Madama Butterfly

Puccini's Madame Butterfly is the heartbreaking story of Cho-Cho-San, a Japanese Geisha as beautiful and fragile as a butterfly, whose trust and fidelity are betrayed by her husband, an American Navy Lieutenant. Stationed in Nagasaki, Lieutenant Pinkerton acquires his wife as casually as his house — both leased for 99 years, with the option to cancel at any time. After their honeymoon, Pinkerton departs, promising to return. But for three long years, Cho-Cho-San awaits, and when he finally does return, he brings his new American wife — and finds he has a son by Cho-Cho-San. This picture book adaptation of the tragic libretto features haunting paintings that evoke its exotic setting and emotional resonance, for a captivating introduction to the genre.