Butterfly Heart

Gr 7 Up–A story filled with adolescent emotions of anger, grief, happiness, worry, insecurity, and romance, while honoring the Indigenous culture of the Sámi people. Vilda, a strong-willed 13-year-old girl and her little sister, Irma, live in Sweden with their mother and father, who are Sámi and Swedish, respectively. Vilda’s growing curiosity about her Sámi culture and the corresponding traditions is beginning to take root, and she makes a pact with her grandfather Áddjá to learn the Sámi language during her summer vacation. Sadly, tragedy strikes the family, and Vilda is forced to search for the cultural richness of her family history while simultaneously adjusting to her changing body, feelings of romance, and the emotional distance she feels from her best friend Alma. Readers will find Vilda relatable as she navigates her ever-changing adolescent emotions and complex friendships while pushing through the insecurities that she is “not Sámi enough.” The dialogue between siblings and parents provides a powerful window into the vulnerability, pain, joy, and confusion that may occur during a young person’s identity development. These exchanges invite readers to practice empathy and serve as a reminder that words can carry messages of both hatred and peace.