rawr_tiger_run 's review for:

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

5.0

challenging dark informative inspiring tense slow-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

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Written from the perspective of all 4 Mirabel sisters, the book details the girls lives in the Dominican Republic under the dictatorship of Rafael Trujillo. The fictious (though almost historically accurate events) follow the sisters (Patria, Dedé, Minerva, and Maria Teresa) from a young age up until the calculated deaths of Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa. The 3 sisters were active members of the Underground Resistance opposing Trujillo's regime. Growing up in the United States, the history taught to us were regarding dictatorships that eventually spun out of control. With the Dominican Republic, Trujillo kept decent relations with the US and the US turned a blind eye to the supposedly "Free country but will be killed by anyone opposing the leader of the Free World Trujillo.