The Butterfly Season: What 64 Butterflies Taught Me About Nature's Great Mysteries and the Meaning

Lea Korsgaard’s number-one international bestseller tells the story of the year she spent tracking every species of butterfly in her native Denmark. Suffused with beauty and wonder, The Butterfly Season is a love letter to the natural world and an unforgettable reflection on the precious and fleeting nature of life itself.

“The Butterfly Season is an inspiring love letter to the magic of the natural world, in all its beauty and complexity and joy—an unforgettable reminder that wonder awakens the heart.” —Amy Tan, New York Times bestselling author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles

Combining nature writing, philosophy, myth, science, and sixty-four beautiful hand-drawn illusrtations, The Butterfly Season is a luminous account of one woman’s quest to see all sixty-four species of butterflies native to Denmark in a single year. Part field diary, part mythological tapestry, part existential reflection, Lea Korsgaard’s journey unfolds across seasons and geographies, through meadows, marshes, and ancient coastal lands, as she discovers the mysteries and miracles of the natural world.

On the first day of the year, Korsgaard sat at her desk, making a list. It was a typically cold, quiet January day, and the possibility of the new year—of new discoveries and new challenges—reawakened an old dream of hers: to see every Danish butterfly species in one year. At first, the goal felt impossible—Korsgaard knew almost nothing about butterflies—but she persevered, creating a color-coded tracking system that mapped butterfly regions and flight times with meticulous care. As the project developed, what was at first a simple exercise in discovery became an intimate reckoning with transformation and rebirth, the butterfly’s fleeting existence knitting together beginnings, endings, and the life made in between.

The Butterfly Season is perfect for readers of Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton and The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan.

LEA KORSGAARD is an award-winning journalist and author. She is the cofounder and editor in chief of the digital newspaper, Zetland, and chair of the board of the Danish School of Media and Journalism. The Butterfly Season was first published in 2025 in Denmark, where it became a number one-bestseller.

“The Butterfly Season is an inspiring love letter to the magic of the natural world, in all its beauty and complexity and joy—an unforgettable reminder that wonder awakens the heart.” —Amy Tan, New York Times bestselling author of The Backyard Bird Chronicles

“A marvel. . . . Luminous. . . . Korsgaard reveals how even the most delicate creature can illuminate our deepest human longings. This is a book about attention, about wonder, and about that most fragile yet persistent human instinct: hope. After reading it, you may find yourself looking more closely at the world—and believing, once again, in its small miracles.” —Suleika Jaouad, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Alchemy and Between Two Kingdoms

“Part Quixotic quest, part scientific exploration, part intimate memoir, The Butterfly Season invites us to look closer—at butterflies, at the natural world, at the very fragile wonder of being alive—and reminds us that the simple act of slowing down and paying attention may be, simply put, life’s most important lesson. A beautifully written, tender, joy-filled knockout.” —Isaac Fitzgerald, New York Times bestselling author of Dirtbag, Massachusetts and American Rambler

“One of the many things that makes this book so special is Korsgaard’s sharp sensibility. She writes about everyday happenings with humor, while also theorizing on profound subjects like humans’ skewed ideas about nature. . . . Her enchanting account will transport readers to lush corners of Denmark, and they will marvel at how the journey changes Korsgaard.” —BookPage (starred review)

“A charming, edifying record of a pilgrimage. . . . Korsgaard melds her richly detailed nature journey with memoir and philosophical musings. . . . Beautifully illustrated with vibrant drawings of butterflies.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Vibrant. . . . [Korsgaard’s] observations of the natural world are immersive. This tête-à-tête with nature has a touch of the sublime.” —Publishers Weekly

“Korsgaard’s fascinating book is a compelling blend of adventure, philosophy, and butterfly lore that natural history buffs will relish.” —Library Journal

“This reflective account conveys both the thrill of the chase and the transporting beauty of immersing yourself in nature.” —Booklist