Review: Before We Were Free

Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez is a part of the Big Read Lakeshore event held by Hope College. Essentially, they pick three books that the West Michigan community reads in the fall. Then, they hold various events throughout November about the books. This year, I’m taking part by reviewing the YA book and doing a social media takeover!

Last year, I ran the book discussion at our local Barnes and Noble. I love events like this because it’s always interesting to see the different perspectives on the book. And the different people! Books are a great reason to get a community together, and to get a community reading.

About Big Read

The Big Read Lakeshore is made possible through the National Endowment for the Arts. In place since 2014, choosing books that will “spark conversation and discovery.” The NEA creates these programs across the Midwest, bringing communities together through books. It’s something that a lot of community members look forward to each year. Great discussions about some great books. If you’re in the area, Julia Alvarez will be giving the keynote tonight at the Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts, Concert Hall at Hope College at 7pm!

Before We Were Free

Before We Were Free follows Anita, a twelve-year-old girl growing up in the Dominican Republic in 1960. Not only is Anita learning to deal with adolescence and growing up, she does so with her family working with the revolution in the background. Most of her family has gone to the United States, but Anita and her family remain behind so they can help work against the dictator in their country. Throughout the book, she struggles with balancing her own personal life with everything that’s going on around her.

I’m familiar with the story from In the Time of the Butterflies from a Spanish class in high school. This book takes place a little after those events, though the two books are closely related. Told in journal format, we get insight into what Anita is feeling as all this stuff is happening around her. She’s aware something is going on, but is mostly kept in the dark. Her perspective shows that despite trying to keep kids in the dark, they’re more aware than we sometimes realize.

Before We Were Free is paced just right, moving more quickly as you get further into the story. A quick read, Alvarez doesn’t waste any time in immersing the reader into this culture. Not only is the plot captivating, but Alvarez also created characters that you genuinely care about. Adding in the adolescent perspective makes this book an excellent addition to the original book.