A review by rieviolet
Il tempo delle farfalle by Julia Alvarez

challenging emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I appreciated the glimpse into a time and place (the Dominican Republic in the years of the Trujillo dictatorship) that I was completely unfamiliar with. 

There were some aspects that I struggled with (mainly the strong religious focus and the inevitable association of womanhood with marriage and motherhood) but since that has to do with my own sensibilites, it might bother other readers less.

The chapters with alternating POVs and the  insertion of sections with diary entries make for a flowing reading experience. Still, I found some parts and perspectives more interesting and engaging than others. 
I really liked the final section from Dedé's POV, I found it the most moving and also the most effective in terms of prose.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Grief, Sexism, Death, Confinement, Police brutality, Torture, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Infidelity, Miscarriage, Classism, War, Gun violence, Fatphobia, Death of parent, Pregnancy, Emotional abuse, Child death, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual violence, Blood, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Domestic abuse, Dementia, and Animal cruelty

Minor: Racism, Mass/school shootings, Antisemitism, Body horror, Alcoholism, Suicide, Kidnapping, Rape, Medical content, Sexual content, Homophobia, Ableism, Cancer, Genocide, Vomit, Lesbophobia, and Excrement