THE BUTTERFLY'S STING

A teen girl enters an illegal underground boxing tournament to save herself and her younger siblings from their violent uncle.

After their father’s sudden death in a car accident, Bonnie “Bo” Clark and her brother and sister, Zach and Kate, were abandoned by their grieving mother. They were separated in foster care, which proved dangerous for Zach, so moving in with their uncle Jack seems preferable at first. But Bo quickly becomes the target of her uncle’s abuse. Former competitive boxer Jack trains Bo at his gym, and she competes using the stage name “the Butterfly,” inspired by Muhammad Ali’s famous line “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Unbeknownst to her uncle, Bo plans to use her winnings to gain independence and petition for custody of her siblings. The story is set on the fictional island of La Salida in the San Francisco Bay, which is cloaked in fog that forms a solemn reflection of the hidden pain and isolation Bo endures. The relationship between Bo and Jack is nuanced, and Harlow provides depth and context, though, critically, not absolution, for Jack’s behavior. Bo sets goals, celebrates victories, and suffers setbacks, all while struggling with the burden of trauma. The story ends with justice being realized—but not without significant loss. The main characters are cued white.

A raw and absorbing account of abuse and a girl’s relentless fight to claim her freedom.