Before We Were Free
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I would 100 percent recommend this book to a person who can look past it as a easy read and but a easy read with a big message. I would say kids from 6th grade up could read it but they might not fully grasp the magnitude of the book. This book did not feel like a school book to read but a free read book that you could not wait to get back to.
Yes, one is historical fiction with one central mystery set in France, and another novel will be more literary and psychological that explores the issues of identity and duality. These were not intentional projects and ideas for these two books came to me slowly over the past months (I never wanted to be an author). I just thought why not try and see where these ideas would take me.
Parents need to know that the author won the Pura Belpre award for this historical fiction book about a young girl from the Dominican Republic whose family is involved in overthrowing the terrifying dictator known as El Jefe in the 1960s. There are some violent details, including some pretty graphic depictions of torture, but there is also a strong message about the importance of fighting for your right to be free. As Anita's mother tells her, "Sometimes life without freedom is no life at all." Through Anita's story, readers will also struggle with the same issues Anita and her family do: Is murdering anyone ever justified, even when it's a dictator? Should they stay and fight for their freedom, or flee to safety? The book includes an author's note and an interview with the author, both of which provide some historical context, as well as a reader's guide.
Told strictly from Anita's point of view, parts of it in the form of diary entries, this moving book manages to give readers a true sense of what life is like under a dictatorship. Readers will empathize with her as she gradually understands what is going on around her, and watch her idyllic childhood become increasingly dangerous. Not only must she manage the usual markers of adulthood -- periods, crushes, etc.-- but her own complicated coming-of-age story also means coming to terms with her own family's involvement in the assassination of the man she has always called El Jefe. The story is well told, but its messages about freedom are what will leave a more lasting impression on teen readers. They will struggle with some of the questions Anita struggles with, including what would they do in her family's situation? Is better to flee to safety, or fight for your rights?
Hi Anon (below): So glad that you were able to use this resource with your students and that the foreshadowing exercise was helpful! And we immensely appreciate your sharing the feedback with us. ~Best, Keira
As one of the few Latin American students in her Catholic school, Alvarez faced discrimination because of her heritage.[14] This caused her to turn inward and led to her fascination with literature, which she called "a portable homeland".[12] She was encouraged by many of her teachers to pursue writing, and from a young age, was certain that this was what she wanted to do with her life.[11] At the age of 13, her parents sent her to Abbot Academy, a boarding school, because the local schools were not considered sufficient.[15] As a result, her relationship with her parents suffered, and was further strained when every summer she returned to the Dominican Republic to "reinforce their identities not only as Dominicans but also as proper young lady".[16] These intermittent exchanges between countries informed her cultural understanding, the basis of many of her works.[15]
Among her first published works were collections of poetry; The Homecoming, published in 1984, was expanded and republished in 1996.[2] Poetry was Alvarez's first form of creative writing and she explains that her love for poetry has to do with the fact that "a poem is very intimate, heart-to-heart".[27]
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents, Alvarez's first novel, was published in 1991, and was soon widely acclaimed. It is the first major novel written in English by a Dominican author.[30] A largely personal novel, the book details themes of cultural hybridization and the struggles of a post-colonial Dominican Republic.[31][32] Alvarez illuminates the integration of the Latina immigrant into the U.S. mainstream and shows that identity can be deeply affected by gender, ethnic, and class differences.[33] She uses her own experiences to illustrate deep cultural contrasts between the Caribbean and the United States.[34] So personal was the material in the novel, that for months after it was published, her mother refused to speak with her; her sisters were also not pleased with the book.[22] The book has sold over 250,000 copies, and was cited as an American Library Association Notable Book.[35]
Released in 1994, her second novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, has a historical premise and elaborates on the death of the Mirabal sisters during the time of the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic. In 1960, their bodies were found at the bottom of a cliff on the north coast of the island, and it is said they were a part of a revolutionary movement to overthrow the oppressive regime of the country at the time. These legendary figures are referred to as Las Mariposas, or The Butterflies.[36] This story portrays women as strong characters who have the power to alter the course of history, demonstrating Alvarez's affinity for strong female protagonists and anti-colonial movements.[37] As Alvarez has explained:
Alvarez has also published young adult fiction, notably Return to Sender (2009) about the friendship that forms between the middle school age son of a Vermont Dairy farmer, and the same-age daughter of the undocumented Mexican dairy worker hired by the boy's family. The children's lives offer many parallels, as both children lose a grandparent, and have one parent injured (Tyler's) or missing (Mari's), but other aspects of their lives are lived in sharp contrast according to their legal status. The book argues for a shared humanity that transcends borders and nationality, but does not shy from difficult issues like dangerous border crossing, criminal coyotes who exploit the vulnerable, and forced deportation. A similar young adult work that examines difficult political circumstances and children's experience of them is Before We Were Free (2003), told from the perspective of a young girl in the Dominican Republic in the months before and just after the assassination of dictator Rafael Trujillo. This novel addresses Dominican history in an accessible, riveting plot, describing aspects of the situation in 1961 little covered in most histories in English. Again, Alvarez uses the friendship between an American boy and Latina young girl as part of the story, but makes the relationship much less central in this earlier work.
In the Name of Salomé (2000) is a historical novel based on the lives of Salomé Ureña and of Camila Henríquez Ureña, both Dominican writers and respectively mother and daughter, to illustrate how they devoted their lives to political causes. The novel takes place in several locations, including the Dominican Republic before a backdrop of political turbulence, Communist Cuba in the 1960s, and several university campuses across the United States, containing themes of empowerment and activism. As the protagonists of this novel are both women, Alvarez illustrates how these women, "came together in their mutual love of [their homeland] and in their faith in the ability of women to forge a conscience for Out Americas."[41] This book has been widely acclaimed for its careful historical research and captivating story, and was described by Publishers Weekly as "one of the most politically moving novels of the past half century."[41]
In 2020, Alvarez published her first adult novel in 14 years, Afterlife. Alvarez was 70-years-old when Afterlife was published; having made her name on poignant coming-of-age stories, Alvarez shifted her focus towards "the disorienting transition into old age." The main protagonist is grounded in both American and Dominican cultures, reflecting Alvarez's own background. Alvarez freely incorporates Spanish words and phrases into the story without the use of italics, quotations, or translations.[42]
As an illustration of this point, Alvarez writes in English about issues in the Dominican Republic, using a combination of both English and Spanish.[48] Alvarez feels empowered by the notion of populations and cultures around the world mixing, and because of this, identifies as a "Citizen of the World".[48]
TEACHING TIPS: As mentioned above, students could read both novels and compare/contrast the characters and their experiences, as both face personal, familial, and political challenges. Return to Sender also allows students to learn more about immigration and migrant workers, particularly in New England. The title was taken from a real government operation to find and deport migrant workers, so students can research that particular policy while reading this fictional account. Both books also lend themselves to deep questions about freedom, rights, and who has access to these.
Butterflies are present throughout the novel, both as a symbol of courage and hope. Anita overhears her father talking about two butterflies, and it turns out that it is the two women who started the resistance against the dictatorship. Anita keeps getting reminded by Chucha and her father to remember her wings, and at the end it becomes clear to Anita that butterflies represent the indestructible freedom.
Today is Juneteenth, the holiday that marks what happened in Texas on June 19, 1865. Slaveowners in the state had kept news of the Emancipation Proclamation, issued two years earlier, from their slaves. And on this day 150 years ago, Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, with 2000 troops and a message - slaves were free. Laura Smalley, born into slavery in Texas, was a child when it happened. 781b155fdc