Hana Esselink

The Butterfly Dance is an inspiring novel that will make people think about the deeper questions in life that we all inevitably ask about God, love, death and the Universe - all told in the unlikely setting of a small cafe in Soho, London.
It is 2006 and the narrator is thirty-year-old Nina Chandler. She now lives in Amsterdam and is visiting London again with her Dutch husband Pieter, after being away for a long time. During their visit, they visit Soho as Nina is excited about finding the cafe again in Greek Street that she used to visit regularly five years prior, just after the death of her beloved grandmother.
Nina remembers a butterfly flying into the café on her very first visit, symbolising the start of her own inner journey. She also recalls an unusual energy at work in the place, helping her to understand the true nature of who we really are. Through the regular, quirky visitors in the cafe, especially the enigmatic James, Nina develops a belief in the supernatural. Her story is met with scepticism by her husband.
The analogy of the butterfly throughout the novel describes the fragility, beauty and impermanence of life. Yet this inspirational modern day tale in search of love and spirituality, with a yearning for something bigger than ourselves is akin to the works of  Paulo Coelho and will motivate the reader to look beyond everyday reality