Butterfly Heart
CCBC Review:
At the start of summer, Vilda is a typical preteen attached to her phone and friends. Her friend group are starting to change, and appearance and dating are becoming more important. When an acquaintance says Vilda isn’t a real Sámi because she doesn’t look Sámi, Vilda is hurt and confused. Her dad is Swedish, but her mom is Sámi—albeit not very connected to the culture. Vilda’s beloved grandfather, Áddjá, is, though, and Vilda wants to learn more, both for herself and because she feels like she has something to prove to her peers. While visiting Áddjá, she tries on her late grandmother’s traditional clothing. It doesn’t fit right, but Vilda loves it; it’s like concrete evidence that legitimizes her heritage. When Áddjá dies suddenly from a heart attack, Vilda is devastated and regretful. She’s hurt when her best friend, Alma (away on summer holiday), only texts superficial condolences, and she feels resentful of her parents and sister, who don’t seem to be as saddened by Áddjá’s death as she is. At her grandfather’s funeral, Vilda develops a crush on a Sámi teen and later connects with him on social media; but at a chance meeting in person, Vilda embarrassingly realizes that she invented a romance in her head. This quiet, emotionally centered novel captures the complexity of adolescent changes while exploring cultural identity and self-definition. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Translated by Agnes Broome. Translated from the Swedish. Originally published in Sweden.
CCBC Age Recommendation: 12-15
Age Range:
Grades 6-8 (Ages 11-13)
Grades 9-12 (Age 14 and older)
Format:
Novel
Subjects:
Anger
Death and Dying
Embarrassment
Friendship
Grandfathers
Grief and Loss
Identity
Mothers
Sami People
Translated Books
Diversity subject:
Indigenous
On CCBC Booklist:
Great Middle School Reads
Publisher:
Levine Querido
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 175
ISBN: 9781646145751
CCBC Location: Fiction, Astot