All around, a clear ocean, blue as the sky, in which turtles and dolphins swim. Hills covered with forests. The singing of birds. This is the island of Culion, but "no one comes here of their own free will"... For twelve-year-old Amihan, this is home. This is where she grew up alongside her loving mother. Together they lounged on their favourite beach and planted flowers to attract colourful butterflies to their little paradise. But overnight, with the arrival of an official from faraway Manila, Mr Zamora, this paradise turns into hell. The inhabitants are divided into SANO (clean) and LEPROSO (lepers). Healthy children are taken away from their sick parents and placed in an orphanage on the remote island of Coron. Ami also ends up there. She has to face exclusion and loneliness, but eventually makes real friends. Together with Mari and Kidlat, the girl discovers letters from her parents that Zamora hid from the orphanage's charges. She learns from them that her mother's condition has deteriorated and she and her friends decide to embark on a dangerous journey across the ocean. Will the children survive this adventure? Will Ami see her mum again? Will she manage to bring her back to Culion the multi-coloured butterflies they both dreamed of?
"This is a story rooted in true events, but enriched with a touch of magic. A story about friendship and finding your way home. In writing it, I was learning to look at the world differently. I wanted to take my readers on an exciting journey into the island's dark past."
Kiran Millwood Hargrave