Sometimes it can be rather difficult to follow the narrative as the author continuously goes back and forth in time and perspective.

This constant shifting makes it a bit of a challenge for the reader to keep up. However, despite this, the story remains very intriguing.

It has a certain allure that keeps pulling you in and makes you eager to know more.

Personally, I really wanted to hear more about the Cuban Revolution.

It seems like such an important and fascinating topic, and I was hoping the author would delve deeper into it.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.

There were only brief mentions here and there, which left me feeling a bit disappointed.

Nonetheless, the overall story still managed to hold my interest, and I'm curious to see where it will lead.

This book was by no means an easy or quick read. However, the very fact that I managed to endure until the end indicates that I had a great liking for it.

Salome Urena was the poet laureate of the Dominican Republic in the 1800s. She made a significant contribution by founding the first school of higher education for women in her country. Moreover, she married a revolutionary who later served as the President of the D.R. for four months. The history of the continuous revolutions and the constant governmental changes, approximately 30 in 50 years, is truly fascinating.

The book alternates between Salome's life and that of her daughter Camilla. Salome passed away when Camilla was just three years old, and a substantial part of the book is dedicated to Camilla's journey of uncovering who her mother was. Camilla was raised in Cuba and went on to become a professor at Vassar. One of her brothers even became a Norton lecturer at Harvard.

The somewhat confusing aspect of this book is its non-linear structure. It commences in the mid-1800s with Salome and progresses forward until her death in 1897. Meanwhile, in alternating chapters, it begins in 1960 when Camilla returns to Cuba after her career at Vassar and works backwards by decades. This required me to frequently go back and piece together the various events and timelines.

Despite this, the history of women and families in the D.R. and Cuba offers captivating material. Notably, it mentions the invention of the Barbie Doll, which was based on a German doll that had rather scandalous origins as a harlot, used as a sex toy and often hung from men's rear view windows.

Overall, this book provides a unique and engaging perspective on the lives of these remarkable women and the historical context in which they lived.

The narrative style of this novel is truly remarkable and has enhanced my enjoyment of the story to a great extent.

The book delves into the lives of Salome, a renowned poet from the Dominican Republic, and her daughter Camila. However, their stories are not presented in a linear or combined fashion.

Salome's tale is recounted from the time she is six years old until her passing. On the other hand, Camila's story commences when she is in her 50s and progresses backward until she is three.

With each new chapter, we alternate between the two women's narratives, which provides a unique perspective on how their lives share both similarities and differences.

Alvarez effectively portrays through these two characters the arduous struggles of striving to strengthen one's country, as well as the internal turmoil and grief that accompany the sacrifices made in the fight, which impact not only their family and personal lives but also their health.

This was indeed an engaging and enjoyable book, and I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have read it.

Salomé Ureña was a poet during some of the most crucial years in the Dominican Republic. After gaining independence from Haiti, it became a colony of Spain again for a while to seek protection. All of her children held important positions or were great intellectuals. Among them, Camila Salomé, the youngest, was astonishing. She obtained a doctorate in Cuba, was a lecturer in Latin America, a professor at Vassar, and ended her career at the University of Havana while also teaching in her native land. I had never heard of either of them before.

By a series of coincidences, "In the Name of Salomé" was the book through which I got to know Julia Alvarez. Her most renowned work is "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents," which I read immediately after, also due to a series of coincidences. In the library, it was released when I was on the waiting list many weeks earlier than planned, and I ended up reading it. Although it is one of the least recognized and acclaimed books of Julia Álvarez, I discovered that within its pages lay the (fictionalized, of course) life of Salomé Ureña and her daughter, Camila Salomé.

The book has a curious structure as it combines two timelines. The first begins when Camila Salomé leaves the United States to move to Cuba, as close as she can get to her homeland without actually setting foot on it because she swore not to return while the dictator Trujillo was in power. The second starts right with the independence of Haiti from the Dominican Republic when Salomé Ureña was just a child. From that moment on, the two stories run until they meet, one backward, that of Camila, and the other forward, that of Salomé. Regarding this structure, there are really divided opinions. Most people prefer the first-person narration of Salomé Ureña. I understand why, as during the first part of the book, those parts contribute more to the plot. However, as Camila's story goes backward, we understand it a little more, and at least in my case, I appreciated her entire story more once I could see the complete result. Still, during the beginning, I did feel a bit bored. I recognize that I don't know to what extent the lives of Salomé and her daughter were altered for fictional purposes, but from what I have researched, most of it, the essence, has remained faithful. It is clear to me that it is not the best that Julia Alvarez can offer after reading another of her books, but it is indeed an interesting book, and at least for those interested, it is very good for learning a little about Dominican culture. There is a particular part that I identified with: a friend of Camila tells her that she is sorry, but that in reality, she had never heard of her mother, Salomé Ureña, as a poet. It reminded me of myself, who had never even heard her name before and made me wonder how many other names I have never heard and how many I will never hear.

Salomé Ureña was important in her country because, besides her patriotic poems, which she first published under a pseudonym and then with her own name, she founded the first school for women in the Dominican Republic, supported by her husband, Francisco Henríquez y Carvajal, who later became the president of the country. Her daughter, Camila, did not lag behind: she was a co-founder of one of the main feminist cultural associations in Cuba and participated in the restructuring of the University of Havana. Of course, not all of that is mentioned in the book since this is not a biography but a work of fiction, ultimately, but it is the book that has opened my eyes to these two amazing women.

So beautiful!

I was truly captivated by the way Alvarez told their stories. It was hauntingly beautiful, as if she had the ability to draw me into a world that was both mysterious and enchanting.

The words she used seemed to dance on the page, painting vivid pictures in my mind. I could feel the emotions of the characters, their joys and sorrows, as if they were my own.

Her writing style is unique and engaging, and I found myself completely immersed in the stories from start to finish.

I would definitely read more of her work again. In fact, I can't wait to discover what other treasures she has in store for her readers.

Alvarez is a talented author, and I highly recommend her books to anyone who loves beautiful and thought-provoking literature.

As much as I have adored her other literary works, Julia Alvarez somewhat disappointed me with this particular offering. She is renowned for penning historical fiction that delves deep into Latin American culture, revolution, and the arduous struggles of its people. In The Time of the Butterflies was a remarkable exemplar of seamless writing, with characters that were vividly brought to life and fully developed. However, in her book In The Name of Salome, the characters seem muddled and indistinct, making it challenging to tell them apart.

There are numerous intricate layers of struggles and frequent shifts back and forth in time. This complexity makes it extremely difficult to clearly distinguish who is who and precisely when events are unfolding...until much later in the novel. I truly wish that I could have loved \\"In The Name of Salome\\" as much as her previous masterpieces. Alas, I am unable to make that claim.

Beautifully written, this historically-based biography focuses on the Dominican Republic Poet, Salome' Urena, and her daughter Camilla.

Reading about the political turmoil in the DR was fascinating, as was learning about how a female poet could be so highly honored there. Salome' Urena's achievements were remarkable in a society that often marginalized women.

Her daughter Camilla's life was equally interesting. Growing up in the shadow of her famous parent was no easy feat, and the fact that she was unable to return to her home country added an extra layer of complexity.

The narrative structure, which moves between the two women, can be a bit tricky at first. However, as the story unfolds, it becomes clear and makes perfect sense.

Alvarez writes beautifully, and the quoting and references to Salome's poetry add depth and authenticity to the bio. Overall, this is an interesting and insightful offering that provides a unique perspective on the lives of these two remarkable women.

The author truly has a remarkable writing style that manages to bring the characters to life in a captivating manner.

However, there was a moment of confusion with all the Salomes and Papanchos. It seemed a bit overwhelming at times.

Nevertheless, the strong vocabulary used by the author adds depth and richness to the story. The struggle portrayed within the narrative is palpable and engaging.

This historical fiction offers interesting perspectives that draw the reader in and keep them hooked.

The ending, while perhaps a bit weak, is not terrible. It could have been more impactful, but it doesn't completely detract from the overall enjoyment of the book.

Overall, it is a worthwhile read with its own unique charm and qualities that make it stand out in the genre of historical fiction.

An interesting read indeed. I decided to pick this up based on the reviews and my strong desire to explore as much magical realism as possible. However, to my surprise, this isn't actually magical realism. But I'm not going to give it a low rating just because of that.

For me, it was rather challenging to follow the narrative. The story begins from two opposite ends and then converges in the middle. It didn't have that irresistible quality that makes you eager to turn the page continuously. It was a nice story, and I did find some aspects of it likable. But unfortunately, it just didn't have a smooth flow.

Perhaps it's because of the unique structure that made it a bit disjointed for my taste. Nevertheless, I can see that there are elements in the story that others might appreciate more. It's always interesting to read different styles and see how authors approach storytelling. Maybe with a different mindset or a second reading, I might be able to better understand and enjoy the story's flow.

I just could not get into it.

It was like there was a barrier preventing me from fully engaging.

The whole experience was rather lackluster and I found myself feeling kinda bored.

I tried to force myself to be interested, but it just wasn't happening.

Maybe it was the subject matter that didn't appeal to me, or perhaps the way it was presented.

Whatever the reason, I couldn't seem to find the spark that would make it exciting.

I sat there, my mind wandering, waiting for something to capture my attention.

But alas, it never came.

And so, I remained in a state of boredom, longing for something more engaging to come along.

Although I have not completed reading it, I firmly believe that this is not Alvarez's finest work when compared to "In the Time of the Butterflies".

To be fair, I must give her due credit for opting for a format of character perspective change within the story. However, I personally find such types rather challenging to read.

The narrative switches between the mother and daughter with every chapter, and this ultimately resulted in jumbling the two characters together in my mind.

I struggle to follow her books, but perhaps this is simply because it is difficult for me to understand and engage with many books.

Nonetheless, I would recommend it to those who relish stories that offer an in-depth view of fictional characters set within a historical context and to those who are capable of handling constant character and generation changes.

It may prove to be a captivating read for such individuals, despite my own difficulties in fully grasping its essence.

Perhaps with a different approach or a more open mind, I might have been able to appreciate this book more fully.

But for now, I can only offer this assessment based on my own reading experience.

As much as I truly desired to have an intense love for this book, unfortunately, I merely had a sort of liking for it. I am an extremely huge fan of Julia Alvarez, but this particular work simply did not measure up to her outstanding masterpieces such as "In The Time of the Butterflies," "Yo," and "How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents."

The book alternates between the narration of Salome Urena, a renowned poetess in the Dominican Republic, and her daughter Camila, who is a lost soul leading a dull life in the shadow of her mother's remarkable works. Camila's chapters deeply saddened me because they commenced so late in her life when she had already more or less abandoned hope. It seems that she has been overshadowed by her mother's achievements for too long, and this has had a profound impact on her.

Perhaps if the story had delved deeper into Camila's earlier years and her struggles to find her own identity, it would have been a more engaging and poignant read. Nevertheless, it is still a decent book that offers some insights into the complex relationship between a mother and daughter.