I thoroughly enjoyed this book when I first read it. However, upon rereading it, my appreciation for it grew even stronger.

Since my initial reading, our country has witnessed a flurry of discussions regarding immigration.

With this new perspective, I came to realize that I had overlooked the profound impact of immigration on this particular family. They had immigrated legally, armed with some language skills and employment opportunities. Nevertheless, the experience of fleeing Trujillo undeniably added a traumatic dimension to their lives.

The second time around, I also found myself more captivated by the backwards time line. In fact, I relished every aspect of this book, with the sole exception of their preference for Russell Stover chocolates.

In my opinion, Fanny May is the clear and obvious choice.

Wow!

This is such an amazing article. It really catches my attention from the very beginning.

The author has done a great job in presenting the ideas and concepts in a clear and concise manner.

The content is not only interesting but also quite informative.

I found myself completely engaged while reading it.

The use of language is also very effective.

The words and phrases chosen by the author add a lot of flavor and depth to the article.

It makes the reading experience even more enjoyable.

Overall, I think this is a great piece of writing and I look forward to reading more from the author in the future.

This was an incredibly beautiful read.

The handling of time in this book is truly remarkable. It commences when the sisters are already grown and then gracefully winds back to when they were children on the verge of leaving for the USA. This unique temporal structure feels almost magical, propelling the book forward at a really captivating pace. It's as if there is a river of stories that flows seamlessly, carrying the reader along on an enchanting journey.

I was truly enamored with how, as you progress through the book and learn more about the sisters' upbringing and where they came from, you begin to intricately weave and understand who they are as adults.

I firmly believe that, especially for those who have a transnational background, this book holds a special charm. The folklore-like telling of certain stories and moments vividly reminded me of my mom sharing tales of her childhood around our kitchen table.

I'm filled with excitement as I look forward to reading In the Time of the Butterflies next!

Told in reverse chronological order, this text undertakes a detailed examination of the process of assimilation to the imperial center from its periphery. It begins by looking at the most recent developments and works its way back in time. The study delves into how the periphery gradually integrated with the imperial center, exploring the various factors that contributed to this process. These factors might include political, economic, cultural, and social aspects. By analyzing the process in reverse, a more comprehensive understanding can be gained of how the imperial center exerted its influence and how the periphery responded. This approach allows for a deeper exploration of the complex dynamics between the center and the periphery, shedding light on the mechanisms of assimilation and the changes that occurred over time.

I read this book for the university and most of the time I was completely confused.

Although at the beginning of each chapter it was always stated who would approximately be in the center, sometimes I didn't really know exactly who the narrator was at that moment.

The topics that the book dealt with were actually really very interesting, but somehow it couldn't excite me that much.

Actually, I liked Alburquerque more. (Although one can't really compare the books that much as they have 0.00% in common in terms of content, yet the latter was more exciting in my opinion!)

Maybe it was the way the story was told or the lack of a clear narrative voice that made it difficult for me to fully engage with the book.

However, I still think that it's important to read different types of literature to expand our horizons and gain new perspectives.

Despite my initial confusion and lack of enthusiasm, I'm sure there are others who will find this book to be a great read.

Everyone has different tastes and preferences when it comes to books, and that's what makes reading such a diverse and enjoyable experience.

I had to read this book for school, and initially, my impression was just okay.

The writing style was truly something that caught my attention. It had a certain charm that made it quite engaging to read. Additionally, the character development throughout the novel was quite remarkable. We could see how the characters evolved and changed as the story progressed.

However, there were a few aspects that I didn't particularly like. One of the main issues was that each of the chapters seemed very episodic. They didn't really flow together smoothly to form an overarching plot. It felt more like a collection of individual stories rather than a cohesive narrative. Another thing that bothered me was that we never really got to know the characters on a deeper level. We only knew their stories, but not their true personalities, fears, and desires.

Overall, this book was just okay. It had its good points, such as the writing style and character development, but it also had its flaws. If you're interested in reading it, I would recommend it with the caveat that you should be prepared for the episodic nature of the chapters and the lack of in-depth character exploration.

This is an interesting story that truly engages the reader.

The character development within the story is excellent. We get to see the characters grow and change as the plot unfolds, which adds depth and authenticity to the narrative.

However, I'm not a fan of how the story was segmented. The breaks between the segments sometimes felt a bit abrupt and disrupted the flow of the story. It would have been better if the transitions between the segments were smoother and more seamless.

Overall, despite the issue with the segmentation, the interesting story and well-developed characters make this a worthwhile read. I would recommend it to others who enjoy engaging and thought-provoking stories.

Perhaps with a bit more work on the segmentation, this story could be even better and reach an even wider audience.

Nevertheless, it's still a great piece of work that shows the author's talent and creativity.

I look forward to reading more from this author in the future.

3.5 ⭐️

I'm increasingly realizing that I have a great fondness for stories that revolve around immigrant experiences.

Leaving the place where your family and everything dear to you is located and venturing into a completely new environment is no small feat.

The characters in such stories embark on a journey of self-discovery, finding their true identities in their new homes.

They also have to grapple with the ignorance of the people around them and strive to build new communities in their adopted lands.

It's truly a complex and multi-faceted experience that is a lot to take in.

For this particular book, at times, it was a bit challenging to distinguish between the four sisters.

However, the reverse chronological chapter setup was quite interesting.

It allowed us to first see how the sisters were as adults and then gradually uncover the childhood events that shaped their characters.

Overall, I would highly recommend this book.

It's a quick and engaging read that offers valuable insights into the immigrant experience.

Wow, I was truly under-impressed.

This is the story of sisters who were born into the lap of luxury in South America. Due to political reasons, they were then compelled to migrate to North America.

However, this is not the tale of a family that had to endure hardships in America. Instead, it is the story of four girls who, even after being uprooted, never faced poverty. Yet, at certain points in the novel, each of the four girls goes a little crazy and has to spend time either with a psychiatrist or in a facility.

Although the family was forced to flee because of political turmoil, the girls were protected by their parents. They came from a wealthy family that continued to desire them, support them, and welcome them during their return visits. In reality, nothing happened to these girls that wasn't of their own doing or in their own minds.

I was extremely disappointed in this book and would not recommend it to others.

It seems that the author failed to create a truly engaging and believable story, despite the interesting premise. The characters' actions and behaviors felt rather forced and unconvincing, leaving me with a sense of dissatisfaction.

Perhaps if the author had delved deeper into the sisters' experiences and emotions, or if the plot had been more developed and less predictable, I might have had a more positive opinion of the book. But as it stands, I can only give it a thumbs down.

4.5⭐️! I truly relished the structure of this novel.

It is partly autobiographical, yet it is recounted through multiple points of view and alternates between the first and third person.

In my view, the most precious aspect of this novel is the portrayal of several distinct immigration experiences within a single family unit.

The concept that one's situation, circumstances, and DNA can be nearly identical, yet lead to different emotional responses and realities, is significant, I believe, when attempting to conceptualize the themes in the story.

This does not present a homogeneous immigration experience but rather reveals that each person's unique internal composition, combined with all the external forces and experiences, can result in vastly disparate experiences.

The novel narrates the story, in reverse chronology, of how the Garcia Girls, who shared the same parents, grandparents, childhood home, and so on, each experienced "losing" their accents in diverse ways.

It delves deep into their individual journeys, highlighting the nuanced differences that emerge despite the commonalities in their backgrounds.

This exploration of the immigrant experience through the lens of the Garcia Girls provides a rich and complex understanding of the various factors that shape a person's identity and sense of belonging.

Overall, the novel's structure and its portrayal of the immigrant experience make it a captivating and thought-provoking read.

Este libro estuvo un poco difícil para mí.

Hay tres razones. En primer lugar, estoy aprendiendo español y todavía no sé todas las palabras que necesito para leer un libro adulto en español. Necesito un diccionario o un ejemplar del libro en inglés al lado de mí.

En segundo lugar, el libro tiene cuatro protagonistas y sus padres y los puntos de vista cambian con cada capítulo.

Por último, se invierte la secuencia de las historias. Corren del presente hacia el pasado. Al principio, el lector conoce a las hermanas Garcia en los sesentas, cuando son mujeres, algunas de ellas con esposos e hijos. Pero en cada capítulo, los personajes son más jóvenes que fueron en el capítulo anterior. En los capítulos últimos son niñas. Esto podría hacer el libro un poco confuso para cualquier lector.

Sin embargo, a pesar de estas dificultades, me gusta mucho este libro. Las muchachas Garcia son cuatro mujeres interesantes.

La mayor, Carla, es lista y mandona y se convierte en una psicóloga cuando crece.

La segunda hermana, Sandra, es bella pero tiene problemas debido a su belleza y su peso.

Yolanda, la tercera hermana, le encantan palabras y hombres, pero no puede encontrar una manera para ponerlos juntos. Para mí, las partes del libro que fueron de su punto de vista fueron las que estaban más interesantes.

Sofia, la menor de las hermanas, tiene un espíritu libre y desafia las ideas de sus padres y pensamientos convencionales en general.

Contar hacia atrás las historias de las hermanas Garcia resulta útil para el lector. Al principio, los carácteres de las hermanas están revelados a través de la acción del libro. Cuando se continúa leyendo, el lector comienza a entender las razones detrás de sus comportamientos de manera más profunda.

Nunca antes he leído un libro que esté escrito de esta manera y cuando empecé a comprender el arreglo del libro, este estilo de escribir se convirtió siempre más absorbente.

Este libro explica claramente las dificultades de ser un inmigrante en los Estados Unidos – lo bueno y lo malo. Las muchachas Garcia llegan a los Estados Unidos en los sesentas, una década particularmente difícil para personas de otros países.

Los papeles de las mujeres en la cultura estaban cambiando. Había drogas en todas partes y más libertad sexual también. La confusión gubernamental reinaba en el país.

Para cuatro hermanas que venían de un país conservador como La República Dominicana, la diferencia entre sus experiencias y las de sus padres era inmensa. Pero muchos de los problemas y éxitos de estas hermanas son los mismos que los de cualquier inmigrante en cualquier país, ahora o en los sesentas.

Este libro proporciona al lector una mejor comprensión de esta experiencia.

I decided to take on the challenge of reading this book, and I must admit that I was truly impressed by the writing style.

However, my feelings towards the story are rather mixed. I'm not entirely sure if it's because the book was too concise, leaving the story feeling somewhat underdeveloped, but it just seemed to lack a certain something. That being said, I still enjoyed the book as a whole, and it has piqued my interest in reading more of this author's works.

I'm grateful for the insights it provided into the Dominican Republic, and I absolutely adored "the four girls".

I think I need to explore this author's body of work in greater depth. For this reason, I'm eagerly looking forward to reading her second novel in the not-too-distant future.

It's exciting to think about what other stories and perspectives she has to offer, and I can't wait to discover them.

I'm sure that with each new book, I'll gain a deeper understanding and appreciation for her writing and the worlds she creates.

Overall, this reading experience has been a positive one, and I'm excited to see where my exploration of this author's works takes me.