Book Review: BUTTERFLY HOLLOW by Maria Cisneros Toth

Anyone who ever says self-published books don’t live up to traditional publishing standards has not read this book.  Butterfly Hollow, (Copyright 2013), is an example of how a determined author worked tirelessly to make her novel perfect before she released it.

Not only is the main character’s voice strong and independent, but great care was taken to design a cover which beautifully depicts the scenery in the novel. The model for the cover, by the way, is Maria’s granddaughter.

As I sit here trying to think of a way to sum up her novel, I fall speechless. So instead I will turn it over to the main character, Charlene Parker, to tell her version so you can see how the author gave voice to this wonderful character. Take it away Charlene:

I’m eleven years old and my daddy is behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit. The Gator-Man killed Otis Beecher, but no one believes me. Even Momma things I’m telling tall tales. But the Gator-Man is real as the Great Depression. I’ve seen its monster shadow creeping in the woods. What will it take for someone to listen? Another body found by the creek? If it’s mine, then maybe they’ll finally believe what I already know—my daddy is not a cold-blooded killer.


Now, with information like that, how could you not want to follow Charlene on her quest to prove her father’s innocence?