This is such a great story, populated by eccentric characters, in an American dream that was believable of the ''80s.
It's a surreal landscape and a very weird story, but a real pleasure to read.
The narrator of the story is a sad Welshman Llew Jones who decided a cure for his grief is to go to America and write about his experiences. He meets Butterfly Joe and they go on a road trip to sell rare butterflies and re-establish the fortunes of the Boscoe family.
Things get weird. The Boscoe family has a huge collection of rare butterflies collected by the mythical Father, who abandons the family in search of adventure. The matriarch rules with a rod of iron and fear. She is heavily scarred from a fire in the family home.
Joe's siblings and hangers on work in the family business of mounting and selling butterflies. Things get weirder...
Overall this is a fun book to read, the belief in the American Dream driving them through the landscape and educating Llew. It's a little like the Budapest Hotel, if you enjoyed that, you'll love this.
