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In the Time of the Butterflies
In the Time of the Butterflies
Author: Julia Alvarez
During the last days of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic, three young women, members of a conservative, pious Catholic family, who had become committed to the revolutionary overthrow of the regime, were ambushed and assassinated as they drove back from visiting their jailed husbands. Thus martyred, the Mirabal sisters have bec...  more »
ISBN-13: 9780452274426
ISBN-10: 0452274427
Publication Date: 8/1/1995
Pages: 325
Rating:
  • Currently 4/5 Stars.
 156

4 stars, based on 156 ratings
Publisher: Plume Books
Book Type: Paperback
Other Versions: Hardcover, Audio Cassette, Audio CD
Members Wishing: 1
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Top Member Book Reviews

reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 86 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 5
Please see my full review here.

I really enjoyed this book. It reminded me a lot of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's work 100 Years of Solitude without the overt mysticism.

Touching story of women who are born into troubling political times and caught up in trying to make a difference because of their love for each other and their families.
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 293 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Beautifully written, very sad book. This is a story of 4 sisters growing up in the Dominican Republic under the rule of Trujillo, the dictator. The author wrote this with the help of the surviving sister and other family members. I read this thinking that they weren't that much older than me and, while I was worrying about having a date and what dress to wear, they were planning a revolution! Vivan las Mariposas!!!!!!!
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 3 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
I love historical Fiction and this book is just another example of why. I learned so much about a time in history that I never knew before, but it was not your typical history lesson---so much more enjoyable. It was a sad story, yet, the book remains hopeful. Please note--the cover is different than the one shown here. Mine is red.
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 70 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 1
Great book. Really gives the feeling of the state of fear in the country without graphic violence.
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on
Helpful Score: 1
I absolutely loved this book. I read it for a Political Writings by Women class, but it was wonderfully written and it draws the reader in. It is about the Mirabal sisters who, in their own ways, helped in the Dominican revolution .
Read All 34 Book Reviews of "In the Time of the Butterflies"

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reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on
Excellent writer.Great historical fiction plot.I am now a Julia Alvarez fan!
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 813 more book reviews
It is a fictionalized memoir about the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic and the several sisters (the Butterflies) who defied him. For another side you should read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz. Alvarezs work is referenced at least twice in his book. Butterflies is by far the best book (read it first), but there are some interesting parallels. If you read Oscar Wao, it is replete with street-level Spanish, and there are numerous colloquialisms in his native tongue. Keep a Spanish-English dictionary handy, or go to the Internet at www.annotated-oscar-wao.com. Also, as Cole Porter tells us to brush up your Shakespeare, you should brush up your Sci-Fi genre all the way back to Edgar Rice Burroughs as the protagonist is a nerdy, trekki, kind of a game-playing, bookish misfit.
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on
The author has a beautiful writing style. She managed to address the atrocities of the period without being graphic and distracting, but also without shielding the reader. It's a good read.
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 4 more book reviews
Amazing story of the Dominican sisters who stood up for their rights and beliefs! I think this book is great for women history as well as learning about the Dominican culture! I absolutely loved this book. There is also a movie that followed the book, so it's great to compare the book and the movie!
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 6 more book reviews
Very interesting subject but it was a bit slow for me.
reviewed In the Time of the Butterflies on + 13 more book reviews
A beautifully written book. Almost impossible to put down. A great historical fiction novel about four strong, brave women in the Dominican Republic.


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