Dancing With Butterflies

by Reyna Grande

In Dancing with Butterflies , Reyna Grande renders the Mexican immigrant experience in “lyrical and sensual” ( Publishers Weekly, starred review) prose through the poignant stories of four women brought together through folklorico dance.

Dancing with Butterflies uses the alternating voices of four very different women whose lives interconnect through a common passion for their Mexican heritage and a dance company called Alegría. Yesenia, who founded Alegría with her husband, Eduardo, sabotages her own efforts to remain a vital, vibrant woman when she travels back and forth across the Mexican border for cheap plastic surgery. Elena, grief-stricken by the death of her only child and the end of her marriage, finds herself falling dangerously in love with one of her underage students. Elena's sister, Adriana, wears the wounds of abandonment by a dysfunctional family and becomes unable to discern love from abuse. Soledad, the sweet-tempered illegal immigrant who designs costumes for Alegría, finds herself stuck back in Mexico, where she returns to see her dying grandmother.

Reyna Grande has brought these fictional characters so convincingly to life that readers will imagine they know them.

Genres: Fiction, Chick Lit, Book Club, Latinx, Latino, Hispanic, Novels

392 pages, Paperback

First published October 6, 2009

About the author

Reyna Grande is the author of three novels, Across a Hundred Mountains, which received a 2007 American Book Award; Dancing with Butterflies, which received a 2010 International Latino Book Award, and A Ballad of Love and Glory, which was a Los Angeles Times Book Club selection in 2022. In her memoir, The Distance Between Us (Atria, 2012) Reyna recounts her experiences as a child left behind in Mexico when her parents emigrated to the U.S. in search of work, and her own journey to the U.S. as an undocumented immigrant at the age of nine. Its sequel, A Dream Called Home, was published in 2018. Her latest book is Somewhere We Are Human: Authentic Voices on Migration, Survival, and New Beginnings, an anthology by and about undocumented Americans.

Reviews

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read! This folklorista can vouch for it's accuracy. Would love a sequel about Adriana!

[Micah Persell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing with Butterflies is one of the best books I've read. I simply could not put it down. The novel is written from the point of view of four different characters: Adriana, Elena, Yesenia, and Soledad. Each character is struggling with an epic problem related both to her age and to her culture. All of the action of the novel unfolds in front of the backdrop of Folklorico, a style of dance I was made aware of (in my gringa ignorance) just a short while ago.

The content of the novel is graphic, raw, and real in a way that is so refreshing and challenging. I will recommend this book to several friends.

[Nilsa Pacheco · Rating 4 out of 5]

***SPOILER ALERT***

Ok, so here are my thoughts/things I want to discuss from the book:

Yesenia - Do you think that we judge her actions more harshly because she is a woman? Do you believe that society still goes easier on men when they cheat? In regards to the surgeries, I couldn't help but think that she got what she deserved with the misshapen panza.

Elena - This was a tough one, she falls in love with one of her students and I couldn't get all the real-life stories about female teachers having sex with students out of my head. He was only 4 months away from turning 18... Although I've always wondered how this could happen, I couldn't get myself to believe that her actions were despicably wrong. (I might get my head cut off for this one). The combination of his talent and her losses pushed her to make very stupid decisions. What do you think?

Soledad - She ended up being my favorite character, I wanted her to fall in love with a worthy man soooo badly I started questioning if Jerry could be the one, I was way off on that one. Poor lady, she struggled against so many challenges and kept the best attitude whenever possible. I have a very clear picture of what she might look like in my mind.

Adriana - STOP the cycle of MEN USING YOU AS THEIR PUNCHING BAG!!! Although she finally opened her eyes towards the end of the novel, I lost my patience with her so many times! She invites 4 strangers into her home, who does that? ?!@#$

Stephanie - She is not one of the main characters, however, it is worth mentioning that she had all the tools necessary to turn into a bitchy little brat, I hope she learns to value the love of a sister and a family that would do anything for her.

I enjoyed the message of girl power in the final scene, all the men are out of the picture and the ladies feel like they can conquer the world. This might've been my favorite scene, which one was yours?

[Lizvette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

It’s my second book by Reyna Grande. Definitely, not the last one. Her writing make me feel closer to her culture and experiences. Dancing with Butterflies is a book enriched in culture (music, dance, food, traditional clothing, festivities, traditions...). It was like opening a box full of mexican culture. I loved how real each character feels, without exaggerations or deep descriptions.

[Meredith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I dance Mexican folkloric, and if there was this much drama going on in the studio we'd never perform. While it was nice reading about some of the dances and costumes and hearing terms and events common to the folkloric world (in California at least), a lot of the story was WAY over done. There were too many name brands thrown out and too many UCs mentioned. While I'm sure the author's intent was to make the novel feel more personable, the effect was more kitschy and trendy (and slightly annoying).

I was a bit disgusted by the student-teacher relationship and how it was glamorized. I was frustrated by there being no real resolution to Yessenia's issues with body image, Elena's issues with her stillbirth, or Adriana's issues being in an abusive relationship. The only story that seemed to come full circle was that of Soledad.

This novel was plagued by cliches and excessive details. The parts of the book that I enjoyed most were the dancing quotes and illustrations at the beginning of each chapter.

[Candy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this for my book club this month. I really wanted to like it and it had some redeeming qualities. I loved learning about the dance, the cultural, the costumes. That part of it was so interesting.

However, the stories were mind-numbing. The ladies were terrible, the stories were terrible. The writing was wonderful, but I really felt the author did a disservice to those of that are just learning about what Folklorico is. It deserved some really good, really strong stories to surround the culture with. Instead we were left with sub-par soap opera-esque stories that made me want to smack each and every woman in this book.

The ending was fine, and coupled with the way the culture was woven into the story, is the only reason this isn't a one-star.

This book is recommended for those that don't mind shallow soap opera characters and who want to learn more about Folklorico. I really wish I could say I enjoyed the stories. I just didn't.

[Marisa Gonzalez · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of four women in a Mexican folkloric dance group whose lives are intertwined by their love of dance and heritage but who are also dealing with such issues as ageism, domestic violence, death, relationship problems and of course immigration. I liked how this book was told from the points of view of each woman. I thought it was interesting how they made bad choices and saw the solutions to the problems in each others lives but not in their own. I think I would have given this story four stars but I took one off because the ending leaves you hanging. I think it would have been much better if it had an epilogue to wrap up the loose ends.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to my daughter Katie for giving me this book. I am going to suggest it for our book club next year. I enjoyed it. I learned about illegal immigrants & about Mexican Folk Dancing and the story line & characters seemed believable. For a young author, she seemed to have a lot of insight. I'm ready to read more of her work.

[Zulmara · Rating 5 out of 5]

BOOK REVIEW:
Dancing with Butterflies
By Reyna Grande
http://www.reynagrande.com/

Reviewed by:
Zulmara Cline

Dancing With Butterflies

Reading Reyna’s newest book Dancing with Butterflies” is to truly immerse yourself in an artistic experience, the sights, the sounds, the images, the poetry in motion bring together a cacophony of artistic experiences that will take you on a journey through the many regions of Mexico, as well as the hearts and soul of 4 powerful women and the men that shape their lives.

Starting with the simple, yet beautifully intricate line drawings that open each chapter, the reader is drawn into the life of dance—like only dancers can know it. Next, a heartfelt dance quote opens each chapter, giving the reader a glimpse of what is to come—a teaser to keep you reading into the dark recesses of the night, trying to understand the connections from the chapters before.

I especially loved the unique literary style of opening each chapter in the 2nd person, with the character talking to herself or listening to the voice within and sharing it with the reader. This literary device allows the reader to, “get into the head” of the character and to understand, from a very different point of view, the story being narrated. It allows the reader to see the story through very different eyes. The technique is skillfully used by Reyna, bringing the reader along on a powerful journey of transition, past influences, aging, acceptance, and letting go.

About the Author

Reyna Grande was born in Mexico in 1975. She was left in Mexico with her brother and sister and raised by her grandparents after her parents left to seek a better life here in the United States. She came to the U.S. at the age of nine as an undocumented immigrant and went on to become the first person in her family to complete a University education, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Creative Writing and Film and Video from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and an M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Antioch University.

She is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Across A Hundred Mountains (Atria 2006), for which she received an American Book Award (2007) and El Premio Aztlan Literary Award (2006). Her latest novel, Dancing with Butterflies, was published in October 2009 to rave reviews. It received a 2010 International Latino Book Award in its Best Women's Issues category.
She is also the Program Coordinator of the Latino Book & Family Festival in Los Angeles and works to promote Latino/a authors throughout the year. She is a sought-after speaker at middle/high schools, colleges and universities across the nation. She is currently at work on a memoir.

Questions:
Reyna chose to write about a dance artist dealing with the aging process in a very poignant way, have you or anyone you know dealt with aging and artistry? What are the issues and concerns encountered? What are the silver linings?
What is your favorite regional dance from Mexico? What is your favorite regional costume? Have you ever danced folkloric regional dances? Which ones?
Adriana likes to listen to Corazoncito Tirano when she is down and out, do you have a favorite song to get you through difficult times? What is it and why do you find it so helpful?
This novel deals with many universal issues within the context of the Latino community: aging, spousal abuse, infidelity, immigration, divorce, and death. How are these universal `topics uniquely Latino within the context of this story?
Look over the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, which one speaks to you and why?


Quote
I remember when I first learned to spot, how dizzy I would get doing it. …This is how I feel now. When the feeling subsides I may my way to the care, wondering how in the world my life came to this (p. 361).

Opening Line
This is what is comes down to.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly loved this book. What impressed me the most was that I never felt like there was an "author" - this story moved seamlessly along in a very natural way. It centers on women in a folklorico dance troupe, and we are exposed to the sometimes gut-wrenching personal missteps of each character. We learn that folklorico requires much discipline, passion and dedication and each character's commitment to the craft is put to the test, forcing them to fully embrace it or walk away.

It's an emotionally heavy read, many notes of heartache, but there are also kicks of comedy when you least expect them. A really great balance!

As an artist and crafter, it was no surprise that my favorite storyline was that of Soledad, the seamstress and costume designer for the group. She was the ultimate underdog in the book - underestimated, always overlooked an unappreciated. I had no idea how her story would end, and I was worried all the way through, but I was pleasantly surprised at the end. I remember reading the last page and letting out a smile big enough for my daughter to ask me from across the room, "What are you smiling at, Mom?"

The only teeny (and I mean micro) glitch I had with this book were the names of the characters. Many (not all) of the female names ended with "a" and the males with "o," sometimes I had to stop and think for a second. But that had zero impact on how much I loved this book! If you want an entree, something hearty, that will fill you up and make you feel completely satisfied at the end, this is it!

[Judy King · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is nothing in this world (or probably the next) quite like Mexican Folkloric dance -- the Aztec dances are strong and tell the story of the times with strength and grace and understanding. The more modern regional dances each has it's own set of costumes -- from the fluffy lace-ruffled Vera Cruz dress with the black apron covered with embroidered flowers to the wonderful black velvet straight dresses embossed with a rainbow of huge splashy flowers to the Vestida de listones -- the beribboned dresses of Jaliso with the sweeping skirts that measure 18 yards around.

This, then is the story of four LA women who are part of a Folkloric dance troupe -- from the group's organizer to dancers, and to the award winning costume designer and seamstress who is in the US illegally. As the story unfolds each faces a life changing moment -- some head on, some in a way that later shames them. Reyna Grande handles this challenge beautifully, telling each of the four stories so that we can know the four women, and care about what happens to each of them.

She thankfully avoids a too sweet it's all back together and we're all happy now ending that might have been tempting. Some things aren't meant to be and others are too broken to be fixed and she wisely understands that.

Well done Reyna. I enjoyed the second reading this year as much as when I bought the book last year.

[Aristani · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this book it was fun to read. At some part I would get confused because I would forget who she is taking about, but that Just takes a matter of paying close attention to the book. Reyna is a great author, I find is hard to believe, but I noticed a lot of literary devices in her writings, which also made it more fun to read. Since I also dance folklorico, in a group, I felt that the four main characters related to me and my three other "sisters'" who also dance folklorico, with me. Reyna also incorporated in her story the four lives of what I think to be very realistic women. It shows the role of Hispanic ladies in modern time and what they do as am everday lifecycle, along with the many difficulties that they have to go through. The book's settings were also placed around the city of Los Angeles and other common cities that I am familliar with. As well as the folklorico groups that she used, for example, Ballrt Folklorico de Mexico and Ballet Folklorico de Amalia Hernandez.In the end, I very much enjoyed reading Dancing With Butterflies, it was a great eye opener to the real world. Reyna, I think you did an amazing job creating this wonderful book!

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unlike a lot of books, this doesn't leave you with every problem wrapped up neatly and fixed magically within the last 10 pages of the book, and I appreciate that. I won't say what is or is not fixed, only that the ending of this book is more true to life in that some things are fixed - and some are not. I hate when stories make a last ditch effort to create an unrealistic "happy ending" in the last 10 pages, throwing everything together like it's a miracle, because it's just so unrealistic and leaves you rolling your eyes.

I appreciated the insight into folklorico and what it meant to the dancers and the parts it played in each of their lives.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reyna Grande is one of my favorite authors. Her writing has broadened my perspective and helped me have more compassion for people, especially the immigrant community. This book had more language than I would have preferred, and some of the situations the women characters got themselves into were difficult to read, but her writing makes the characters so real. I kept wanting to reach out to each character and share the love of Jesus with them, but then I had to remind myself these were fictional characters! The novel is written from four different voices. It was a bit hard to follow at first, but once I was invested in these women, I didn't mind all that.

[Kristin Christian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting how the lives of four women intertwined through dance. They all have their individual struggles and although they try, they don't fully understand the struggles of the others. The book is written from the perspective of all four women. It is easy to see yourself and your friends in these four women as they strive to find love, beauty, a true home and overcoming the loss of a child. It isn't a "sappy" book, but rather a book that reflects reality. I highly recommend this book.

[Corinne Hernandez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book took me through so many emotions; from pride in my heritage, nostalgia as a former folklorico dancer, anger and rage at racism and prejudice exhibited by ignorant people, to sadness at the very real and too-often ocurring stories of being satisfied with just getting by. These four women went through so much, yet persevered in their own way without every really thinking of themselves as victims.
This book is an interesting read for those who don't identify with the culture, and it well most certainly hit home for those who do.

[Barbara Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author made the four main characters in this book come alive for me. I felt like I was sharing their experiences with them--their experiences with family, friends, dreams, heartbreaks, etc. My only criticism of the book was that there was too much crude language, and I sometimes felt that it was used only for effect...and didn't even fit. There were also some sexual descriptions that were a little too detailed for my taste. Yet, the book was hard to put down because I so wanted all four women to succeed. I also enjoyed the Folklorico focus of the book.

[Nellie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed The Distance Between Us that I wanted to read Reyna’s other books.

This book is about Mexican folklore dancing. It is about 4 women involved with the group, Alegria. Alegria means happiness in Spanish.

The characters are well developed. The plot is believable.

What I did not like is the cursing. While cursing is more prevalent, I do not appreciate it or find it necessary in books that I read.

I also did not like the sex scenes. Thankfully there are not too many but I would just read ahead. Again, I do not feel that sex scenes are necessary in books.

[Carly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book.It made me miss Mexico very much.I have not visited since the early nineties.It also made me homesick for California and the chicano population there!
I love the all the references to the folklorico dancing and other things Mexican.
I especially enjoyed the way the author gave you a view point of three different women and their many similarities inspite of their different circumstances.
I will be looking for this authors first book!

[Val Wilkerson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Reyna based her characters on 4 different women, all living in L.A., all
involved in Folklorico dancing. Her characters are vivid, each with different personalities, 2
are sisters, another is one of the older dancers, having knee problems, unable to continue dancing,
and you will just love these ladies, and you will love the book. Sometimes you cry with them and
other times you burst out laughing.

[Emily Goode · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dancing with Butterflies is told from the points of view of four women connected to the Mexican Folklórico dance group Alegria, each of whom is struggling with a major life issue. The characters are very real and the story is very interesting, but what I loved most was learning about the dance, and feeling the women’s passion for this form of art. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys an interesting story about women’s struggles or learning about other cultures.

[Jaynie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book uses the voices of four different women which are all connected through their Mexican heritage and a dance company. It goes through some of their struggles living in America and really shows the complex parts of life especially if one person is "legal" or not. I enjoyed the book and learning more about their culture.

[Rita Torres · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful story of four different Latina women in California who deal with life in their own way. And each is transformed, as butterflies are, to grow as a person. Colorful characters relating to each other through Folklorico. I couldn't put the book down until I was finished with it. I love Reyna Grande's ability to tell a story!

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book for $1 at Half Price Books, and was hesitant because I didn't like the title. I ended up getting completely sucked in to this book! I love the 4 different voices, and how the characters stories are intertwined. The inclusion of foclorico is interesting, but not overwhelming. I love the diversity of the main characters, and how real their situations are.

[Sherree · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this. The characters weren't perfect, they had real problems and feelings, and they felt real to me. The one thing that bothered me was that the first part of every chapter was written by someone, but you didn't know who until you finished that part. With 5 different narrators, it was hard enough to keep track of without reading something and not knowing who was speaking.

[J. Muro · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a good way, the book made me homesick for Olvera Street, the food, culture, music, and much more. It makes me happy to see a book blending with the places of Mexico and Los Angeles. She brought it all back in this wonderfully colorful book-the sights, colors, and especially the food! She's a good writer with the topic of Folklorico and telenovela-like drama.

[Carmen · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up this book in the store because I loved the subject of the book. I really liked it until the end. I know that the book was centered around these four women but the end left me wanting to know more about certain characters that were involved.

[Kathidfsmc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was extremely interesting. It gave a very insightful perspective on different emotions women may experience. It deals with aging, death, feeling inferior, family loss and self esteem. I don't think it was extremely well written but I thought it was interesting.

[Ana "Noni" Parra · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE the way she describes ballet folklorico! I now have a new perspective of folklorico dance and I see how important it is to keeping our culture vibrant. The drama was as indulgent as a classic spanish novela.

[Alma Garcia]

I loved this book. When I finished, I really missed keeping up with the characters. The book fallowes several members of a Bailet Folklorico, there is personal losse and pain, sacrifice and hope. Ther is healing and acceptance. And, of course, un que otro escadalo.