Before We Were Free

by Julia Alvarez

Book Overview

PURE BELPR? AWARD WINNER - ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE'S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME - AN ALA-YALSA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS

From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl's struggle to be free while living in the Dominican Republic under the rule of a dictator.

Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her twelfth...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399555498
• ISBN13: 9780399555497
• Release Date: March 2018
• Publisher: Ember
• Length: 208 Pages
• Weight: 0.41 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.7" x 8.3"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

such poor condition, it was almost illegible

could not begin to read it. total waste of money

Valorar la libertad

Muy buen libro, me hizo recordar momentos que espero nunca mas tener que pasar en mi vida. La libertad es un tesoro, saber que en este momento aun hay muchas personas que siguen sufriendo lo que nosotros los dominicanos sufrimos en esa epoca es injusto. Lo recomiendo a los lectores jovenes para que sepan valorar la libertad en la que hoy viven.Antes de ser libres

Great!

Delivery was very speedy! The book was in the exact condition as described by buyer. I would definitely do business with them again!

poignant, compelling, revealing, excellent story of life under a dictatorship

Julia Alvarez tells the story of the end of the Trujillo dictatorship (1960s Dominican Republic). She cleverly tells the story from the perspective of a pre-teen girl (Anita) while weaving in major political players and events. She captures Anita's loss of innocence as the oppressive political regime begins to impact her life first obliquely and then very directly. From the start, Alvarez engages us with her main character as she simultaneously paints on a much larger canvas. [As an adult male (without a pre-teen daughter), I found some of Anita's talk about growing into a woman and being in love with the boy next door tiresome, but it all felt right for the character.] Alvarez doesn't shy away from the fiasco that took place after Trujillo's assassination, but she does leave off just before the country's first post-Trujillo elections (which were a farce, leaving a Trujillo crony in power for some thirty years). After you've finished the book, re-read the author's note at the beginning: Realizing Alvarez's intimate connection to the fictionalized events in the book is all the more poignant. Note on content: Besides girlhood crushes, there is a brief, non-graphic mention of various forms of torture (ugly but important) and an allusion to Trujillo's penchant for young mistresses. For adult readers, this is a sweet complement to Alvarez's wonderful earlier book, In the Time of the Butterflies, which tells the story of the Mirabal sisters, three key anti-Trujillo revolutionaries. While that book took us inside the resistance movement, having this book narrated by a child opens a window into how children are affected in times of oppression. For another perspective on the end of the Trujillo regime, read Mario Vargas Llosa's excellent La Fiesta Del Chivo [The Feast of the Goat]; that book is not appropriate for child readers, with graphic portrayals of torture and of violence against a child (apparently accurate to the time and place). Julia Alvarez reads the unabridged audiobook herself and is perfect for the role (all the more impressive as I've heard Alvarez speak in person, and she doesn't really sound like a twelve-year-old girl).

After We Were Free

_Before We Were Free_ by Julia Alvarez is the enthralling story of a 12 year old living in the Dominican Republic during the embargo of the country in the 1960s. Anita de la Torre struggles with the normal growing pains that every preteen faces, as well as the worries, fears, and deaths that the people around her face due to the embargo. As more and more people disappear from her life, Anita is unsure whether or not she and her family will survive. When Anita finds out about her parents' plot to kill the dictator of their country, she realizes she was lying to herself about everything she thought she knew before. The writing is suspenseful, beautiful and and reflects that of a young girl.

The Cost of Freedom

The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern two thirds of an island in the heart of the Caribbean Ocean called Hispaniola. Christopher Columbus claimed this island for Spain in 1492, and it is here that he later returned, died and was buried. Over the years the Dominican Republic has struggled for freedom and independence. They fought for their independence from the nation of Haiti, which lies on the western one third of Hispaniola, and they suffered through the dictatorship of General Trujillo. This book takes place during the last years of the Trujillo dictatorship, in 1960 and '61. In this book you will meet a colorful cast of characters from many different cultures and backgrounds. First there is Anita de la Torre, the 12-year-old narrator whose life changes dramatically over the course of a few months. You will meet her familia, her parents, siblings, cousins, uncles and aunts, who all live together on the family island compound. As the unusual and dangerous circumstances unfold in the story, many of Anita's relatives are forced to flee their tropical home for the colder climate of New York City. The dictator's men are everywhere. Those who oppose the dictator are often "disappeared" by the men in black, never to be heard from again. Then there are the mysterious phone calls about butterflies and tennis shoes. And just who is "Mr. Smith?" You will also meet Chucha, Anita's long-time nanny. She is one of the most interesting people in the story. Chucha is from Haiti, wears only purple clothing (even her underwear has to be dyed!), sleeps in a coffin, and has dreams where she can see the future. She also won't go into the Wimpy's Supermarket because the automatic doors have convinced her that the place is cursed and haunted. There is also blond-headed Sammy Washburn, the American consul's 12 year old son, whose family moves into a house at the de la Torre compound. Together, Sammy and Anita, explore the land of the compound - including the mysterious caves and the ancient cemetery. They encounter ghosts, and search for the treasure that was buried on the land many years ago. Anita may not understand all the political things that are happening in her life, but she certainly feels the fear that permeates her family's life. Parts of the story are told from the perspective of Anita's diary, which provides an even more personal approach to the apprehension she faces. Her favorite uncle, Tio Toni, is missing. Have the secret police in the dark sunglasses, who drive the black Volkswagens, taken him? Has he been "disappeared"? Who is it that she sees lurking around his casita at night? In spite of all the danger, Anita's parents make a decision to keep their family in the Dominican Republic and work for change. While Anita deals with all the frightening events that are unfolding in her life, she also struggles with growing up and her own personal endeavor for freedom. Before We Were Free is an exciting and fast moving book about growing up in a ti