Butterflies in the System is a story about love, incarceration, and perseverance. Inspired by true events, it follows a year in the life of five teenagers as they struggle through the youth protection system in Montreal. Through the halls of a group home, into lockdown within a youth detention centre, and onto the streets, Sam and her peers navigate through a world kept hidden from the public eye. Their future in the hands of judges, social workers, and childcare workers, the teens learn the value in empathy and friendship.
So proud to have received the Indie Reader stamp of approval, with 4.5 stars for Butterflies in the System!"Your book received a rating of 4.5 stars, making it "IndieReader Approved", a designation we created to make it easier for readers and booksellers to identify quality indie titles ... your title was judged by top industry professionals—not as merely a great indie book—but as a great book, period." - Indie ReaderHere's
IndieReader's review:
"Through an endlessly traumatizing series of events, teenager Samara Long clings to her few true friendships, her sense of humor, and her writing, and eventually finds her way to some semblance of peace.Through an endlessly traumatizing series of events, teenager Samara Long clings to her few true friendships, her sense of humor, and her writing, and eventually finds her way to some semblance of peace.
At times teenager Samara Long, the lead character of BUTTERFLIES IN THE SYSTEM, is as frustrating for the reader as for her parents–overly dramatic, self-pitying, and utterly perplexing. But just when one is feeling fed up with her, Jane Powell reveals something new about her protagonist that sheds light on Sam’s struggles–a long-ago abuse, a deeply buried trauma, even a simple teenaged mistake that was horribly exacerbated by the adults in her life. BUTTERFLIES IN THE SYSTEM sports plenty of antagonists, but none as brutal and unforgiving as the youth “protection” system Sam endures; mention is frequently made of the horrific Duplessis Orphans case of the 1940s and 50s, where twenty thousand orphans were deliberately miscertified as mentally ill and confined to psychiatric institutions in order to misappropriate additional subsidies from the federal government, and Sam’s turn at the Manny Cottage Youth Detention Centre doesn’t seem too far removed. It’s a system that crushes all but the most stubborn and mulish spirit, and Sam has plenty of stubborn and mulish to spare. She may not be the most likable protagonist, but she is ultimately– and undeniably– lovable.
Sam is surrounded by a number of equally quirky and confusing characters who occasionally have their own chapter to tell us what’s in their heads and hearts. There’s Gabe, Sam’s sweet and sexually confused best friend, who tries mightily to act tough, but can’t quite escape his lost orphan status; the fragile and funny Tig, whose abuse by a drunken father is genuinely terrifying and provides a great deal of the heart of this story; Dave, the kindhearted childcare worker who is a product of the system himself and works hard to keep Sam sane; Sam’s social worker, Abi Cohen, who lurks quietly in the background until it is revealed that she was one of the Duplessis orphans; the casually cruel Tema, who turns her macabre sense of humor into some fine horror writing; and a number of others. They are part of the rich tapestry of Sam’s world and Powell treats them with meticulous care. The author has constructed a tale that is not always easy to read but is full of a passion for people and social justice and is frequently rescued from the verge of preachiness by a tender heart and biting wit. The reader will emerge from this experience feeling as if they have lived many, many lives and somehow survived them all.
BUTTERFLIES IN THE SYSTEM, a fictional YA story loosely based on author Jane Powell’s time spent in Montreal’s youth protection system, is harrowing, heartbreaking, and occasionally overwrought, but ultimately triumphant and deeply satisfying." ~Shari Simpson for IndieReader
Excerpt from Reedsy's review of Butterflies in the System" (click on link for full reveiw)
"What I truly loved about this book is that it's a character-driven story and that, regardless of the decisions that they make, you still can't help but root for these teenagers from beginning to end. Because they are kids dealing with hard circumstances that not everyone can relate to. No matter how terrible their choices are or how unreasonable their thoughts may have been in my mind, I just wanted them to be okay. And that's what they wanted for each other too. Making your own found family is a big component of this book, which I deeply appreciated." - Nicole Caropolo, Reedsy Discovery
So thrilled to have also received an endorsement from award-winning journalist, Gillian Cosgrove, for Butterflies in the System! Gillian's work on abuse in the youth protection system has been invaluable, winning her the prestigious Governor General’s Michener Award in the 70s. She continues to fight for the rights of children in youth protection and was very helpful during my research process for my book. See my blog for more about my chat with Gillian Cosgrove: https://www.janepowell.org/post/interview-with-gillian-cosgrove-journalist-advocate-for-rights-of-children-in-youth-protection?fbclid=IwAR0D0E8NIRcnj6gyWwHzhQJceQ9Z5sPQVCXqn-aSi7vknWh5EnD68I2nKWI
It was a privilege to speak with CBC Montreal Radio's Sabrina Marandola on her radio segment "Let's Go", about my inspiration for writing Butterflies in the System. Click on the link to listen to my interview!
I was honoured to be interviewed by CBC's Catherine Verdon-Diamond on "Our Montreal" about my latest novel, Butterflies in the System, and my thoughts on the youth protection system in Montreal. Click on the link to view the interview!
Be sure to check out my latest activity, including media interviews and book tour updates on my website https://www.janepowell.org and blog https://www.janepowell.org/blog :-)
I recently rode 215km to help bring awareness to the Canadian government's horrendous history of institutionalizing under-privileged children and families. Rather than providing families the support they need, children have been taken away from their parents and put in institutions where they are neglected and abused.
Km 1-50 was dedicated to Indigenous Peoples & residential schools, Km 51-100 to teen mothers & orphaned children, Km 101-150 to how systemic racism encourages the institutionalization of Black and Indigenous Peoples, and km 150-215 to system kids and their "bridge builders" - the people who care for system kids, believe in them, and help lift them up.
Every 50km, I updated my website blog post with a photo from a spot where I stopped to reflect and a reading recommendation on a specific people that have suffered through institutionalized neglect/abuse under the eye of the Canadian Government.
For details on my ride for awareness see: https://www.janepowell.org/post/everychildmatters-my-215km-ride-for-awareness
To read more about why changes are needed in the youth protection system, consider reading my book - Butterflies in the System - and the books I recommended in my blog post "#everychildmatters: my 215km ride for awareness."
Thanks for reading 💞
I had the pleasure of speaking with "Talking Kootenay Books" host Keith Powell (no relation) about my latest novel, Butterflies in the System, and my motivation for writing it. Click o the link to watch my interview!
Ripped jeans, tassels, leather jacket, drugs, sex, and metal is what often comes to mind when we speak of 'teen rebels' in the age of Stevie Nicks, Pink Floyd, and Metallica. So-called 'rebels without a cause' linger on the fringe of society, sometimes forcing us to question ourselves but often falling through the cracks, as we sweep them under the rug and out of sight, their presence rattling us so. I was one of these rebels and I can assure you, there is always a cause.
In the summer of 1990, I had just been admitted into Montreal's youth protection system and I stood on the steps of Snowden Shelter, looking at the big wooden door of what would be my home for the next few months, wondering if the childcare workers would notice my dilated pupils. I was 16, but my path into the system had begun a few years earlier.
More curious than scared, I entered the shelter with hope.
Similar to other system kids, my path towards the system began with trauma. Just before my 14th birthday, I lost my virginity to rape. From then onwards, a series of related events added to my trauma, which turned me from a studious (and relatively nerdy) kid into an angry drop-out rebel. Lack of resources and mental health support was at the heart of it all. As I entered youth protection, and was welcomed by two exceptionally committed childcare workers, I hoped that I'd finally found the help I needed. Although Ross and James were awesome workers, what I discovered was a youth protection system that was generally disorganized, under-funded, and often unethical in the way they dealt with youth mental health. As a result, system kids' trauma more often than not increased rather than decreased during their stay in youth protection - myself included.
If you ask system alumni what they remember most about their time in youth protection, their response will likely be twofold.
On the one hand, it was a time where bonds were forged with people who shared in similar struggles. When I entered my first placement, I finally found "my people." I was no longer 'just a misfit, without reason or goals'. I was now part of a peer-built support network, a sister/brotherhood, with people who understood where I'd come from, who got me. Perhaps this is also what made Ross and James such great workers - they'd also been there, done that. And that was why they cared so deeply.
On the other hand, time in the system meant dealing with poorly trained staff, absent social workers, no professional mental health support, very questionable disciplinary practices, and no aging-out plan. As a result, being in the system added rather than relieved anxiety, and I almost didn't make it out because of this.
One of my closest system friends, Lyne, described her introduction into a detention centre as absolutely terrifying, as she was locked in a room overnight with a girl who'd been charged with murder. Lyne was only there because she was a repeat runaway. Similarly, a boyfriend of mine (also a repeat runaway) found himself in the highest security unit of a detention centre because of lack of beds in other units. I would visit him occasionally, and on one of these occasions I found him to be strangely withdrawn. He told me about how his anxiety disorder had got the best of him and he'd freaked out at a staff member. The staff responded by locking him in solitary confinement for days - which consists of an empty room with a mattress on the floor. In fact, solitary confinement was not only used as a disciplinary measure, but also as a general tool for control. Kids were often confined in a locked room alone for 3 days upon entry into a detention centre - called "the 3-day induction program" - at which time they could only leave the room for supervised toilet breaks.
My own story has more to do with neglect than being subject to unethical detention tactics. After a couple of months in the shelter, the 'powers that be' conferred and decided to place me in a city group home rather than a detention centre - phew! I remember feeling so lucky (and I was), as most of my friends had been sent "up north" to that scary place where kids were locked in bare rooms alone for days. But the group home staff was nothing like James and Ross, and that together with lack of professional mental health support, caused my mental health to take a dangerous turn for the worse.
Although I didn't have to deal with harsh disciplinary strategies, I did have to deal with a social worker who never showed up and with staff that were poorly trained, which led to a tendency to neglect kids' in their care rather than help them. This, along with untreated PTSD and anxiety from my assault years earlier, pummelled me into a depression that went unrecognized by my social worker or the staff at the group home. I soon lost my job due to my high anxiety, which meant that I was also approaching my discharge date (i.e. my 18th birthday) without a pay cheque to support myself. I tried to get another job, but my anxiety got in the way and I was never kept on past the training period. Being jobless with my 18th approaching and no aging-out plan threw me into a deep depression. A month before I was discharged, I finally gave up. I thought life was pointless, that I'd never succeed and no one cared, that it was all futile, and I attempted suicide. After a few days in hospital, I returned to the group home. The staff briefly asked me how I was doing, and that was that. My suicide attempt was never mentioned and therapy never offered. I aged-out of the system, anxious, depressed and alone, into a world of couch-surfing. And, unfortunately, my story is not unique.
As I conducted interviews for my book with old friends along with new ones on their experiences in youth protection in Montreal, I realized that the problem with youth protection is a systemic one. It is not just about a few kids who had the misfortune of running into one or two problem staff. Rather, every person I spoke with who had spent time in youth protection in Montreal had a story to tell about neglect and unethical practices. So, it is not surprising that a class action lawsuit was recently launched in support of youth protection alumni in Quebec.
Butterflies in the System is a story inspired by true events that brings readers on a journey through a year in the life of five teens (as well as a childcare worker and social worker) as they navigate their way through Montreal's youth protection and detention centres. Full of both adventure and sorrow, I wrote this book to highlight my points above, and to help bring awareness to the importance of mental health resources for youth and the need for systemic change in the youth protection system.
Read chapters 1-4 here: https://www.janepowell.org
Read about my interviews with two award winning journalists and an author here:
Victor Malarek - investigative journalist, CTV W5 host, and youth protection alumnus: https://www.janepowell.org/post/interviewing-victor-malarek-investigative-reporter-author
Erika Tafel - Author of Slave to the Farm and youth protection alumna: https://www.janepowell.org/post/interview-with-erika-tafel-author-of-slave-to-the-farm
Gillian Cosgrove - retired investigative journalist, Montreal Gazette: https://www.janepowell.org/post/interview-with-gillian-cosgrove-journalist-advocate-for-rights-of-children-in-youth-protection
*This post was originally published on my blog. Click on the link for the original post.
During my research for Butterflies in the System, I interviewed Victor Malarek, renowned Investigative Journalist and author of Hey Malarek and the internationally acclaimed The Natashas. I'm honoured that he has now endorsed both my books. Here's what he wrote:
"Jane Powell’s Sky-Bound Misfit and her second book: Butterflies in the System are wonderful, compelling and soulful. At times, the stories break your heart and fill you with rage. But more importantly, they also inspire. The books are fiction but ring true in the harsh realities faced by children and youth ensnared by the so-called child care and youth protection systems."
To read more about what we discussed during my interview with him, be sure to check out my blog post: https://www.janepowell.org/post/interviewing-victor-malarek-investigative-reporter-author
