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Before We Were Free

by Julia Alvarez

Growing up under Trujillo’s rule

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Awards & Recognition

  • Award recognition

    Winner of the Américas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature

    The book is identified as a winner of the award.

  • Editorial selection

    ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book

    Named an ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book.

  • Critical praise

    The Horn Book starred review

    Starred review praising the book's realistic, compelling account of a girl confronting the cost of freedom.

AlbakiReads Editorial

Growing up under Trujillo’s rule

Set in the Dominican Republic in 1960, the novel places Anita de la Torre’s coming of age alongside the pressures of political repression. As relatives leave for the United States and her uncle disappears, Anita’s family faces scrutiny from the secret police over suspected opposition to Trujillo. The story connects a young person’s experience of fear and uncertainty with the choices and sacrifices involved in seeking freedom. Its historical setting also brings family separation and political persecution into the frame of a young adult narrative.

Good fit for readers who enjoy

  • Teens interested in historical fiction set in the Dominican Republic.
  • Readers exploring stories about family separation, political repression, and the pursuit of freedom.

Themes

Coming of agePolitical repressionFamily separationCourage and freedom

Based on publisher information and book metadata.

Book overview

A new paperback edition of Julia Alvarez's beloved Pura Belpre winner about life in Trujillo's Dominican Republic. "Diary entries written by a child while in hiding will remind readers of Anne Frank's story." --SLJ

Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her twelfth birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have immigrated to the United States, her Tio Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government's secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition to Trujillo's iron-fisted rule.

Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind.

From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl's struggle to be free.

A Miami Herald Best Book of the Year
Winner of the Americas Award for Children's and Young Adult Literature
Winner of the Pura Belpre Award
An ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults
An ALA-ALSC Notable Children's Book

"A stirring work of art." --Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

"A realistic and compelling account of a girl growing up too quickly while coming to terms with the cost of freedom." --The Horn Book, Starred Review

"Diary entries written by the child while in hiding will remind readers of Anne Frank's story. . . . Readers will bite their nails as the story moves to its inexorable conclusion." --SLJ

"Alvarez's story will spark intense discussion about politics and family." --Booklist
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