A Review of In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

By Rachelle Bowden in Arts & Entertainment on Sep 3, 2004 12:08PM

Last Wednesday when the One Book, One Chicago selection, In the Time of the Butterflies, was made we weren't really expecting much. We mean the city was picking a book that would appeal to a mass audience.. how good could it be? We went out last Wednesday and bought the book and were really surprised. It was great. So good that we finished it in just 4 days. Go Chicagoist!

Set in the Dominican Republic, the book is a work of fiction based on the true story of the Mirabel sisters, who in 1960 were murdered for their participation in an underground movement to overthrow the Trujillo regime. The sisters were known as "las mariposas," or "the butterflies." It's a story of courage and hope. The Mirabel sisters fight injustice & the traditional roles of women.. you get the picture .. it's good. Read it!

Local bookstores (we got ours at Borders) have free reading guides to go with the book but all of the information can also be found on this site. Chicagoist is now thinking about going to hear Julia Alvarez talk about her book, attending a book discussion, or seeing the 2001 film version of the story starring Salma Hayek as Minerva.

If you haven't read In the Time of the Butterflies, you should pick up a copy. If you've read it, let us know what you think of it - we'd like to hear!