[.ca] In the Time of the Butterflies (ISBN 1565120388)

From Amazon.com:
From the author of How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents comes this tale of courage and sisterhood set in the Dominican Republic during the rise of the Trujillo dictatorship. A skillful blend of fact and fiction, In the Time of the Butterflies is inspired by the true story of the three Mirabal sisters who, in 1960, were murdered for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the government. Alvarez breathes life into these historical figures--known as "las mariposas," or "the butterflies," in the underground--as she imagines their teenage years, their gradual involvement with the revolution, and their terror as their dissentience is uncovered. Alvarez's controlled writing perfectly captures the mounting tension as "the butterflies" near their horrific end. The novel begins with the recollections of Dede, the fourth and surviving sister, who fears abandoning her routines and her husband to join the movement. Alvarez also offers the perspectives of the other sisters: brave and outspoken Minerva, the family's political ringleader; pious Patria, who forsakes her faith to join her sisters after witnessing the atrocities of the tyranny; and the baby sister, sensitive Maria Teresa, who, in a series of diaries, chronicles her allegiance to Minerva and the physical and spiritual anguish of prison life. In the Time of the Butterflies is an American Library Association Notable Book and a 1995 National Book Critics Circle Award nominee.

A Wonderful Story of Courage:
In the Time of the Butterflies, a fictional work, is based loosely on the true story of the Mirabal sisters of the Dominican Republic. Minerva, Patria, and Maria Teresa(Mate) were involved in the underground movement to overthrow the government and rid their country of the cruel dictator Trujillo. In this movement their code name was "las mariposas" which means "the butterflies" in English. The book begins with their personal lives and then shows how they all became involved with the movement. This story shows their courage to stand up for freedom even though they paid the price with their lives in 1960 when Trujillo had them killed. However, this book is not just the story of Minerva, Patria, and Mate; but also the story of the fourth and oldest sister Dedé who never became involved but instead survived to tell of the bravery of her sisters and care for their children. Although exciting to me, this book may be boring to the male reader in the beginning. This book not only tells of how the Mirabal or Butterfly sisters became national heroines of the Dominican Republic but also of their lives as normal women. Hair ribbons, clothes, and secret crushes dominate the beginning of the story, where as prison torture and gunrunning appear in the rest. Overall, though, this is a great read.

Takes Awhile to Get Going.:
IN THE TIME OF THE BUTTERFLIES is a fictional account of the lives of the four Mirabal sisters: Patria, Minerva, Maria Teresa (Mate), and Dede. The sisters were part of the original revolution in the Dominican Republic under the 31-year regime of dictator Trujillo. Patria, Minerva, and Mate were all killed by Trujillo's men. However, before their deaths the sisters had become the leaders of the revolution and had become known as "Las Mariposas", "The Butterflies". This novel shows the four women as real people full of foibles just like anyone else. At the same time, it never diminishes how courageous the women really were and the noble spirit that thrived in them. The novel begins rather slow and it takes some time before it begins to pick up speed. However, once I finally got into it, I didn't want to put it down. It's was also a nice change of pace to read about four real-life heroines. At the same time, because the first half of the novel is more about the sisters' personal lives, it will probably turn many a male reader away. Also, there are a few racy bits here and there. Still, overall the story is good and for me, the story is key.

My favorite book...:
This has to be one of my favorite books, if not my overall favorite. I am a huge Alvarez fan, and have read most of her works. I found this book in particular to be truly inspirational. It made me want to go out there and become a revolutionary! But while we all may not go to that extreme, it will at least make you want to appreciate each day to it's fullest, and it's a good history lesson at that.

Inspirational:
I absolutly loved this book!!! My mom is from the Dominican Republic and she always told me the stories of Trujillo and the Hermanas Mirabal but actually reading this book made me more aware of what when on. It made me feel so proud to be a latina woman and my heritage. It thought me that US mujeres can make a difference. I totally recommend this book to anyone.

Excellent, inspiring:
In the Time of the Butterflies stands as one of the best books ive ever had the pleasure of reading. I indentified with each of the sisters, not only as a latina, but as a women. As I read, I felt as if I really knew these women, as if they were my friends, confiding to me in letters. This book, based on a true story, inspires and the 3 mariposa sisters should never be forgotten. After I finished it, I immediately searched for more information on the sisters, and came upon pictures of the actual Minerva, Patria, and Maria Teresa. Beautiful women inside and out and truely breathtaking. I encourage everyone to read their heroic story.