Gorgeous writing!!! It was so captivating that it held my attention firmly, even as the tone gradually became more serious and dark. Alvarez mentioned that although she conducted extensive research, she took certain creative freedoms by inventing and collapsing details. However, her ultimate aim was to bring out the spirit of the Mirabal sisters as she envisioned them. And I truly felt a connection to them. These were women in the early 20th century Dominican Republic who possessed a fiery courage that I might never have in my entire life!

I love how, from this novel, I not only learned more about a history that was previously unknown to me but also gained a deeper understanding of the human spirit that we all share, regardless of different times, lands, social identities, and more. Alvarez wanted to view the Mirabal sisters as ordinary humans, beyond the legends and myths, as individuals who experienced fear, doubt, hesitation, and weariness. But for me, the impact extends beyond simply connecting with the Mirabals and their specific circumstances.

Alvarez crafted such distinct personalities for each of the sisters, which I believe gives us, the present readers, some hope that courage can manifest in various forms and magnitudes. There is so much to discuss regarding historical fiction as well. I am particularly curious as to why Alvarez arranged the perspectives in the way she did (and then later reversed the order in the last part) and why she chose to use the diary format for Mate. Additionally, some of the narrative perspectives/pronouns employed were rather odd...

I've read Julia Alvarez's first book, The Garcia Girls, and I adored it. I can't believe it took me so long to get to this one!! Her writing and storytelling skills are truly masterful.

This is an intense and melancholy fictional biography about four sisters who were raised in the Dominican Republic during the Trujillo regime. Three of the sisters, Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Patria, got involved in the underground guerilla movement and unfortunately, were ultimately killed by the regime. To this day, they are regarded as martyrs in the Caribbean.

Even though I was aware throughout the story that Minerva, Maria Teresa, and Patria would meet their fates, it still hit me hard when it actually happened at the end. It felt as if I had witnessed these women grow up and become individuals with hopes and dreams that were brutally shattered due to the dictatorship of Trujillo. I couldn't help but cry when their surviving sister and their mother were informed of their deaths. It truly testifies to the excellent writing of Alvarez that I could be so deeply moved.

Alvarez mentions in a personal note at the end that the depictions of these women are entirely fictional as she didn't know them and had no access to people who knew them personally. She had heard about the sisters all her life because her family left the Dominican Republic just a few months before their deaths after her own father was imprisoned and then released. She was fascinated by them and desired to tell their story in a moving way, which she believed could be best achieved through fiction. She hopes she has captured the spirit of the sisters. I'm not sure how accurate their portrayal is, but what she has accomplished is a compelling story of a family who risked everything, including their homes and families, to fight against a corrupt government. I applaud her effort and hope that the Mirabal family is pleased with the story.

There once was a dictator in the Dominican Republic named Trujillo.

He was a truly malevolent figure. His actions and policies brought great harm and suffering to the people of the Dominican Republic.

Under his rule, there was widespread oppression, fear, and human rights abuses. Many innocent people lost their lives or were imprisoned unjustly.

His regime was marked by corruption, nepotism, and a blatant disregard for the rule of law.

This is only one of the many sad stories during his reign, a story that combines elements of fiction and facts.

It serves as a reminder of the dangers of dictatorship and the importance of safeguarding democracy and human rights.

Even today, the legacy of Trujillo's rule continues to have an impact on the Dominican Republic, and it is a topic that is still studied and discussed by historians and scholars.

I'm not an Alvarez fan, but I truly relished getting a fictionalized peek into a segment of Dominican Republican history. Once more, I was deeply frustrated by history. This narrative is the same tale that has unfolded in numerous countries.

However, I was heartened by Alvarez's afterword. She noted that she allowed herself the freedom to fictionalize the characters since the Maribel sisters have become so mythical that they seem almost superhuman. But through her book, we can perceive that any one of us has the potential to be as courageous as Patria, Dede, Minerva, and Mate.

And although, for me, this book is really a 3, I awarded it 4 stars due to the afterword and the epilogue. Dede comes full circle. If, after all, it is she, not Minerva, who is the courageous one. We all yearn for the passion and dedication of the Minerva's, but what about the Dede's who live (sometimes making the more arduous choice) and continue to carry on the story? Their role is equally significant and often overlooked.

In this book, we become acquainted with the lives of the Mirabal sisters and their continuous struggles against the autocratic and dictatorial Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic. Julia Alvarez emphasizes in the final note of the book the fictional nature of many of the events, dates, and circumstances. According to the author, "A novel is never a historical document but a way to travel through the human heart." The narrative style that Ms. Alvarez has chosen in this novel to achieve this goal is very clever. As we read the book, we get to know the spirits, inner worlds, and concerns of each sister from her own language, from childhood to adulthood, a path that could best accompany the reader with the heroes of the story and their dreams. An accompaniment that was beyond the hidden realities behind the details of the story; an accompaniment of the kind of empathy with the butterflies hopeful for the end of a historical and dark period.

This book offers a unique perspective on a significant era in history. It not only tells the story of the Mirabal sisters but also delves deep into the human experience during times of oppression and struggle. The use of vivid language and detailed descriptions brings the characters and their world to life, making it easy for the reader to become fully immersed in the story.

Through the eyes of the Mirabal sisters, we see the courage, determination, and love that sustained them in their fight for freedom and justice. Their story is a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for what is right, even in the face of great adversity.

Overall, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in history, literature, or the human spirit. It is a beautifully written and thought-provoking work that will stay with you long after you have finished reading.

I'm awarding this book 4 stars. The reason is that I have an aversion to long chapters, and unfortunately, there were several rather long ones in this particular book.

However, setting that aside, this is a magnificently written story. It delves into a real tragedy that occurred in the Dominican Republic. The author's writing style is truly beautiful, as I've mentioned previously. Her words have the power to transport the reader into the heart of the story, making it a captivating and engaging read.

Despite the drawback of the long chapters, I am still very impressed with this book. I will most definitely be reading more of this author's works in the future. I'm eager to see what other wonderful stories she has to tell and how her writing will continue to evolve. I believe that she has a great talent for bringing historical events to life through her writing, and I'm excited to explore more of her literary offerings.

A haunting and beautiful interpretation of Rafael Trujillo's brutal regime unfolds before us. We witness the lives and deaths of the remarkable sisters who defied his rule. Through the eyes of each Mirabel sister, the horrors of life under totalitarianism are laid bare. Yet, we also perceive the pure strength and courage that drive resistance and revolution.

Moreover, we see the joys of sisterhood, the ebb and flow of love and motherhood, and the power and beauty of women who remain unwavering in their love for freedom and expression. Reading this is both a source of joy and heartbreak. The lives of each sister were filled with pain, but also with accomplishment. They continue to live on in the words of this beautiful classic novel, serving as an inspiration for generations to come.

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I just couldn't get into this book.

The beginning was extremely choppy, and on top of that, it sounded rather superficial.

There were numerous descriptions, but they were only focused on what things looked like.

It was as if I was looking at a painting, yet I couldn't see the faces.

I had a great deal of difficulty identifying with any of the characters and their seemingly perfect little lives.

I firmly believe that my disconnection with the beginning had a significant impact on my feelings towards the remainder of the book.

Consequently, I can only rate it 2 stars.

This lack of engagement from the start made it hard for me to become fully immersed in the story and its characters.

I hope that future books by this author will have a more captivating and engaging beginning to draw readers in from the very first page.

I know I'm completely out of step with everyone else when it comes to this book.

I've really tried my hardest to read it, but it just bores me to tears. The only part that I actually enjoyed was the first part which was about the girls at the convent school.

However, the convention of the schoolgirl's "dear diary" turning into "dearest dearest little book" was a sign of what was to come.

I'm familiar with Santo Domingo, which is what the Dominican Republic is called in the Caribbean, and I know all about the bloody and murderous Trujillo regime. So, I was extremely disappointed with the sickly treatment of such an important subject.

This story is about the four Mirabal sisters who opposed the Trujillo regime and ended up with three of them being assassinated. They are Santo Domingan heroes for their resistance and also for their feminist stance.

The author has turned this into light fiction, and I would much rather have read an unembellished non-fiction book about the sisters. I could do without all the silliness, the invented dialogue, and everything else that goes into writing a semi-historical novel.

I just feel like this important story has been watered down and made into something that it's not.

This is an incredibly powerful and emotionally charged historical fiction novel. It is based on the lives of the Mirabal sisters. Three of them, Patria, Minerva, and Maria Teresa, were assassinated for their political activities against Rafael Trujillo, who ruled the Dominican Republic as a dictator for a long 31 years.

On November 25, 1960, as they were returning from visiting the husbands of Minerva and Maria Teresa, who were imprisoned in an isolated prison, they were killed. Their bodies, along with that of their driver, were found in the jeep they had been traveling in, at the foot of a steep mountain pass. Although their deaths were initially claimed to be an accident, it was later proven that they had been murdered by Trujillo's men. Their actions and the horror their untimely deaths stirred up are believed to have significantly contributed to the eventual downfall of the dictator. The fourth sister, Dede, survived to uphold their legacy and raise the children they left behind.

In this book, the author has chosen to tell a fictionalized account of what led to that fateful day, using the voices of each of the sisters. She has imagined their growing up years and the beginning of their involvement in the movement to depose the tyrannical 'El Jefe'. Her focus is not only on their courage but also on their motivations, doubts, and fears as the regime tightened its grip around their loved ones. Told in the alternating perspectives of all four sisters from the 1940s to 1960, with Dede's voice in 1994 talking about the aftermath and the years that followed, this novel reads like a thriller whose ending you know but wish you could change.

Minerva was the first to get involved when she heard of the horrific acts of vengeance carried out by EL Jefe against a classmate's family. Her marriage to Manuelo, a leader of the June 14th movement, strengthened her resolve. Patria, the most devout of the sisters, supported her because she couldn't bear to think about her children's future in such a horrible political climate. The youngest sister, Maria, whose husband was also in the movement, was influenced by her older siblings. Only Dede remained resolved not to directly participate, though she helped from the outside in any way she could.

Daughters of a wealthy businessman, the sisters led a carefree life until they became aware of the reality of their country. 'Until the nail is hit, it doesn’t believe in the hammer.' Resolved to give their all to topple the tyrant, they continuously risked their own freedom, even facing imprisonment and separation from their young children. Their ambivalent feelings about their responsibilities to their children and the consequences of their chosen path are poignantly expressed. Maria Teresa's innocence and earnestness in her diary entries tug at the heartstrings. Patria struggles with her faith, and Minerva wishes she didn't always have to appear strong.

Along with the respect and appreciation for the Mariposas' sacrifices, there is also deep sadness for their tragically young deaths and sorrow for the surviving sister Dede, whose'martyrdom was living without them'. Through their story, the author has shown the cost of standing up against evil and injustice. In the author's note, she says she didn't want to deify them but present them as regular human beings whose courage was challenged in countless ways. I definitely think she succeeded in doing that through this novel, which she describes as 'not a historical document but a way to travel through the human heart'.

In the early 1960s, the author, Julia Alvarez, arrived in NYC. She fled with her family from the tyranny of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. At that time, she was just a young girl. Her father had been part of a resistance cell, plotting against the regime. However, the secret police arrested him before the revolt could even begin.

A few months after her family's exile, the same secret police brutally murdered three brave sisters on a remote mountain road, along with their driver. They were attempting to return to their homes and families after visiting their political prisoner husbands in jail.

These events had an indelible impact on the author as a youth. As an adult writer, she returned to her island home to begin the work that would become this fascinating and timely story. Author Alvarez could have chosen to write a memoir or a biography. Instead, she transformed these events and her own life experience into a sadly gripping novel.

I listened to the audio version of the book. In part I of the book, the sisters are children living in the family home and attending a Catholic school. Each character is brought to life by a different voice over actress. This allows the listener/reader to vividly imagine their personalities and interests, adding depth to the storytelling. Part II of their story is told in the first person by a fourth surviving sister. It's a wonderful story of a heroic family, beautifully told. I highly recommend it to lovers of history and historical fiction.