Reviews with content warning for Torture - In the Time of the Butterflies

I appreciated the glimpse into a time and place (the Dominican Republic in the years of the Trujillo dictatorship) that I was completely unfamiliar with.

There were some aspects that I struggled with (mainly the strong religious focus and the inevitable association of womanhood with marriage and motherhood) but since that has to do with my own sensibilites, it might bother other readers less.

The chapters with alternating POVs and the insertion of sections with diary entries make for a flowing reading experience. Still, I found some parts and perspectives more interesting and engaging than others.
I really liked the final section from Dedé's POV, I found it the most moving and also the most effective in terms of prose.

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tieflingmom's review against another edition

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dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

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jcstokes95's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

An interesting read, and outside my usual comfort zone as its both historical fiction and a sweeping family epic from multiple perspectives. These usually would work against my enjoyment but Alvarez’s writing and her capability of drawing out four very distinct voices kept me engaged. I know very little about the Dominican Republic or this historical period; I feel like I came away with a bit more knowledge and an understanding of the emotional truth of the time period. It doesn’t give all the details because of the diary style it’s written in, but it gives you all the puzzle pieces from different perspectives.

That to me, is what shows Alvarez’s skill most; she is able to give us all four sister’s perspectives on certain events without even really giving us a “true” or “objective” set of the facts. I appreciated the space it gave readers to evaluate the character’s actions and the sister’s reactions. For example, each had a very different perspective on their father and his…choices, but the differences between them said so much about each sister’s value, personality and maturity at that phase in their life. This happens in the domestic scenes and those of national importance. This is a deep, layered character study that only works with all narratives present.

I am still sitting with what irked and challenged me the most. At times, this book feels so…domestic. The sisters still can feel very traditional, family-oriented, motherly. Some of them marry some pretty… interesting men (at least in their fictional depiction) yet forgive their husband’s trespasses. There are times in this book, where I almost felt like Alvarez was diminishing their activism by focusing on the domestic. For example, when Maria Teresa essentially…joins the revolution because a cute boy shows up at her window. Or Patria becoming radicalized when she sees the possibility of her own son’s life. Their values seem entirely based on how politics affects their own family (except maybe Minerva’s).

Because of this, it felt like they weren’t coming to their own ideas but following a path laid out by other people. Maybe it’s because we don’t see the planning of the rebellions through their eyes. But it doesn’t feel like they have agency in the way I would have assumed. However, when I look at this another way, it seems like Alvarez is making a point that a woman can be both of the family and of a revolution. And I do love that she is showing both are valuable. It gives the sister’s softness the same power as their more rebellious spirit.

In all, this was a gorgeously crafter heart wrencher and took some time to get through, but I am glad I have picked up this modern classic.

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elizlizabeth's review against another edition

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reflective tense fast-paced

4.0

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