The García family flees the Dominican Republic for the United States during a time of political unrest. The four sisters, Carla, Sandra, Yolanda, and Sofia, find 1960s New York City to be vastly different from the upper-middle-class life they were accustomed to "back home." Without their maids and extended family, the García girls strive to assimilate into the mainstream. They iron their hair, abandon their Spanish, and meet (and date) boys without chaperones.

This is a delightfully entertaining exploration of the immigrant experience and the strong family bonds that carry these sisters (and their parents) through a tumultuous adolescence and young adulthood. The novel is told from alternating perspectives, with each chapter focusing on a different sister and also moving back in time, from 1989 to 1956.

When delving into their childhood in the DR, Alvarez makes the innocence of youth palpable. Children may sense that something is amiss, but they usually don't understand the realities their parents face. The family's sudden departure for the US is initially a great adventure, but the reality of reduced circumstances and cramped city apartments (instead of a large family compound with gardens and servants) quickly makes the girls homesick. Once they realize there is no going back, they struggle to fit in with their peers at school. They don't want to stand out because of their dress, language, food, or customs. However, as they assimilate, there is a greater clash between the girls and their parents' "old world" values.

The use of multiple narrators and a non-linear timeline, though, led to an uneven reading experience. I would become engrossed in one sister's story and then be abruptly thrust into a different time and place with a different narrator, often with little or no warning. Some members of my F2F book club found this so distracting that they significantly lowered their ratings. But for me, the "confusion" is emblematic of the immigrant experience. Each immigrant ultimately has to decide how much of the new environment's customs, foods, and dress to adopt, and how much of their native culture to preserve and share with their new neighbors. The García girls find comfort in their deep roots in the Dominican Republic while courageously and enthusiastically confronting and embracing their future as Americans.

Onvan: How the GarcÌ_a Girls Lost Their Accents

Author: Julia Alvarez

ISBN: 452287073

ISBN13: 9780452287075

Number of Pages: 304

Publication Year: 1991

This book, "How the GarcÌ_a Girls Lost Their Accents," by Julia Alvarez, is a captivating work that delves into the lives of the GarcÌ_a girls. The story follows their journey as they navigate the challenges of growing up in a new country and losing their accents. With its engaging narrative and well-developed characters, the book offers a unique perspective on the immigrant experience.

The ISBN and ISBN13 numbers provided ensure easy identification and classification of the book. The 304 pages are filled with rich descriptions and thought-provoking情节 that keep readers hooked from start to finish. Published in 1991, this book has stood the test of time and remains a popular choice among readers interested in exploring themes of identity, culture, and family.

Whether you're a fan of contemporary literature or simply looking for a good read, "How the GarcÌ_a Girls Lost Their Accents" is definitely worth checking out.

A stellar multi-generational (sort of) tale is presented here, told in a most quirky and inventive reverse chronological order. It's truly a fascinating approach that keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. I absolutely adored the play with language throughout the book. The author's use of words is so creative and unique, adding an extra layer of charm to the story. The quirkiness of the characters is another aspect that I found highly appealing. Each character has their own distinct personality and traits, making them come alive on the pages. Additionally, the political setting of the book provides a rich backdrop that enhances the overall narrative. In particular, the way the author writes from the perspective of children is a rare gift. It gives us a fresh and innocent view of the events and situations, adding a touch of authenticity and emotion. I thought the book was not only captivating but also memorable. It left a lasting impression on me and I believe it has great literary merit. It's a book that I would highly recommend to others who appreciate well-written and thought-provoking stories.

Julia Alvarez's first novel is a remarkable work that unfolds the story of the four Garcia sisters.

It does so through a series of vignettes presented in a backward chronological order. This is an ambitious approach, and for the most part, it proves successful. However, at times, the backward movement can be a bit jarring.

The story has a semi-autobiographical nature, which makes one wonder just how many details are directly taken from Alvarez's own life. Many of the stories within it are truly heartbreaking.

I came across this novel after reading her latest work, Afterlife. Interestingly, it also features four sisters and seems to have a semi-autobiographical aspect.

There are certain similarities between the quartets in each novel, although the names and birth order may vary. Ms. Alvarez also wrote Yo! as a sequel to the Garcia Girls' story. I haven't read it yet, but it focuses on her alter-ego character who allegedly creates drama by using her family as literary inspiration.

Interestingly, Afterlife contains references to Antonia, the character most similar to Alvarez, having done the same. I find these intersections between an author's fiction and real life to be truly fascinating. It makes one wonder about the blurry line between the two and how an author's personal experiences can shape their fictional works.

This was the longest time I EVER read a book for.

It was truly an extraordinary experience. Usually, I would breeze through books relatively quickly, but this particular one held my attention captive for an extended period.

I found myself completely immersed in its pages, losing track of time as I delved deeper into the story.

The characters came alive in my mind, and I felt as if I was a part of their world.

Every turn of the page brought new surprises and emotions.

It was a journey that I didn't want to end, and even when I finally finished the book, I continued to think about it for days.

This long reading session has made me realize the power of a good book to transport us to different places and touch our hearts.

I will always cherish this experience and look forward to many more like it in the future.

My favorite aspect of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents is the reverse chronological order of its chapters. This unique arrangement places the story's climax during the girls' childhood in the Dominican Republic rather than their adulthood in America. Instead of prioritizing or defending inevitable assimilation, Alvarez' structure effectively emphasizes the impact of the Garcia girls' "lost accents."

Nicely done, Ms. Alvarez.

Actually, there are many wonderful elements in How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. I was particularly impressed by the circumstances of the Garcia family's immigration. The Garcias, a wealthy family, became a target of Trujillo's government. When the CIA entered the country to organize a rebellion, Carlos Garcia understandably got involved. However, when the CIA reevaluated its position and changed policy, one spy took it upon himself to help the dissidents flee. What I like about this immigration context is that America is both a place of salvation for the family and a culpable agent in the girls' lost heritage. If one wanted to illustrate to another that the circumstances of our world are less black and white than we might prefer, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents would be an excellent choice.

Alvarez gives all of her characters the opportunity to share their stories, and careful readers will notice small details in one character's story that explain the actions of others in subsequent chapters, at least as much as family members' actions can ever be explained. Sofia, the youngest daughter, is arguably the most independent in her family, a trait that has caused her trouble. Sofia's confidence didn't make sense to me until her mother explained in a later chapter that Sofia's mistakes always brought her luck. After reading this, I could see that Sofia was indeed the strongest of the four sisters, despite the fact that a more career-minded reader might dismiss her as the least accomplished.

Readers seeking a story of contemporary immigration could hardly do better than to read How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents. It may not be as lyrically written as other works, but the structure of Alvarez' novel makes it a fascinating read.

Julia Alvarez’s “How the García Girls Lost Their Accents” had been sitting on my bookshelf for many years. It was only when I spent a July week at my parents’ that I decided to pick it up.

It’s a highly entertaining story about four girls and their parents who emigrated from the Dominican Republic to the United States in 1960. The narrative is presented in reverse chronological order, beginning with the girls already married.

I have a particular fondness for immigrant stories and have read quite a few of them, especially those about immigration to the US, which held a special allure for people from repressive regimes in previous decades. (Not surprisingly, nearly all of these stories address the disappointment with the new homeland.) The García girls moved from a place of privilege, wealth, and culture. However, due to Trujillo’s dictatorship, their very existence and domestic happiness were precarious. The new home brought with it a lack of acceptance by others, relative poverty, and sacrifice. But for the teenage girls, it also meant freedom of expression and release from the suffocating social pressure of the Dominican Republic.

I absolutely adored how well Alvarez has painted her characters. They are so full of life, especially the girls’ parents. The novel is filled with anecdotes that bind the family together. However, as with many immigrant (and not just) families, one can quickly see that the bond is too strong and becomes the cause of a great deal of drama. Alvarez described the ordeals of immigrants very well, but I found the book a bit unbalanced. It was funny to the point of being flippant; a touch of gravitas would have made it more nuanced. (And one anecdote about the family leaving Santo Domingo doesn’t quite do the trick.) In the end, it was more interesting as a light coming-of-age novel than as a work dealing with the uprootedness of immigrants.

I absolutely adored this book.

It is structured in a unique way, like a collection of short stories about the family, presented in reverse chronological order.

Here are the reasons why I was so enamored with it.

Firstly, as a second-generation Latino immigrant, the stories deeply resonated with me. The author flawlessly captures that sense of being caught between two cultures, which is a feeling I can very much relate to.

Secondly, it was truly refreshing to encounter a loving father figure in the Latin-American genre. In the few books I've read within this genre, the father is often either absent or a deadbeat. This book offers a different and much more heartwarming perspective.

Thirdly, it features a wonderful cast of four sisters. Despite living in difficult circumstances, such as in a country and family with old-fashioned customs and beliefs, they manage to be strong and independent women. Their stories are inspiring and add depth to the overall narrative.

Finally, I thought the writing was simply beautiful. The pacing was even, allowing the reader to fully immerse themselves in the lives of the characters and the events that unfold.

This book is a must-read for anyone interested in family, culture, and the power of storytelling.

\\tPersonally, I firmly believe that “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” by Julia Alvarez is a rather lackluster book. Her inspiration for this work stemmed from her real-life experiences. She lived in the Dominican Republic for the first ten years of her life until she had to flee due to her father's involvement in a political rebellion. While this book does a decent job of depicting her real life, I don't think Julia does an outstanding job of conveying her true emotions. The constant jumping from one story to another makes it difficult for the reader to fully engage and understand the depth of her feelings. Additionally, I find it extremely challenging to distinguish between the characters.

\\tIn my opinion, the fragmented narrative style of jumping from story to story is not as effective as a single, fluent storyline. For instance, I was tempted to skip around and read “The Rudy Elmenhurst Story” first. “When I went to college, my vivaciousness ultimately worked against me” (87). Although Alvarez develops her characters well in this particular story, it ends abruptly, and I then have to readjust to a new setting and storyline.

\\tThe four girls in the book are supposed to be distinct individuals, but throughout the reading, I often struggle to tell them apart. Yes, they have their differences, but the way they were brought up makes them seem almost identical. “Each of the four girls had the same party dress, school clothes, underwear, toothbrush, bedspread, nightgown…” (41). Uniqueness is a precious quality, and it is repeatedly stripped away from the characters in this book, which really frustrates me. Although the book sets up the idea of rebellion and the girls being different, I would have preferred to see them break apart even more.

However, it must be said that “How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents” is not a terrible read by any means. It does manage to tell a somewhat entertaining story. Nevertheless, I feel that the writing style of using short stories does not do justice to their stories as well as a novel would have. I also believe that if the characters were more clearly differentiated from one another, this book would have been a much better read.

Julia Alvarez's "Why I'm Still Married" contains one of my favorite essays. So, I was overjoyed when I found a copy of this book for just $0.50 at the library book sale. I read it on my way to Tucson last week, and it immediately put Latin food and culture on my mind.

This book's unique structure, moving backward in time from Yolanda's 1990s trip back to the Dominican Republic to her 1960s childhood on the island, was quite engaging. For the most part, I liked the book. However, I felt it lacked detail and development for some characters. I was left wondering why Sandi developed an eating disorder later in life, why most of the girls had bad marriages, and why Yolanda had a nervous breakdown. I would have preferred the book to focus solely on Yolanda and be told from her perspective. That way, the lack of detail might have been more forgivable. Also, the voices of the four girls were very similar, making it hard to form strong feelings for any one of them. I was neither attached nor angry, resulting in a rather mediocre reading experience.

Still, I'm eager to read more of Alvarez's work and have added "In the Time of Butterflies" to my "to read" list. As soon as I finished this book, I had to dig out my old journal from 1999 and re-read my entries from my time in the Dominican. Memories of Presidente, beans and rice, the little girl who loved my barettes, Mariella and her beautiful family, and the creepy old men who wanted to dance the merengue with us all came flooding back. What wonderful memories!

I can truly sympathize with the Garcia girls. Just like them, I had to experience a radical change in my life. I had to leave my home country and journey to America. This book really touched me as I felt that many of the issues they faced could easily happen to most immigrants.

This is a remarkable non-fiction book that employs short stories to highlight the fundamental themes within. Julia Alvarez is an outstanding writer who effectively conveys themes such as rebellion, honor, courage, reconciliation, and family ideals. The words in the stories of “How the Garcia Girls lost their Accents” seem to leap off the page and etch themselves in the mind with their unique and eccentric nature.

The book is centered around a family that fled the Dominican Republic during the revolution there in search of a new home in America. The entire family endures numerous hardships. The four sisters, Carla, Yolanda, Fifi, and Sandi, initially rebel against their ideals and parents but later realize the futility of going against them and return to their original values.

I have a deep appreciation for this book as it mirrors my own experience of having to leave Russia for the safety of America. Just like the Garcia girls, I left my ideals behind but soon came to understand that my parents were right and I too always found my way back. This book should be widely read as it will enable readers to gain a better understanding of the hardships that immigrants and refugees encounter.

This book is an excellent choice for teenagers and for use in high school classes. It compels students to witness how change can both destroy and recreate a stronger family. It also prompts students to reflect on their own families and their ideals. Finally, it forces individuals to pass judgment not on others but on themselves.

I had high hopes for "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents" by Julia Alvarez. These hopes continued to grow after reading the two short stories “The Kiss” and “The Rudy Elmenhurst Story.”

These were both two very well-written, expressive, and generally entertaining stories that did well in holding the reader’s attention and delivered strong, powerful endings. They made me eager to explore more of the Garcia girls' lives.

However, as I read on, I faced a significant challenge. I could not get myself to distinguish between the four Garcia girls: Carla, Sophia, Sandra, and Yolanda. Although some stories were more centered on certain characters, I still found that all of the girls just blended together into one.

After reading most of the book, I was still unable to tell one girl from the others. This lack of distinctiveness made it difficult for me to form a deep connection with each individual character.

Also, I thought that the sequence of the stories was very hard to follow. The combination of switching between characters and settings makes it hard for the reader to see any link between most of the stories.

For example, the story “Trespass,” a tale of Carla’s run-in with a pedophile, is directly followed by “Snow,” a two-page story of Yolanda performing the ‘duck and cover’ drill in school. This leaves the reader with no possible connections between stories.

When a man with no pants telling Carla to “C’moninere” is followed by radioactivity causing “the bones in our arms to go soft” with no transition between the two, the reader loses the fact that the stories are supposed to be connected.

The stories just don’t mix well. Individually, there are stories that have great merit as I stated earlier. But I feel that as a whole, the book does not do the proper job of personifying every character of the story well enough to satisfy the reader, and it needs to organize the stories or create some sort of transition between them.

This would enhance the overall reading experience and make the book more engaging and coherent.