a young jo deming will find an explosive stash of evidence at exactly the wrong time, and she may become just another lost butterfly in a weary and darkening world. we don't always see the butterflies in our midst and in our lives - the people who bring us life changing, "butterfly-moments." we also often recognize these moments only in hindsight, those "i dodged a bullet" or "only by the grace of god" experiences without which our lives would not be the same. literally born out of tragedy, jo's mother, jodie, is a butterfly who naturally and effortlessly renews hope and joy in those who meet her and raises jo in her image. most definitely not butterflies, ed and margo schmutz put schemes in motion to remind the world that nothing in life matters, and there is no enduring happiness or beauty that can't be taken away. follow the interwoven journeys as their lives take dramatically different paths after similar tragedy and heartache but different choices in their "butterfly-moments." the last butterfly reminds us of the treasure and fragility of talent, hope, and goodness in an often-harsh world and in each of us, and the profound and often widespread influence the smallest gestures and interactions can have in guiding us to future success and happiness or failure and misery.