“In the Time of the Butterflies” by Julia Alvarez – Baptism by Fire

Most people like to think that they are living their lives towards some kind of purpose, a moment where they have the power to influence the course of history, regardless on which scale it may be. 

Unfortunately, many of us do not find a purpose until it is a bit too late, but that was never the case of the Mirabal sisters. For those who aren't familiar with them, the four sisters bravely opposed the brutal dictatorship of Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, paying dearly in the process. 

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez is basically a novelized biography of the four sisters’ lives, and more importantly, about the moments which made them infamous to this very day. We get to learn virtually all about them from the moment they were born all the way to the fates they ultimately meet. Living under a dictatorship is an experience that must be lived to truly be understood, but I believe In the Time of the Butterflies comes very close to it. 

The Mirabal sisters

Alvarez gifts us with an extraordinary amount of detail on the various aspects of daily life in the Dominican Republic at that time, carefully making a comprehensive painting of the terror Trujillo inspired in his own people. Naturally, the book isn’t just about fear-mongering, as it does explore the lighter side of that life and what people did to get away from that trouble.

In my opinion, the story really starts to pick up once the sisters’ political activism is discussed. With the proper context given to us, we can fully appreciate and understand the risks those sisters were taking with every word they spoke against the regime.

We become so enthralled with their philosophies, motivation and determination to stand up to injustice that we actually begin to deeply care as to the fates which will befall them.

Though there may be a bit of sensationalism thrown into the mix, In the Time of the Butterflies ends up being an enthralling, interesting and educational novel that manages to capture the essence of Trujillo’s dictatorship quite convincingly. 

I recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about dictatorships in general, Trujillo’s reign, the Mirabal sisters, or just read an exciting novel about political oppression and the uprising it gives birth to.

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Julia Alvarez Personal site Born in 1950 in New York, Julia Alvarez is an internationally-recognized poet and author of Dominican descent, and actually lived in her country for ten years until her family had to escape due to their involvement in political dissent. She truly made a mark in the world of literature after writing the widely-acclaimed How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In the Time of the Butterflies.