In the Time of the Butterflies

In the Time of the Butteflies

by Julia Alvarez
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Let’s get one thing out of the way before I actually describe the book. As you read my review, you might think this book sounds “educational” or “good for you” or any other fancy ways of saying boring, unpleasant, and hard to read. Well, it is educational and lots of bad things do happen to the main characters, but it is not boring, unpleasant, or hard to read. This is one of the few books I ever had to read for an English class that I loved. I think the author did a great job describing the characters and the setting. I found it very easy to read, and even though I kept thinking to myself, “This is exactly the kind of book I usually hate,” I couldn’t put it down.

In 1930, Rafael Trujillo became the President and dictator of the Dominican Republic. If you joined his political party (there was only one party, since he outlawed all the others), you were expected to “donate” some of your salary to the government. If you didn’t join his party, you might just end up dead.

Four sisters from the Mirabal family, Patria, Minerva, Dedé, and María Teresa, slowly realize just how awful Trujillo is, and eventually they join the resistance movement against him. I don’t mean they hold signs or carry letters. I mean they smuggle guns. They’re serious. They and their husbands spend time in prison. The novel isn’t just about four women in the resistance, though. It’s about their lives as human beings, although being in the resistance does become a big part of their lives.

Although the story is a work of fiction, the Mirabal sisters are real Рthey actually joined the fight against Trujillo, and three of them were murdered. The story is introduced by Ded̩, the surviving sister, but individual chapters are narrated by different sisters. This gives us a chance to really get to know each of the four women.

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Where to Find It

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