Give me a moment as I pick up the pieces of my heart.

It feels as if my world has just shattered into countless fragments. The pain is so intense that it's almost unbearable.

I stand here, surrounded by the debris of what used to be my hopes and dreams.

Each piece seems to hold a memory, a moment that now stings with regret.

But I know I have to find the strength within me to put these pieces back together.

It won't be easy, and it will take time.

I may stumble along the way, but I refuse to give up.

With every piece I拾起, I am rebuilding my life, stronger and more resilient than before.

So, give me this moment to heal, to mourn, and to prepare for the journey ahead.

Because I know that on the other side of this pain lies a new beginning, a chance to create something even more beautiful.

How could she have missed so much before? she asked herself. It was a question that lingered in her mind, gnawing at her conscience. She had been so blind, so oblivious to the world around her.

But then a harder question followed: What was she going to do about it now that she did know? The realization of her past mistakes weighed heavily on her. She couldn't simply go back in time and change things.

She had to take action, make amends. But where should she start? The task seemed overwhelming, but she knew she couldn't give up.

She took a deep breath and began to think. Maybe she could start by reaching out to those she had hurt, apologize for her actions. Or perhaps she could volunteer her time, do something to make a positive difference in the world.

Whatever she decided to do, she knew it had to be something meaningful, something that would make up for all the time she had wasted. She was determined to turn her life around and make the most of every moment.

I was deeply influenced by the "Teke Celebration", and I also got to know about the Mirabal sisters. Those beautiful women, seeing the possibility of living in a better country, were able to take steps to bring an end to Teke (Trujillo). Great courage, self-sacrifice... While we read these as if they were a fairy tale in our warm beds, those beautiful women fell victim to a murder disguised as an accident. By the way, I wrote and deleted a few things about dictators... The heroes deserve not to be forgotten, not the dictators.

The story of the Mirabal sisters is truly inspiring. Their actions were a testament to their unwavering belief in a better future. Despite the great risks they faced, they were willing to stand up against the dictatorship and fight for the rights and freedoms of their people. Their courage and sacrifice serve as a reminder that we should never take our freedoms for granted and that we should always be willing to stand up for what is right.

We should remember the Mirabal sisters and other heroes like them, and honor their memory by continuing to work towards a more just and equal world.

I have a deep affection for this fictionalized portrayal of the Mirabal sisters' lives and deaths.

The author has masterfully endowed each sister with a unique voice and a specific motivation for rebelling against the Trujillo regime.

By presenting them as very human and flawed individuals, she compels the reader to truly ponder what it is that can instill in a person the courage to stand firm for their beliefs.

This book offers a profound exploration of the human spirit and the power of conviction.

It is a thought-provoking and engaging read that I highly recommend to anyone interested in history, human rights, or the power of the individual.

Whether you are familiar with the Mirabal sisters or not, this fictionalized account will surely leave a lasting impression and inspire you to reflect on the importance of standing up for what is right.

I have rather complex feelings towards this book.

On one hand, I completely adored reading it. The perspectives of the women as they matured and became increasingly engaged in the revolution movement were truly captivating. It was fascinating to witness their growth and the impact they had on the events around them.

However, on the other hand, there is a part of me that has some reservations. Turning the lives of these incredibly inspiring women, whose stories I also explored online, into what is essentially a "light" read makes me a bit uneasy. I understand that perhaps my view might be in the minority, and please don't misunderstand me. I did enjoy the book, but I find myself in a state of being torn.

I can't help but wonder if the essence and significance of these women's lives were somewhat diluted in the process of creating a more accessible and enjoyable read.

Nonetheless, I still recognize the value and entertainment that the book provided, and it has left me with much to think about.

This book was truly an amazing historical fiction account of the Mirabal sisters, who were remarkable Dominican Republic revolutionaries.

It not only vividly captured their heroic struggles for the freedom and justice of their beloved country, but also delved deep into the beautiful themes of sisterhood and friendship.

The story of the Mirabal sisters is one that is both inspiring and heart-wrenching. Their unwavering courage and determination in the face of great adversity is truly remarkable.

Viva la butterflies! This phrase represents the spirit and beauty of the Mirabal sisters. It is a celebration of their lives and their legacy.

Long live sisters everywhere! The bond of sisterhood is a powerful and beautiful thing. It is a source of strength, support, and love.

Just like the Mirabal sisters, all sisters have the potential to make a difference in the world. We should cherish and celebrate this special bond.

Moving and deeply heartfelt, this fictionalised account vividly描绘了 the lives of the Mirabal sisters in the Dominican Republic during the tyrannical regime of Dictator Trujillo. There is truly something about Hispanic writing and settings that I am extremely drawn to. The close-knit extended families, the powerful and evocative language, the image of Limondas on the verandah in a tropical garden, and the passionate and emotional characters all combine to create a captivating atmosphere. What makes this book even more special is that it is based on a true and tragic story, giving readers a sense of what it must have been like to live relatively normal lives initially, only to find that every word could be overheard and used against them, with people they knew disappearing, and yet having to pretend to celebrate their so-called 'Benefactor'. And ultimately, they had to make difficult choices about how involved they would be and what risks they were willing to take to oppose that regime.

The book is written from the varying perspectives of the four sisters, which adds depth and complexity to the narrative. I was instantly hooked from the start. Although there were a couple of instances where the story dragged slightly, I can't say that I would have wanted it to be any longer. I wasn't particularly fond of Maria Therese's childish diary entries, but that is a minor quibble. Overall, this book is thoroughly enjoyable and completely engrossing, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

Julia Alvarez takes us on an immersive journey deep into a hitherto little known history of tyranny and revolution in the Dominican Republic.

Based on the real sister activists famously known as the "butterflies", this fictional account masterfully weaves together actual events with the innermost hearts and minds of these remarkable women. In essence, we are able to experience these events right alongside the sisters.

Alvarez, who fled the Dominican Republic with her family at the tender age of 10 for New York, poses thought-provoking questions. For instance, what exactly politicizes a person? What drives them to become an activist? How do those small, seemingly insignificant steps ultimately lead to profound change? And how do the fundamental needs for love and safety constantly battle with larger and more far-reaching concerns such as freedom and self-determination?

All of this combines to create an amazingly compelling read that makes you fall in love with these unlikely heroines. This book served a dual purpose for me - it not only captivated me with its enthralling story but also taught me a history about which I had very little prior knowledge. Whether you read it to learn, to feel, or simply to lose yourself in its pages, you are sure to be richly rewarded.

This piece of writing delves into a work related to revolutionary topics that interests the author.

The work's popularity initially led the author to have some concerns about its depth and anti-imperialistic stance.

However, it does provide valuable context in certain parts, especially towards the end.

The author regrets the swift ending after some impactful scenes.

The book was read as part of a "Banned Book" category in a reading challenge.

It contains little in the way of sex and violence, and no curse words that the author can recall.

The revolutionary aspects could have been explored further, in the author's opinion.

The reason for the ban is unknown, but the author imagines it to be ridiculous.

The author wonders which popular college reserve books might violate the banning standards.

Despite not being as radical as the author would like, the work is still a good introduction to women's history, the Dominican Republic, or Latin American literature.

It gives a human face to the facts and figures and elicits strong emotions near the end.

Overall, while not mind-blowing for the author, it has been so for many others and is worth fighting for.

UGH. I'll likely pen a rather lackluster review of this book at some point in the future. However, since it was a school requirement, I'll have to dissect it thoroughly in class. Right now, it's summertime, and I simply don't want to give In the Time of the Butterflies any more thought than is absolutely necessary.

EDIT 10/15/15: Here's my astonishingly brilliant review... This book truly sucks. Well, perhaps I shouldn't put it so harshly. Let's say I didn't care for it. But no matter how you phrase it, this book bored me to tears. I couldn't find an ounce of sympathy for any of the characters. It seemed more focused on who married whom, who was pregnant, and what all the sisters were wearing. There was even a strange breastfeeding fetish that was mentioned TWICE in the book - I kid you not!

The writing was rather subpar as well. There was an overabundance of telling and a severe lack of showing. The plot got completely buried beneath the unbelievably dull tone of the writing. I had anticipated a story of sisters uniting to combat an oppressive regime. Instead, I got a four-hundred-page account of fashion, menstrual cycles, giggling, and unhappy marriages that no one bothered to address. Every now and then, a paragraph would be tossed in to remind the reader that the story takes place in the Dominican Republic and that there's some bad government stuff going on. It's frustratingly vague when it should be detailed and overly specific when it should be more general.

I wish I could donate or sell my copy, but I was so exasperated while reading it that I filled it with angry annotations. Once I figure out how to include my own photos in a review, I'll share some pictures of my notes.

A Dense and Detailed Historical Novel about the Mirabal Sisters

4.0⭐
This is a historical novel that delves deep into the lives of the four Mirabal sisters from the Dominican Republic. Three of the sisters were actively involved in the underground resistance against the dictator Rafael Trujillo and tragically lost their lives on his orders in 1960. The writing is of a very high quality. A full review will follow.

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March 19, 2023

In her notes for the 25th anniversary edition of her novel, Julia Alvarez makes it evident that she wasn't aiming to write a history or biography of the Mirabal sisters. Instead, she felt that in the DR, they were becoming more of a myth than a reality. So, she sought to make their stories relatable and human for her American readers. Alvarez even has a noticeable cameo appearance in the book as a well-intentioned but clueless gringa Domicana (an American woman of Dominican ancestry) interviewer who wants to popularize the story in the US. Alvarez has a personal stake in this as her family was compelled to flee to the US just months before the sisters were killed, with her father being involved in the plotting against Trujillo.

I would say the author accomplished her objective. She crafts a highly believable, fictional account of the events, place, and time. The story is predominantly told in chronological order between 1943 and 1960, with chapters alternating among the four sisters. There are a few flash forwards to 1994 and the surviving sister Dede, who is left to relate the aftermath. While some of the dialogue seems a bit too 'chick lit' to me (sorry), at times she nails it, with lines that convey much more than they initially appear to.

One aspect of the novel that I valued was that Alvarez makes it clear that the sisters, although they may be revolutionaries (3/4), belong to the propertied, mercantile class. This is evident in their interactions with their servants, their father's'secret' family, and their criminal cell mates in prison. While the Mirabals' middle-class status might make them more accessible to her American audience, Alvarez also makes it clear that they are part of the bigger problem, not just Trujillo's political repression but also the fundamental inequality of the Dominican class system.

One complaint a sister makes is that the campensinos (farm workers, peasants in reality) didn't support an attempted revolution in the same way their counterparts did in Cuba. The deliberately unanswered question is why should they? The question Dede poses at the end of the book, reflecting on what happened after 1960, is what did her sisters die for?

There is a great deal to absorb in this thoughtful and highly regarded novel. I will have to go back at some point for a reread to see what I missed the first time. I'm sure there's a lot. -30-

Stupid, fat fingered update, July 26/23. I didn't add a thing, I just messed up the rating, which I had to go back and fix.

My curiosity about the Mirabal sisters had been awakened while reading "Teke Şenliği". I read several articles on the internet and learned about this book. It was precisely on a March 8th that when I finished reading the story of these powerful women, my heart was filled with feelings of rebellion, courage, and admiration. What happened was very shocking on its own, and I was also particularly impressed by the author's success in turning these into a novel. A book that is similar to "Teke Şenliği" in this regard; it is both a captivating novel and very well reflects the spirit of the era and its heroes. Even though the details are fictionalized, I think its essence has not been lost.

This story of the Mirabal sisters is truly inspiring. Their courage in the face of adversity and their fight for justice and freedom is something that we can all learn from. The book not only tells their personal story but also provides a glimpse into the political and social context of the time. It makes us think about the importance of standing up for what we believe in and the power that lies within each of us.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history, women's rights, or just a good story. It is a powerful and moving account that will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.