Monarca: A Novel

Leopoldo Gout · Eva Aridjis

Apr 2022 · HarperCollins

About this ebook

“A work of art. In each of the pages, you will feel the flow of a powerful energy which will murmur to each of your cells that it is time to come out of hiding, to open the windows, to breathe freely, to dress colorfully… to fly.”—Laura Esquivel, author of Like Water for Chocolate

An illustrated fable for all ages about a Mexican-American girl who transforms into a monarch butterfly and undertakes the great migration to Mexico, Monarca braids together the values of heritage, ecology, and personal transformation.

On her thirteenth birthday, Inés receives a mysterious necklace from her abuela in Mexico that turns her into a monarch butterfly—the fulfilment of a prophecy linking Inés’ destiny to her family’s legacy and the butterflies’ survival.

The adventure continues as Inés joins the monarchs on their long journey south to the butterfly sanctuary in Mexico—an odyssey that has become increasingly perilous due to human activity. Together, the swarm travels from the northeast to the swamps of Louisiana to the pine-filled mountain tops of the western Sierra Madre, finally alighting at the Sierra Chincua sanctuary. On this wondrous journey in the vein of Jonathan Livingston Seagull and The Little Prince, Inés discovers the connections between all living beings, and the urgent need to protect the monarchs' migration and habitats. 

Divided into four chapters to mirror the four stages in a monarch’s life—egg, larva, pupa and butterfly—Monarca blends Mexican folklore, environmentalism, and magical realism in an enchanting novella. Illustrated with stunning full-color drawings by Leopoldo Gout, this book will inspire readers to protect and cherish the sacred natural world around them.

About the author

Leopoldo Gout is a filmmaker, writer, and visual artist from Mexico City. He studied contemporary art at Central Saint Martins in London and has shown his sculpture and paintings in galleries and museums around the world. Leopoldo lives in New York City with his wife and two children. EVA ARIDJIS is an award-winning filmmaker and writer. She wrote and directed the narrative features The Favor and The Blue Eyes and the documentaries Children of the Street, La Santa Muerte, Chuy, The Wolf Man and Goodbye Horses. She also wrote on Narcos: Mexico.