Cassie’s Song is the third book in The Butterfly Dynasty Series by English author Robert Barclay. It is a powerful and moving fiction novel that follows the main protagonists Cassandra (Cassie) Spencer, Katy Yehonala, and Clara Yehonala. Each has to navigate the challenges in life as they unfold.
Katy’s husband Simon was killed tragically while rescuing children from sex traffickers in Cambodia. Filled with grief and contemplating life without him, she returns to Boughton Manor in the English countryside.
There she gathers with Cassie, a rabid environmentalist and enthusiastic feminist who fights to preserve it and prevent damage to the natural environment at all costs and natural beauty Clara, Katy’s daughter. Valentin, a billion-dollar company, is seeking Clara to represent their brand.
Author Robert Barclay has crafted a reading journey that is both inspiring and heart-wrenching, balancing realistic emotion and fictionalized drama perfectly to achieve a resonant result. The story is well-plotted and character-driven — exploring the thrills and challenges of the three women.
Each is well-developed, and readers will see each of them in their uniqueness, which comes across clearly as the story progresses.
There are many supporting characters each with their own quirks and personalities. They blend well into the storyline and the connectiveness they have with Cassie, Clara, and Katy, both professionally and personally.
The exploration of loss, sacrifice and the pursuit of happiness is deeply felt and enthusiastically portrayed with strong narrative hooks, prompting introspection about the nature of life and the lengths one is willing to go to survive it.
This story reminds us that we can never truly know what’s in the mind or soul of another person. It shows the importance of not only love but loss with understanding, and acceptance whilst exploring the desire to live courageously, to control your own life, to accept who you are, and to choose your own path.
The setting is powerful, and I thoroughly enjoyed getting lost in the colourful descriptions of England and Asia. The images come across so vividly in the writing that you can picture yourself in the environment.
I love how the ribbon on the cover intertwines with The Diary of Katy Yehonala and The Girl in the Orphanage. I have never seen this done in a series before and it is very effective especially when they are laid out next to each other showing a face and butterflies. The simplicity of the type and colours is beautiful.
Cassie’s Song is an absorbing and captivating tale of love’s resilience amidst life’s storms that leaves a lasting impression and a handprint on our hearts. It will arouse the finest of emotions in readers. I highly recommend it.
A selection of our Beauty and Lace Club members are reading Cassie’s Song by Robert Barclay. You can read their comments below, or add your own review.
My love of books started at a very young age. My mum has always been a reader and encouraged me to read, buying me endless book from classic fairy tales advancing to the world of Enid Blyton, CS Lewis, Louisa May Alcott, Kathryn Kenny, Carolyn Keene, Francine Pascal. In my adult years the list of authors is endless and every room in my house is filled with books.
One of my favourite novels is Narnia which has always has a special place in my heart. I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in 1978 and when I was given this book to read it let me escape to another world where I felt like I was in the book with all the characters, it wasfun and exciting to escape from reality and eased the ups and downs of the disease at such a young age.
In books nothing is impossible and there is endless potential and hundreds of places to explore or being taken to places that are only made up from the authors’ great minds, the past and future to navigate, characters lives you step into taking you on an emotional rollercoaster ride or being scared out of your wits. I can experience things that I can’t in real life because they’re not possible or real. It challenges my perspective and mindset expanding my worldview.
I find joy, comfort and peace with books, many people may not get it, but I know bookworms like me truly understand. Reading makes my heart happy.
Cassie’s Song by Robert Barclay is a very detailed novel centred around strong women.
It took me about half the book to realise it’s the third book in a series, which would explain why the regular flashbacks left me wondering what I’d missed.
The story switches between the key women, their own stories and the links they have with each other. I really liked the way the stories were so interwoven however did find the switching timelines difficult to follow and place the story.
I think a reader would definitely benefit from reading the previous books in the series first to not only meet the characters but also have a sense of how they became who they are.
I was lucky enough to to read Robert Barclays second book in the series The Girl In the Orphanage so follows the main protagonists Cassandra (Cassie) Spencer, Katy Yehonala, and Clara Yehonala. Each has to navigate the challenges in life I had a bit of an idea what was going on in as I had read the previous book.
Cassie’s Song was a delight to read another Captivating story of 3 strong and powerful of women who are fighting to preserve the country side were Katy’s husband was killed Clara, Katy’s daughter. Valentin, a billion-dollar company, is seeking Clara to help represent their brand will she help ?
It was a good well written book and I am pleased I had a chance to read Cassie’s Song .
Thank-you beauty and lace.
This is the second book in this series that I have read. I missed book number 2.
I loved the first book The Diary of Katy Yehonala and very much enjoyed this one.
The characters are lovely and ones that its easy to become attached to.
I did however find there was a part in the book about a quarter of the way through where I wondered what on earth was going on. I felt like I had suddenly slipped into the start of a bad soft porn movie. Two of the female characters are trying on dresses together and the comments made and how it was handled judt didnt seem to fit the story at all. I felt this part could have been left out as i really have no idea why it was included.
Other then that the book is awesome and well worth the read.
I found this book hard to follow at first and I now wonder if this is because I missed the first two books in this series. In saying that I did end up understanding more as the story went on.
It follows the lives of three women, Clara, the famous pianist who becomes the face of Valentin, Cassie the environmental lawyer who fights in the jungle to save the rainforests and Katy who is trying to sort out her life after the murder of her husband.
I loved the places described from the countryside of England to the rainforests of Kalimantan. You could just imagine the feelings in these environments.
My favorite quote of this book is: “There are monsters as well as angels in this life”
Thank you, Beauty & Lace, for allowing me to read and review ‘Cassie’s Song by Robert Barclay’.
This is a story about the choices made by three women to move forward in their lives in separate areas but always with the underlying strength of friendship and family upholding their dreams. However, some dreams can turn into nightmares, and lives can be shattered when you courageously choose your own path. Parts of this book I loved and shouted hooray for the underdog, and in others, my heart broke with the injustice of it all as ‘There are monsters as well as angels in this life’.
A very good read. Thank you ‘Beauty & Lace Bookclub’ for the opportunity to read ‘Cassie’s Song by Robert Barclay’.
I didn’t realise for a while that this book was part of a series. I would have liked to have read the books in sequence so I had some background. I always like to read books in sequence.
How the story was interesting in how each woman chose her way in life and the others thoughts about their choices.
Thank you for the chance to read this book.
I read the first book in Robert Barclay’s series and I was pleased to be able to discover more about the characters. The author describes the various settings with great skill; they were evocative and easy to visualise with lovely language, especially the natural environments.
I would, however, have liked to see more depth and contrast with the characters; they seemed to have no flaws and little personal development (with the exception of Clara).
The second half of the book is where the real action begins, where the two main characters take on huge projects: Clara to empower women and Cassie to help save the forests from palm oil production. The section set in the ancient forests of Kalimantan was powerful and relevant and could have been a book in itself. It lends itself to escalation of tension and conflict, but was dealt with too briefly for my taste.
Thank you Shawline Publishing Group and Beauty & Lace for the chance to read and review this book.
Robert Barclay’s novel Cassie’s Song is a fabulous book filled with strong female characters dealing with challenges and overcoming adversity. My favourite aspect of the book was the different environments drawn really well with just words on the page, particularly the setting in Kalimantan jungle. Fabulous armchair travel! I also enjoyed insights into the character’s different thought processes, outlooks and values. I didn’t realise this book was part of a series, and reading them in order may have added to the enjoyment, but it stood up fine on its own. Thanks to Beauty and Lace for the opportunity to read and review Cassie’s song.
I found this book confusing to follow at first but then discovered that I had not read the first two books in the series. As the story went on I did start to understand more of what was happening.
The story is of three women, Clara, a famous pianist. Cassie an environmental lawyer who ventures on trips to try and save rainforests and jungles and finally Katy who’s husband has been murdered and she is trying to get on with her everyday life after the tragic event.
Cassie who lives a very exciting existence as a pianist then becomes the face of Valentin. Cassie heads off to the Kalimantan rainforest but unfortunately tragedy strikes her and Katy she starts to rebuild her life.
It was wonderful to read of the countryside in England and the difference to the rainforest/jungle of Kalimantan life.
A great story but would have been even better if I had read the first two books in the series.