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Woody Woodburn was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1960; spent his adolescence in the ’70s on the sweet-and-salty-aired coast of Southern California before graduating from UC Santa Barbara in 1982; and for the past four decades has been a national award-winning newspaper columnist—sports originally, currently general interest for the past fifteen years. His honors include Columnist of the Year by the Associated Press News Executive Council, Copley News Service, and E. W. Scripps Newspapers; induction into The Jim Murray Memorial Foundation’s Journalists Hall of Fame and Ventura County Sports Hall of Fame as a journalist. His work has also appeared in numerous anthologies, including The Best American Sports Writing. The Butterfly Tree: An Extraordinary Saga of Seven Generations is Woodburn’s debut novel. He previously authored two nonfiction books—the memoir Wooden & Me: Life Lessons from My Two-Decade Friendship with the Legendary Coach and Humanitarian to Help “Make Each Day Your Masterpiece” and Strawberries in Wintertime: Essays on Life, Love, and Laughter.
Fun fact: Woodburn is a “Streaker” who has run a minimum of three miles (and averaged 11.4 miles) every day without fail since July 7, 2003—that being the day his neurosurgeon cleared him to jog slowly after surviving and recovering from being rear-ended by a drunk driver speeding 65 mph—for one of the longest officially recognized running streaks in the world. “Woody’s Holiday Ball Drive” has enjoyed an even longer streak while donating nearly one million dollars of new sports balls to underprivileged youth.
Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
The Butterfly Tree: An Extraordinary Saga of Seven Generations is a work of fiction in the interpersonal drama, historical fiction, and family saga genres. It is best suited to the general adult reading audience. Penned by author Woody Woodburn, this highly engaging debut novel explores the enduring power of family ties across time. The story follows multiple generations, starting from the Mayflower and traversing through significant historical events such as the Underground Railroad, the Civil War, and the Vietnam War. The novel highlights how these diverse, multiracial lineages come together to form a single, majestic family tree. Told in short, fast-paced chapters, this sweeping adventure is anchored by a kitchen table that symbolizes the interconnectedness of love and friendship among the protagonists.
Author Woody Woodburn really knows how to show personality and emotion in crafting a deeply moving and enlightening novel. The interwoven narratives across different eras offered a rich tapestry of historical and emotional depth, and the confidence and control over different elements of the storyline were impressive. The complex depiction of how disparate lineages and races come together to form a united family tree was particularly inspiring, reflecting the beauty and strength found in diversity over the years, and every generation was so clearly influenced and molded by the last. Each generation’s story of overcoming adversity and rising to help the next was given the same detailed treatment of psychology and emotion in the narrative, with brilliant speech and thought presentation that brought every individual to life in their own right. The vivid historical settings, from the Mayflower’s journey to the jungles of Vietnam, showed history in a personal and relatable way, packed with atmospheric touches and well-researched detail. Overall, The Butterfly Tree is an incredible work of heartfelt drama that I would not hesitate to recommend.
