The Butterfly Lampshade

The Butterfly Lampshade is the third novel by NYT best-selling American author, Aimee Bender. Francie is just eight years old when her mother Elaine has a psychotic episode that lands her in hospital. Even at this tender age, Francie is ever-vigilant for the tiny changes that indicate a deterioration in her mother's condition and suggest the use of the lock on her bedroom door. Not that Elaine has ever hurt her…

This time, though, it's clear that the situation will be longer term, and Aunt Minnie, nine months pregnant, sends Uncle Stan to Portland to collect Francie and bring her to Burbank. Because Francie won't get on a plane, her care is transferred (like a baton) from Stan (urgently flying back for the imminent birth) to Shrina (her babysitter) to Stan's second cousin (for the train trip) to Stan at the other end. At the house she meets Aunt Minnie and her new cousin, Vicky.

Now almost twenty years older, and still carrying memories of that time, Francie feels the need to withdraw socially from almost everyone, to properly examine exactly what happened during this upheaval in her life. Because it was a strange few days, and it began at the babysitter's with a butterfly lampshade, from which one of the insects materialised, floated in a water glass and was drunk down. A beetle that escaped a page, a besuited pair on a train and roses that fell from a curtain: these all need to be examined.

Up to now, Francie "could feel the memories there, wanting my attention, but I did not know what to do with them", they "came to me in parts, in fragments and pieces, tugging at the corners of my thinking like a half-captured dream". Her cousin talks of "sticky memories" and Francie enlists her help to create a place where she can concentrate her thoughts on remembering: "I liked the idea of giving the memories a place to emerge, like they had an inherent gaseous nature, and the tent would prevent them from floating away." Remember she does, in intricate detail. What effect will it have on her?

What a magical story Bender has created! The narrative jumps back and forth to different times of Francie's life, yet is easy to follow. Eight-year-old Francie is a wonderful character: clever, sensitive and insightful, with a pragmatism that guides her in protecting herself and those for whom she cares. These characters are easy to invest in, to care about. There's a tinge of paranormal that adds to the fascination.

Bender has a marvellous turn of phrase: "my thought returned to its track, a train lining up synaptically that I could now get on and ride" and "Who would handle my mother's clothes and perfumes? It was all spread in bits, like the trash we had left in Salinas, this life rubble" are examples. This is a brilliant read!

This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Random House UK.