Allison explains that we would not be the people we are, make the choices we do, and in essence, live the lives we lead without the friends and family members that came before us and have passed over to the other side. Like the monarch butterfly, we are products of our predecessors, and every person's life is part of a bigger story. If we want to understand life, we must understand death, and in Secrets of the Monarch, Allison shows readers how communicating with the dead has taught her important lessons about life, and how readers can apply those principles to their own lives.