By Julia Alvarez

OverviewPublished in 1994Setting: 1940s-1960 and 1994 (plot jumps

around in time) in the Dominican RepublicChronicles the story of the four Miribal

sisters, who fought to overcome the tyrannical rule of Rafael Leonidas Trujillio.

The Dominican Republichttp://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countr

ys/namerica/caribb/do.htmThe Dominican Republic has a tropical

climate, with many miles of beaches and four mountain ranges.

For centuries, it was plagued by political unrest, especially the tyranny of Trujillio, until his assassination in 1961. It is currently a democracy.

About the AuthorJulia Alvarez is of Dominican descent (her parents

were from there), but was born in New York. Her family moved back to the Dominican Republic

when she was three years old.She lived in the Dominican Republic during the

years that In the Time of the Butterflies is set. In 1960, the Dominican government (under

Trujillio) discovered that Alvarez’s father was part of a secret group that was plotting to overthrow Trujillio.

Fearing for his life, the Alvarezes moved back to the United States. Julia Alvarez currently lives in Vermont.

The MiribalsThey were real!Patria: Oldest. Married young; very religious.

Is hesitant at first about joining the movement against Trujillio.

Dede: #2. Never joins the revolution—the only living sister. She is the “narrator” of the novel

Minerva: #3. Most aggressive in the movement against Trujillio

Maria Teresa (Mate): Youngest. Her voice is communicated through journal entries. Joins the movement against Trujillio after Minerva.

Question:What parts of Julia Alvarez’s life do you think

inspired her to write the novel?

“In the Time of the Butterflies.” The Big Read. National Endowment for the Arts. 28 August 2012http://www.neabigread.org/books/timeofthebutterflies/.