With the Butterfly Mind figures out how one family with neurodivergence manages to accommodate its differences and thrive.

Website: https://Loreleibrush.com

Reviews

[Shelley's Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

My Reviews Can Also Be Found On:
The Book Review Crew Blog


⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Boy with the Butterfly Mind
Lorelei Brush
Publication Date: August 11th, 2026
She Writes Press
312 Pages
Amazon | Bookshop.org
Genre: General Fiction | Literary Fiction

I enjoyed this story about a math teacher named Julie who has to face the fact that her four-year-old son, Patrick, was expelled from preschool because of his behaviour. Julie fights the medical establishment to get a proper diagnosis for Patrick, but her husband, Luke—who is suffering from depression and drinking too much—keeps fighting her on it because he doesn't want to label his kid. Of course, this adds to the strain on their marriage.

This was a deeply moving story that tackles the emotional and medical issues parents face when raising a neurodivergent child. The author uses her background in child development and her personal experience, so it feels very realistic. I liked how the author showed how this family deals with these challenges while trying to stay strong. I also appreciated how she highlighted Julie's frustration with the preschool and its administrators—we should all show each other a little more understanding.

She also shows that dealing with those in the medical field isn't always easy. I wish doctors listened to their patients (and their parents) better!

What I took away from this was Julie's journey from feeling like this situation had taken over her life and blaming herself, to trusting her mother's instincts and fighting for her son. I cheered Julie on the entire time I was reading, even when she made mistakes. This story was so insightful and heartwarming without being sickly sweet or tying everything up in a nice, neat bow.

We need medical experts, educational experts, and parents to all work together. It really does take a village, and what all kids need most is unconditional love.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Goodreads ratings reflect reader demographics and popular enthusiasm rather than objective literary merit.

[Gaby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I swear to God, moms are superheroes.

If you’ve been here a long time, you know I’ve been reading books that touch on the topic of motherhood, more from the perspective of not having it. So, The Boy with the Butterfly Mind was an interesting change of perspective. This book really shows the side of motherhood that isn’t always butterflies and rainbows (excuse the pun), but the side that is extremely exhausting, frustrating and most of the time very very lonely.

I’m not a mom, so obviously I can’t say I understand what motherhood is actually like but reading Julie’s story made me realize just how much mothers can carry without anyone really seeing it. There were so many moments where I felt like I was struggling and getting frustrated right alongside her.

And I think that’s one of the things Lorelei Brush did so well. She really pulled me into Julie’s experience. There were times when I just wanted to reach through the book and give her a hug…to be honest, all the moms who are going through something similar deserve a huge hug too because if I felt this overwhelmed just reading about it, I can’t imagine actually living it.

Throughout the book, we see Julie’s husband dealing with his own personal struggles while also trying to process everything that is happening with their son Patrick and his ADHD diagnosis. I really liked that the book didn’t make everything simple or easy. Everyone is struggling in their own way and that obviously makes it even harder for the family to support each other.

I also really liked that the story follows the family over several years. We get to see them navigate diagnoses and changes and all the other things that come with raising a child who needs extra support. My only real complaint is that I wish we got a little more of the later years. I wanted to see more of Patrick and how he was doing as he got older (but this is just a selfish request on my part lol).

Overall, this was such a beautiful book 🤍 It’s emotional from page one all the way to the end.

[Ashley Wyatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨️Finished Reading Book 98 of 2026✨️

The Boy With The Butterfly Mind by @lbrush68
Coming soon ~ August 11, 2026
🔥✨️Review Tour✨️🔥

Thank you @booksparks for having me join in on the review tour for this book. I was sent this copy in exchange of a honest review.

✨️My thoughts✨️
I took this book slowly and as I was reading, looked at the bigger picture. The Boy With The Butterfly Mind is a heartbreaking and rich story of the Crawford family. One with alcoholism, depression, marriage/work struggles, and raising a neurodivergent child. Julie Crawford goes above and beyond to help her child while dealing with everything around her. At times she truly feels the pressure of everything around her and still, she works through it. I love and appreciate how this book shows what a support system can do for individuals. Rehab, AA, and interventions are some of the supportive things mentioned in the book.

The story starts out in July 2016 and ends in May 2023. The timeline moves pretty quickly as your see the family dynamics adjust to their life situations. Julie, Luke, and Patrick have to work together as a family to get the goals and the results they desperately need to continue. I would like to add the amount of love, strength, guidance, and forgiveness this story shows is astonishing and I found it informative as well. You just never know what people are dealing with or going through and kindness goes along way.

I do recommend reading the authors note and the acknowledgments.

I high recommend The Boy With The Butterfly Mind. Very informative and a remarkable journey for the Crawford family.

#theboywiththebutterflymindreviewtour
#loreleibrush
#booksparks

[Steven Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would say this is more about the mother of the boy with the butterfly mind and her silent struggle to keep her family together.

Julie is challenged early as her four-year-old son, Patrick, starts to exhibit the unrelenting behaviors of ADHD. The beginning of the book is exhausting to read, but a necessary start to fully comprehend the difficult journey ahead.

As the efforts to deal with Patrick soften within the narrative, the challenges of the husband begin to take root. With tangential tensions at work, with parents and in-laws, and with work and parental peers, her husband Luke materializes as the real leak in the boat that threatens to pull the family apart.

Luke's depression and alcoholism, rooted in his own family history, deprives Julie of a partner to address the family's challenges. Too many other books jump to divorce as the solution of marital conflict, but Julie does not give up hope. The relationship conflict simmers, but the low, steady heat won't let it boil. Saving the relationship makes for a much more compelling story than simply trying to save the marriage.

This is a story of a mother's relentless pursuit of answers to her sons care, endless patience with both her son and husband, and trying to find, or create, balance between two forces that are tearing apart the seams of the family. Can Julie pull together her own support system to navigate the challenges of neurodiversity before the true bonds break?

[Andrea Ezerins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel presents a nuanced and emotionally grounded portrait of a family navigating addiction, parenting challenges, and the gradual reconstruction of trust within a strained marriage. At the center is Julie, whose growing awareness of her own needs and responsibilities unfolds alongside her efforts to support her husband Luke through alcoholism and depression, as well as to understand her son Patrick’s unique cognitive and emotional development.

As the story progresses, it deepens its exploration of systemic family dynamics and the importance of external support in sustaining change. Luke’s journey through relapse and rehabilitation is depicted with realism, emphasizing both vulnerability and accountability, while Julie’s engagement with medical, educational, and therapeutic resources reflects a pragmatic commitment to her son’s well-being. The novel is particularly effective in its portrayal of Patrick’s neurodivergence, reframing parenting as an adaptive, collaborative process rather than a corrective one. In its resolution, the family’s progress is neither perfect nor complete, but it is meaningfully stable—anchored in communication, shared responsibility, and a renewed capacity to support one another’s growth.

[Helen O · Rating 2 out of 5]

Speaking as someone from a family of generations of the neurodivergent, and a (now grown) son with acute ADHD, I sadly have to say I found this book nerve jangling for various reasons. In part because of the way it's written: frantic, fast paced and filled with endless every day detail, but also because everyone seemed to find the whole notion of ADHD incredibly stressful. I do appreciate that anyone encountering it in their child without background knowledge may find it horribly challenging, so many may relate to this, and find it helpful. Neurodivergence is a very broad spectrum, as the book makes clear, but coming at it as if it's a major problem may not be the most helpful. Seeing it as a point of difference to be embraced and the individual understood and worked with as the unique person they are may prove a more beneficial strategy. ADHD has many valuable traits and ways of thinking, and the the person who lives with it can discover how to use these to their, and the world around them best advantage, while still challenging it can actually be a gift. Personally I don't envy the neurotypical, they seem to put everything in imaginary boxes and try and jam them to fit.

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars. I was taken by the book and the main character. I cannot imagine what I would do in her situation. That's also why I think this book was an eye-opener to me. It showed me a perspective I didn't read before, one where the view isn't from the ADHD person but a close relative (mother) dealing with the situation.

Some reviews mention an incorrect telling of the ADHD spectrum, but to me it seemed accurate, as far as I can tell. That being said, it might have shown only the most common signs and didn't explicitly say that it is a spectrum. Patrick is portrayed as though to communicate with, having a hyperfocus and not expressing/controlling his feelings well. On the other hand, the story showed that not all doctors can be a match with what you are looking for. So I think this book can be helpful for some people struggling.

Admittedly, I was slightly disappointed in the ending. Without giving too many spoilers, it felt like a quick fix and a 'happy ending'. I suspect in real life it can never be this easy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher She Writes Press for the ARC in return for my own and honest opinion.

[Stacy40pages · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boy with the Butterfly Mind by Lorelei Brush. Thanks to booksparks for the gifted copy ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Julie suspects her four year old son has ADHD, as he’s locked out of daycare. She lacks support with a husband who claims Patrick is a problem, and a job she can’t take time off from.

I really wanted to read this one because my older son has ADHD. The title made instant sense to me. We struggled a lot in the beginning, fighting to repeat kindergarten after frequent issues, including elopements. This book really showed the behavioral issues that result; and how it’s important to remember they aren’t purposely behaving poorly, it’s just lack of impulse control. The mother in this story had added stress of an impatient and alcoholic partner, strict and non-understanding parents, and a lack of support in her career. It was a great read seeing how all that was balanced with her love of her child. I was a bit surprised by her lack of knowledge and original nativity around neurodivergence, given that she was a teacher.

Read if you like:
-Mental health tropes
-Child psychology
-Family dramas

The Boy with the Butterfly Mind comes out 8/11.

[Feli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Boy With the Butterfly Mind. There were so many moments throughout this story where I found myself thinking, yes, someone understands. I loved how honestly it showed the ups and downs of raising a neurodivergent child, from the appointments and different opinions to the constant advocating and trying to figure out what is actually best for your child.

Julie was very easy to connect with, and I really appreciated watching her grow more confident in herself and in advocating for Patrick. Luke definitely made me angry at times, but I also appreciated that his struggles were explored and that he eventually got the help he needed.

What I loved most was that Patrick was never treated like someone who needed to be “fixed.” The story focused more on understanding him, supporting him, and helping him find his strengths. The ending and author’s note made the whole story feel even more hopeful and meaningful. This was such a thoughtful and heartfelt read, and I’m really glad I picked it up.

Thank you to BookSirens, Lorelei Brush, and She Writes Press for the free ARC. I am leaving this review voluntarily, all thoughts are my own.

[Kristen White · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story resonated so much with me. 🥹I felt I could see pieces of myself in Julie, my son in Patrick, and my husband in Luke.

The background🏡: Julie and her husband, Luke, are amidst some daily life struggles while also trying to navigate their 4-year-old’s potential ADHD and Tourette’s diagnoses. The stress at their jobs as well as in their marriage is weighing them down.

In this story you see you many of life’s real problems touched upon:
🦋Parenting issues
🦋Neurodivergent child
🦋Financial struggles
🦋Navigating healthcare
🦋Alcoholism
🦋Marital conflict

On top of all this, you really feel for Julie as she navigates talking to her close friends, her Pastor, and her colleagues for ideas on how she can piece together her family. From a couples retreat to an intervention, so much change and growth is covered in their story.💜It was so refreshing to see such a real family painted on a page. None of the characters would be described as “perfect” and there were no “villains” in the story. Just real life that left you wondering what you may do in that situation.

This book was so different than anything else I have read and I absolutely loved it🥹🫶

[Lia Lorimer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding!
This must be the best book I have read about the impact of ADHD on family life. Ms Brush is an inspired author whose portrayal of Julie is so definitive that the reader experiences her feelings of frustration both in her home and at school.
Julie must navigate chaotic days with four-year-old Patrick‘s impulsive and out-of-control actions both in and out of the home environment, while also dealing with a marriage in jeopardy as her husband, Luke--who has several issues of his own and avoids spending time with his son-- resists any medical intervention in addressing Patrick’s behaviour. A dedicated and creative teacher, she is also continually thwarted by curriculum and indifferent administrative boundaries.
Although the author stresses this novel is a work of fiction, she acknowledges that her own, personal parental experiences influenced her writing, which is clearly seen by her passion for her subject.
As a retired teacher, and parent of a child with mild developmental and attention deficit challenges, I could more easily identify with Julie and her search for solutions. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Shannon Moran · Rating 4 out of 5]

Patrick is the fictional character I so desperately needed to read about when my sons were younger and the experiences of medical appointments, school behavioral interventions and the path to diagnoses felt daunting and incredibly lonely. Lorelei creates such dimensional characters that draw you into their lived experiences and struggles. I will say, and this speaks to me as a reader more than the writing, that I truly struggled with the character of Luke. Isn't it ironic that we can feel such understanding and sympathy for children while not giving that same grace to adults? I also felt a bit of an ick through Julie's interactions with Bart but again, this seems to show how good the writing is that it felt so uncomfortable and real. I wouldn't say this is book you read to enjoy but it is one you read to experience, learn and reflect.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy of The Boy with the Butterfly Mind in exchange for an honest review.

[Mima Tipper · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found Lorelei Brush’s The Boy with the Butterfly Mind to be a deeply felt examination of one family’s journey to understand and cope with childhood ADHD, to deal with addiction issues, and to navigate the wear and tear such issues cannot help but raise on that family. With clear, precise language Brush paints a picture of the Crawford family that pulls the reader into their world, making their story feel real, personal, and incredibly poignant. The story never shies away from the challenges of their circumstances or how those circumstances ultimately fray the bonds between parent and child, and husband and wife. I rooted for the Crawfords, especially main character mother/wife Julie as she is the one who tells this story and works herself to the bone to keep all the wheels on the bus of her own life and that of her family. This novel is highly recommended for readers who like their fiction emotional and true.

[Pam McGaffin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-written and compelling novel about marriage, family, and the stresses (and joys) of raising a neurodivergent child. The boy, Patrick, is convincingly portrayed as are his overwhelmed and struggling parents. I had to know whether this young couple would overcome some monster challenges, including alcoholism, depression, guilt, ADHD/Tourette's, enabling behavior, and the financial and emotional costs of trying to do what's best for their son. I wasn't surprised to learn that this story springs from the author's experiences raising a neurodivergent child. Lorelei Brush says the book took her 25 years to write. I'm so glad she stuck with it. This story will help anyone facing similar trials.

[GG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really felt for Patrick, and loved how his character was presented throughout. I liked all the characters for their different representations of how people can be in response to situations with neurodivergence, although it pains/angers me how there are people who have a terrible attitude and behaviour. Some of the relationships in the story left me with mixed feelings.
Overall, this book, to me, gives a very real and raw perspective on how life and people can be in response to mental health and developmental differences, but also creates frustration over how much the world, even though awareness and understanding is spreading, still needs more so we can all be more helpful and respectful to those affected.

[Joan Thieszen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Boy With the Butterfly Mind is a beautiful story about personal challenges, of a mother's introspection and perseverance. I know this is fiction, but the elements of Julie's son's neurodivergence and her husband's depression and alcoholism are described in very real terms. The struggle to get a diagnosis for her son and finding the right professionals to help Patrick is so relatable. And everyone can identify with the need for community and support. Tough topics addressed include; alcoholism, depression, marriage discord, work pressures, and raising a neurodivergent child. I highly recommend reading The Boy With the Butterfly Mind - and make sure to read the author's note.

Thank you the @booksparks for the review copy!

[Amy Lorowitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn’t realized until I read Brush’s novel, The Boy with the Butterly Mind that my grandson has a butterfly mind. What a beautiful and poetic way to describe his neurodivergence. What Patrick’s mom Julie goes through to learn and understand her son was clearly written in a beautiful and heartfelt way. Brush let the reader feel and understand the family’s dynamics and their roller coaster of emotions as they figure how to navigate their lives.
Thanks to Brush’s novel I have a better understanding of children with neurodivergence and will try to understand and appreciate the entire person.

[Kim Wilch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lorelei Brush’s The Boy with the Butterfly Mind takes readers inside a family doing its best to hold things together when ADHD, addiction, and the pressures of everyday life collide. I connected with Julie, who works tirelessly to support her family while searching for answers and leaning on friends, faith, and even a couples retreat. I appreciated the authentic feel of the family - real life, no sugar sprinkled on top, the good, the bad, and the ugly. The struggle is real, emotionally, honestly, and thought-provoking. At the end of the day, this story will stay with me.

[Tammy Adams · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was quite disappointed with this. It was more about the mom than it was the young boy. Not at all what I was expecting.

[Terri Bain · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for 10 chapters/120 pages and just can’t for me