The Butterly Season by Lea Korsgaard isn’t quite out yet, but I’m here to evangelize early.
Pre-order it! It’s so good! Comes to the US September 15, 2026!
Part of my job is reading a lot of books.1 (I guess I will need to gush about how delighted that makes me in another post.) And they are great books. I’m reading great books all the time. I actually try not to inundate this space with those book reviews. (Maybe I shouldn’t try not to?)
But, The Butterfly Season, was a standout for me this year, and it felt worth bringing here. Not only is it brilliantly written, with well-researched, well-thought ideas, but it is also a tender journey of moving from one way of being into a new way.
Talking with Lea this morning during her interview for Constant Wonder | BYUradio, I just wanted to bottle the energy of that experience and sprinkle it on everyone I know. So engaging, sparkling, transcendent. That conversation, combined with the experience of reading her book, hit me in a really personal way.
Normally when I read nonfiction/memoir/essay, I feel like I am taking the author’s journey with them.
On the other hand, when I read poetry, I feel like I am taking my own journey, independent of the author’s.
Somehow Lea manages to fit this book into a middle space that I didn’t know existed. Reading The Butterfly Season is a poetry-like experience — true self-awakening on a very personal level — but with all the narrative and intelligence you expect from nonfiction.
“The sea was huge. The water was calm, except for small ripples and single, rolling waves here and there, tugging gentle, dark lines over the surface. ‘Look,’ my mother said. She pointed at the sky, and at once I noticed it too. The landscape was split in half … It was a vision of perfection, almost paralyzing in its beauty and magnitude. What I saw was eternity.”
— Lea Korsgaard, The Butterfly Season
I cannot wait until our Constant Wonder interview releases with Lea Korsgaard in September. She is delightful, hilarious, relatable and there’s nothing better than spending an hour talking about butterflies and the meaning of life — subscribe to Constant Wonder if you haven’t already so you can hear the interview as soon as it drops.
My Rating: Brilliant! Excellent! Love!
Genre: Nonfiction/memoir
Format: Advanced reader copy
Read it If: You love the wild world, or you want to be someone who loves the wild world. Or you’re a person feeling all kinds of feelings about who you are and what you’ve been and who you should be.
Steer Clear If: You’re looking for something plot-driven or something with actual answers to life’s biggest questions.
Would I Recommend this to My Parents: Absolutely.
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I’m a Senior Producer for Constant Wonder | BYUradio podcast. Reading as part of my job is the bee’s knees.