Review of "Bees in the Butterfly Garden" by Maureen Lang

Set in the Gilded Age, Meg Davenport is a young woman about to come of age who finds out - after his passing - that her father was not the rich businessman who had no time for her as she had long believed - but is, in fact, a thief.  A very good one, but a thief nonetheless.  His protege, Ian Maguire, about the same age as Meg, intends to take over as leader of the "family" business he left behind, and so does Brewster (a thief with no scruples and a bent towards violence); and a power play begins.

To establish her right to be her father's daughter, Meg offers up the Pemberton family (extremely wealthy, and former classmates at Madame Marisse's, from whom she has an invitation to spend the summer and design their garden) and therefore potential access to their rumored gold.  She proposes that she summer with them and discover what she can about the gold and then pass that information along.

Will Meg be able to live successfully in both worlds?  Will she and Ian find love?  Will anyone do the right thing?

I loved the quotes from both Madame Marisse's Handbook for Young Ladies as well as from thieves that begin each chapter.  I loved the Pemberton family dynamic and their love and respect for each other (grace, mercy, or justice?) as well as their staff and friends.  I enjoyed this book and definitely recommend it!

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