The Peacock Butterfly

Like many little girls in the 1940s, Nena Meyer grew up with dreams for her future. And not just fairytale dreams, but dreams of seeing and being a part of the world, and Nena’s dreams were like an unplowed, fertile field, as lush and ripe with potential as the fields of her grandparents’ farm. Unfortunately, Nena’s dreams, like the occasional harvest, did not end up as planned. The Peacock Butterfly follows Nena’s life and dreams, along with those of her eventual husband and their families—through the horrors of World War II to the savings and loan crises of the 1980s. From Boston to New York City, to London and Paris, you’ll follow the Hicks and Meyer families, and laugh and cry with them. Eventually, you’ll discover what someone dear to Nena once told her: “When dreams do not come true, you make new ones.”