Butterfly Woman: A Novel Based on True Events

Hannah Rush is just three years old when she experiences the end of her innocence. Her father, Rex, divorces Hannah's mother, Magda, who suffers from bipolar disease. Hannah's life is never the same.

Tragically, Hannah is violated by her stepfather Ross, and life takes a disastrous turn. She suffers four years of sexual abuse. Trying to recapture her "forgotten innocence," she struggles to keep her head above water while life throws challenges in her direction. Several times, she attempts to give up on the life that she has been cursed with, but a vision of her beautiful future always lights the way. Her journey is a tapestry of nightmares and transcendent beauty.

Based on true events, Butterfly Woman enters Hannah's mind and her stream of consciousness. It provides an intimate look at the psyche of an abused child and the passage to adulthood. Both heartbreaking and inspirational, it details her battle and shows her spirit of evolution and survival as a woman. It sends a message of hope for other women.

Emily Lutze earned a Bachelor of Education degree with an English major. She has worked extensively counseling and assisting neglected and abused children and is a survivor. She lives in Beaumont, Alberta, with her family. This is her debut novel. She is working on a second book.