Butterfly Lovers

June M. Blurton is a retired speech pathologist.

David LeClair, a bilingual Montrealer in his early thirties, is accused
by his ex-wife of being indecisive. He adores his small daughter but
seldom sees her; his best friend is dying of AIDS; he lives in a
semi-slum; and his professional life is going nowhere. In an attempt to
turn his life around, he applies for a teaching position at a Beijing
university.

The author’s description of Chinese society will chill the reader.
The time is early 1990, just months after Tiananmen Square. The shoddy
university buildings stand behind a strong wall. There are guards,
locked doors, whispering campaigns, and no privacy. One character tells
David that “in China people say not what they think ... They say what
must be said in order to be free of dangerous thoughts.” For those
unwilling or unable to embrace the official thinking, there is a price
to be paid.

The characters are varied and fully developed, although at times their
motivations are difficult to fathom. The lyrical quality of Foran’s
writing and the thought-provoking questions raised by his characters
make this a delightful book to read and ponder.