Butterfly Rising

In Wright's meandering debut, Lilah and Rose are misfits in hometown Lucasville, Miss. Singer Lilah is extremely close to her brother, and when he dies in a freak accident, she begins drinking and stops singing. Rose, meanwhile, catches the eye of every man in town, but never allows anyone close to her heart. Both women realize they need to leave Lucasville, so they set out on the road in search of healing from the magical Lazarus of the Butterflies. When they find him, the healing he offers takes a form neither expects. Lilah makes peace with her demons and begins a career in Nashville. Rose finally allows a man to love her. And while Lilah and Rose's tragedies aren't over yet, their friendship will be enough to sustain them. The story begins with a great deal of promise%E2%80%94misfits in a South touched by magic%E2%80%94but it soon becomes abundantly clear to the reader that Wright, who can write a very nice sentence, doesn't fare as well with plot and structure, with the narrative veering into tragedy and then recovery at a pace that calls out for the guiding hand of a smart editor.