The Butterfly Woman
Madeleine Cleary
It’s 1863, and Melbourne is transitioning from a fledgling colony to a thriving, gold-fuelled metropolis. But behind its shiny new facade, the real Melbourne can be found in the notorious brothels of Little Lon, where rich and poor alike can revel all night.
For poor Iishwoman Johanna Callaghan, a job at the glamorous Papillon brothel could be her ticket to success,but in a time when women’s lives are cheap, it also brings great danger.
Meanwhile, for respectable women like journalist Harriettt Gardiner Papillon is strictly off limits. But when a murderer begins stalking the streets of Little Lon, she becomes determined to visit it and find the truth.
As both women are drawn into the hunt for the killer, a long-hidden side of old Melbourne is revealed. Lush, dark and meticulosly researched.
Our library stands on Wadawurrung Country. Ballaarat Mechanics’ Institute acknowledges the Wadawurrung People of the Kulin Nation as the first inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of the lands where we work, learn and create. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal Land.
