Ease Reading-Find Your Next Favorite Book

Hot Search

De cómo las muchachas García perdieron el acento / How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents

julia alvarez

... Show More
Cuando las hermanas García —Carla, Sandra, Yolanda y Sofía— y sus padres huyen de la República Dominicana buscando refugio de la persecución política, encuentran un nuevo hogar en los Estados Unidos. Pero el Nueva York de los años sesenta es marcadamente diferente de la vida privilegiada, aunque conflictiva, que han dejado atrás.

Bajo la presión de asimilarse a una nueva cultura, las muchachas García se alisan el pelo, abandonan la lengua española y se encuentran con muchachos sin una chaperona. Pero por más que intentan distanciarse de su isla natal, las hermanas no logran desprender el mundo antiguo del nuevo.  
  
Lo que las hermanas han perdido para siempre —y lo que logran encontrar— se revela en esta novela magistral de una de las novelistas más celebradas de nuestros tiempos.

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

"Poignant . . . Powerful . . . Beautifully captures the threshold experience of the new immigrant, where the past is not yet a memory." —The New York Times Book Review

Acclaimed writer Julia Alvarez’s beloved first novel gives voice to four sisters as they grow up in two cultures. The García sisters—Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofía—and their family must flee their home in the Dominican Republic after their father’s role in an attempt to overthrow brutal dictator Rafael Trujillo is discovered. They arrive in New York City in 1960 to a life far removed from their existence in the Caribbean. In the wondrous but not always welcoming U.S.A., their parents try to hold on to their old ways as the girls try find new by straightening their hair and wearing American fashions, and by forgetting their Spanish. For them, it is at once liberating and excruciating to be caught between the old world and the new. Here they tell their stories about being at home—and not at home—in America.

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 4,1991
Literary awards
long island reads, pen oakland/josephine miles, 
Places
new york city new york, dominican republic, 

This edition

Format
320 pages, Paperback
Published
October 9, 2007 by Vintage Espanol
ISBN
9781400096947
ASIN
1400096944
Language
Spanish; Castilian

More editions

About the author

Profile Image for julia alvarez

julia alvarez

... Show More
Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer-in-residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library's program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling.

Photo copyright by Brandon Cruz González
EL VOCERO DE PUERTO RICO

Readers also enjoyed

Community Reviews

Rating(3.8 / 5.0, 100 votes)
5 stars
26(26%)
4 stars
29(29%)
3 stars
45(45%)
2 stars
0(0%)
1 stars
0(0%)
100 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Tyrraell
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
I found certain parts of this book to be extremely amusing, yet there were also parts that really irritated me.

At times, I found the constant going back and forth rather confusing. Additionally, I felt that the four sisters, in some aspects, almost sounded the same.

I believe I was lacking a certain depth of character that I desired to see. I only had brief glimpses of this in Yolanda.

However, I think my favorite character was the mother with all her wonderful stories. Her tales added a rich and interesting dimension to the book.

Overall, while the book had its enjoyable moments, it also had its flaws that prevented me from fully engaging with it.

I hope that in future works, the author can address these issues and create a more satisfying reading experience.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Feduchiiz
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
I was truly intrigued by the title, which led me to keep it on my to-read list for years. However, when I finally sat down to read it, I didn't immediately fall in love.

I felt that the "voices" of the various sisters were overly similar, and all of them seemed rather shallow. It was a bit disappointing at first.

Nevertheless, the book does have its merits. It moves backwards in time, and as the girls got younger, I found myself becoming more interested in their characters. I especially enjoyed reading about their lives before they moved to the States.

My favorite part was the description of their family as a shared community: "We lived in each other’s houses, staying for meals at whatever table we were closest to when dinner was put out, heading home only to take our baths and go to bed…" It painted a vivid picture of a close-knit and unique family dynamic.

Favorite Quotes:

(about childhood)

…the wonder of the world seizing me with such fury at times that I had to touch forbidden china cups or throttle a little cousin or pet a dog’s head so strenuously that he looked as if he were coming out of the birth canal…

The Catholic sisters at Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrows Convent School were teaching me to sort the world like laundry into what was wrong and right…

…three black cars idling in the driveway like great, nervous, snorting horses.

These quotes added depth and color to the story, making it more engaging and memorable. Overall, despite its initial shortcomings, the book had its moments that made it worth reading.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
APHpoland
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More

"The Sisters" was an extremely quiet and entertaining novel from start to finish. The story commences with the sisters as adults and then works its way backwards to their childhood in their home country. I really relished this reversed storytelling technique as it initially gave a sense of who they had become and then gradually revealed the reasons behind their individuality.


I firmly believe that the author did an excellent job in narrating the story of an immigrant family, capturing all the ups and downs that come with it. I read the book cover to cover and only later noted that the author herself is an immigrant. This fact further solidifies my belief that perhaps there is a part of her in each of the sisters. It also helps me to understand how she was able to do justice to the entire experience.


Being of Mexican origin myself, throughout the book, I could vividly hear the voices of my parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. I adored the way the author intertwined Spanish throughout the text and ensured that the words were accented correctly. I also loved how she described the dress of each adult in the book from the Dominican Republic, as this added to the authenticity of each character. The dialogue was so true to the family and the culture that I found myself laughing out loud on several occasions because I had experienced similar things with my own family.


I am convinced that this book will strike a chord with anyone who has immigrants in their family. It offers a fresh perspective from the children's point of view, encompassing feelings such as fear, joy, and excitement, to name just a few.


This book was an easy read for me because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although I was initially puzzled by the abrupt ending, upon reflection, I feel that it is perfect as it gives the reader a proper understanding of the writer of the story (even though it is narrated by all) and concludes the depth of the older sister.

0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
gawdofconquest
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
This book truly threw me off balance.

It was astonishingly different from what I had initially expected, but that's not necessarily a negative aspect.

However, I'm of the opinion that the reverse chronological narrative didn't blend well with the almost standalone short stories.

The stories are presented as chapters in the lives of one of the four Garcia girls, yet they don't seem to have a strong connection.

Perhaps the author's intention was to scatter the narrative in this manner to shatter all expectations.

Despite not being a huge fan of the structure, I have to admit that the cultural setting was masterfully crafted.

The writing was also extremely poetic, adding a certain charm to the overall reading experience.

It made me reflect on different cultures and the unique experiences of the characters.

Overall, while the book had its flaws in terms of structure, it still managed to offer some interesting insights and beautiful writing.

I would recommend it to those who are open to exploring different narrative styles and cultural themes.

0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Ninjadanger123
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
Laura sat across the table. She was the only one who appeared to be listening intently to him. Yoyo and her sisters were gradually forgetting a significant portion of their Spanish. Moreover, their father's formal and overly elaborate diction made it extremely difficult for them to understand. However, Laura wore a soft smile on her face. She gently turned the lazy Susan at the center of the table around and around. It was as if the lazy Susan was the prime mover, the very first gear that engaged her attention.

She seemed completely focused on the movement of the lazy Susan, as if it held some sort of mysterious allure for her. Maybe it was a way for her to zone out from the chaos and confusion around her. Or perhaps she was simply lost in her own thoughts, using the rotation of the lazy Susan as a form of meditation. Whatever the reason, it was clear that Laura was in her own little world, separate from the rest of the family.

0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
HAO0o
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
I truly relished the episodic and poetic manner in which Alvarez narrates the story of the Garcia girls.

The book managed to hold my interest firmly throughout, and numerous of its images are highly evocative and original.

However, I do have two rather significant criticisms. Firstly, I don't believe that the reverse structure enhanced the narrative. It seemed a bit forced at times and didn't necessarily add any profound depth or new perspective to the story.

Secondly, the voices of the girls don't sound markedly different from each other. This lack of distinctiveness made it a bit challenging to truly differentiate between them and understand their individual personalities and experiences.

Despite these drawbacks, it remains a great read overall, with its engaging storyline and beautiful prose.
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Azumizai
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
I always feel that those who leave their homeland never feel at ease and remain torn between longing for their country and adapting to their new society. Even when they sometimes return to their country, this feeling persists and they cannot get rid of it, for they are strangers in their own country and strangers outside it.

Scenes and glimpses of the life of a Dominican aristocratic family who immigrated to America because the father participated in the opposition to the dictatorial regime in the 1960s.

The novel progresses in a reverse chronological order, which initially caused me some confusion.

The novel deals with the feelings of alienation, longing for the homeland, and adaptation to the new country for that family whose life has changed from a wealthy family living in a palace and served by servants to a family barely living in poor material conditions in America, in addition to the puberty problems that the girls face.

The family consists of a father who is a doctor, a mother, and four young girls of similar ages, and each of them tells some events from their point of view.

The mother has a significant role in the novel, which reminds me of the mothers in the old Egyptian movies
0 0 Reply
Profile Image for Kimberly .
Dunk_A_Ccino
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
July 14,2025
... Show More
This book is, without a doubt, one of the most dreadfully boring, mind-numbing, and soul-sucking stories I have ever had the misfortune to read. I loathe it with every fiber of my being. In fact, I specifically created this account just to pen a scathing review of this utter garbage. If it can even be dignified with that term. As the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure, but in this case, one man’s trash has the power to turn another man’s brain into mush. I’m only 177 pages into this 313-page train wreck, and already every part of me is filled with cold indifference. Reading this book is akin to being confined in a sensory deprivation tank and having your vocal cords brutally ripped out, so that you can’t even hear the sound of your own empty voice. You know that feeling when you start watching a movie and you keep wondering “when is the actual story going to start”? Well, that’s precisely what this book is like, except it persists throughout the entire thing. The level of monotony and sheer filler that this book presents is sufficient to make listening to TV static seem exciting. If only I could travel back in time, I would prevent my parents from conceiving me so that I wouldn’t have to be born and thus wouldn’t have to endure the agony of reading this atrocious novel. The title essentially encapsulates the entire book. If you read the title, you already have a good idea of what it’s about, where it takes place, and how it unfolds. It’s as clichéd as it gets. The characters are highly unlikable and shallow, and they do nothing to redeem this sorry excuse for a story. In conclusion, this book is the antithesis of a suicide hotline and should be avoided at all costs by anyone with a will to live. Screw you, Ms. Bright, for subjecting me to this hellish experience, and screw the government for permitting what is essentially a torture device to be published and sold across the country.

0 0 Reply
Leave a Review
You must be logged in to rate and post a review. Register an account to get started.