Broken Butterfly

Reality can be far more surreal-and cruel-than fiction. This is the heart-wrenching true story of Erin Gray who was lured held hostage by and eventually escaped from a serial predator. Broken Butterfly delves into horror-movie territory in this retelling of a young woman's spiral into drug addiction after prolonged exposure to brutal physical sexual and mental torture. Told by her mother Wanda Gray this first-hand account follows Erin's journey through violent trauma complex PTSD drug addiction recovery and relentless relapses.<br /><br />While retracing her daughter's tragically cut-short young life the author also reckons with herself as she tries over and over to help Erin recover and live a full life. Told in dual point of view Broken Butterfly follows the twists and turns of two women navigating a dangerous and terrifying road fraught with trauma loss and grief. Yet this cautionary tale is also full of hope and a celebration of Erin. Inspired by her daughter to write this profoundly personal memoir Gray shares the ups and downs fleeting triumphs and naive mistakes and overwhelming joy and devastation. <br /><br />Parts elegy true-crime chronicle and self-help manual Broken Butterfly removes the stigma from drug addiction reminds those suffering through similar experiences that they are not alone and provides practical resources for support amid a growing global drug-addiction crisis. It's also a love letter to Erin Gray the guiding light who helped write this book in spirit.