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A review by meganmikaelian
In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
emotional
informative
reflective
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
5.0
I didn’t know anything about the DR’s political history or the Mirabal sisters going into this, but by the end I felt like I knew the sisters and the country personally.
I loved how human Alvarez’s portrayal of each woman was. These were not born and bred revolutionaries, they were women with fears and families and dreams who were brave enough to stand up for what was right.
Knowing the ending of the book made it all the more heart wrenching to read the sisters’ stories and grow to love them. The way Alvarez built up tension in the final chapter was brilliantly done and I had to put the book down a few times because I knew what was coming but didn’t want to face it just yet.
Highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in historical fiction. This story takes place well within living memory and the message is even more poignant in today’s political landscape in the US and world wide.
I loved how human Alvarez’s portrayal of each woman was. These were not born and bred revolutionaries, they were women with fears and families and dreams who were brave enough to stand up for what was right.
Knowing the ending of the book made it all the more heart wrenching to read the sisters’ stories and grow to love them. The way Alvarez built up tension in the final chapter was brilliantly done and I had to put the book down a few times because I knew what was coming but didn’t want to face it just yet.
Highly recommend this book to anyone even remotely interested in historical fiction. This story takes place well within living memory and the message is even more poignant in today’s political landscape in the US and world wide.