A story inspired by the strength, courage and determination of the monarch butterfly.

“TAKEWING MORNING”

SCREENPLAY LOG LINE

In the wake of his father’s assassination by illegal loggers in Mexico, Miguel Santana, gifted young guitarist who finds his destiny intertwined with Anne Desjardins, talented Canadian Highland dancer. Their worlds meet in their efforts to save the monarch butterfly and the endangered environment that it depends on.

GENRE

Drama / Environmental / Coming-of-Age / International

FORMAT

Limited Series (4 Seasons)

1-hour episodes | Approx. 8–10 episodes per season

The Novels

Takewing a.m. is a novel about the two polar forces of ecological salvation and damnation, a story about the struggle to save our planet. This resolve is mirrored in the story’s characters who are inspired by the strength, courage and determination that the monarch butterfly one of the most beautiful and seemingly fragile creatures on earth – demonstrates every day of its life.

Sometimes fate intervenes. In Chapter I of Takewing a.m., Miguel Santana picks up a monarch on the path to the sanctuary where the butterflies spend the winter. Although it appears to be dead, it gradually revives in the warmth of his hands. He then places it on a tree trunk in the forest and saves it from being eaten by its predators.

This choice is also ours – to save a tiny fragile bit of our world, one butterfly at a time. Our fate is in our hands – to find our way home before there is no home to return to. As the story reminds us, we can and must do this with the same butterfly exuberance when they make their epic journey – to “dive off banks of noon” (Emily Dickenson) and take wing.

Brenda Wilson

About the Author

Brenda Wilson spent her professional career in the dual domains of teaching and librarianship. After retiring, she was finally able to indulge in her great passion for writing, photography, and world travel. For over three decades, she has followed her love for the monarch butterfly to Mexico, where she spent so many winters with them. Brenda Wilson now lives and writes in the wonderful city of her birth: Montreal, Quebec. Read More

Synopsis

At the heart of this fictional work of survival is one of the most spectacular life cycles on earth, that of Danaus plexipus or the Monarch Butterfly. As this iconic insect’s annual migration dances to the tune played by the weather, so does the North American plot alternate between the mountains of Central Mexico and rural Eastern Ontario, Canada.

Two families, the Santanas and the Desjardins are brought together by their love of this tiny creature. Over the twelve months from November 2010 to November 2011, the monarchs migrate between their two countries, just as they have for millennia. More than ever, they have become a beacon of hope for all that is beautiful and fragile in our world. Like the “canary in a coal mine”, the monarchs hover between survival and extinction. Threatened by extreme weather, deforestation, and the degradation of their food sources, these environmental concerns make up the fabric of this book.

Other threads in the story are the technologies that invade our privacy under the guise of public safety and security. Since Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring”, the unbridled greed and avarice of immense international agrochemical companies continue.

Bent on leaving our world a toxic wasteland with all the attendant diseases, cancer strikes down the story’s young protagonist, Anne Desjardins. Gone are her carefree and pastoral days of hayrides, bird’s nests and clear blue skies. It will take more than just a medical breakthrough to deliver her from her health crucible and “slip the surly bonds of earth”.

In order for Anne to survive, it will take the far more powerful forces of courage, friendship, and love to turn the tide and help to bring this tale to its hopeful conclusion. As the story ends, two young lovers share their first kiss under the Mexican stars.