Showing results by author "Julia Alvarez" in All Categories

It is November 25, 1960, and the bodies of three beautiful, convent-educated sisters have been found near their wrecked Jeep at the bottom of a 150-foot cliff on the north coast of the Dominican Republic. El Caribe, the official newspaper, reports their deaths as an accident. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explain that the sisters were among the leading opponents of General Raphael Leonidas Trujillo's dictatorship.

Antonia Vega, the immigrant writer at the center of Afterlife, has had the rug pulled out from under her. She has just retired from the college where she taught English when her beloved husband, Sam, suddenly dies. And then more jolts: her bighearted but unstable sister disappears, and Antonia returns home one evening to find a pregnant, undocumented teenager on her doorstep.

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents captures the vivid lives of the Garcia sisters, four privileged and rebellious Dominican girls adapting to their new lives in America. In the 1960s, political tension forces the Garcia family away from Santo Domingo and toward the Bronx. The sisters all hit their strides in America, adapting and thriving despite cultural differences, language barriers, and prejudice.

Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her 12th birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have emigrated to the United States, her Tío Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government’s secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition of el Trujillo’s dictatorship. 

En esta novela, Julia Álvarez recrea magistralmente la historia real de tres hermanas que fueron brutalmente asesinadas por oponerse a la dictadura de Rafael Trujillo en República Dominicana. Treinta años después del crimen, la autora dio voz a cada una de ellas en un sentido homenaje a su valentía. Incluyo también a Dedé, la hermana sobreviviente que cuenta un capítulo muy oscuro de la historia con ternura y bondad.

This is the story of Anita de la Torre, a 12-year-old girl living in the Dominican Republic in 1960. Most of her relatives have immigrated to the United States, her Tio Toni has disappeared, Papi has been getting mysterious phone calls about butterflies, and someone named Mr. Smith and the secret police have started terrorizing her family. While Anita deals with this frightening series of events, she also struggles with her adolescence and her own personal fight to be free.

Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! Tía Lola, his quirky, carismática, and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez’s first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child’s experiences living in two cultures.

Tyler isn’t sure what to make of these workers.Tyler isn’t sure what to make of these workers. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?

Con lírica simplicidad, El cuento del cafecito es una historia de amor. De amor a la tierra, que, exhausta, ha dejado de devolvernos más de lo que le damos. De amor a la naturaleza, que, exhausta, tiene pocas ganas de sonreírnos. De amor a las palabras, que, exhaustas, que manipuladas, tergiversadas, heridas, han perdido significado. Y de amor al amor, que, al fin y al cabo, ¿no es el peso del mundo? Los mejores relatos para escuchar donde quieras.

Julia Alvarez's heartwarming novel now in Spanish. Moving to Vermont after his parents split, Miguel has plenty to worry about! Ta Lola, his quirky, carismtica, and maybe magical aunt makes his life even more unpredictable when she arrives from the Dominican Republic to help out his Mami. Like her stories for adults, Julia Alvarez's first middle-grade book sparkles with magic as it illuminates a child's experiences living in two cultures.

Tyler isn't sure what to make of the workers hired to help save his family's farm. Are they undocumented? And what about the three daughters, particularly Mari, the oldest, who is proud of her Mexican heritage but also increasingly connected her American life. Her family lives in constant fear of being discovered by the authorities and sent back to the poverty they left behind in Mexico. Can Tyler and Mari find a way to be friends despite their differences?

Milly Kaufman is an ordinary American teenager living in Vermont, until she meets Pablo, a new student at her high school. His exotic accent, strange fashion sense, and intense interest in Milly force her to confront her identity as an adopted child from Pablo's native country. As their relationship grows, Milly decides to undertake a courageous journey to her homeland and along the way discovers the story of her birth is intertwined with the story of a country recovering from a brutal history.

Abandonando la tensión política de la República Dominicana de los explosivos años 70, las cuatro hermanas García acompañadas de sus padres se autoexilian en el Bronx Neoyorquino, arribando a un ambiente totalmente desconocido y en extremo liberal para sus conservadores padres. La excelente narrativa de Julia Alvarez nos lleva de la mano por el recorrido de las dinámicas hermanas García, por caminos deliciosamente divertidos y también plagados de conflictos generacionales.

A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award with In the Time of Butterflies, author Julia Alvarez is a beloved voice in modern fiction and poetry. In Saving the World, she weaves the stories of two courageous women—separated by two centuries—into a breathtaking novel of love and idealism in an increasingly troubled world.

Tía Lola has been invited to teach Spanish at her niece and nephew’s elementary school. But Miguel wants nothing to do with the arrangement. On the other hand, Miguel’s little sister, Juanita, can’t wait to introduce her colorfully dressed aunt to all her friends at school—that is, if she can stop getting distracted long enough. Before long, Tía Lola is organizing a Spanish treasure hunt and a Carnaval fiesta at school. Will Miguel be willing to join the fun?

Tia Lola has been invited to teach Spanish at her niece and nephew's elementary school, but Miguel wants nothing to do with it. He hasn't had an easy time adjusting to his new school in Vermont and doesn't like living so far away from Papi, who has a new girlfriend and an announcement to make. Miguel's little sister Juanita, on the other hand, can't wait to introduce her colorfully dressed aunt to all of her friends at school - that is, if she can stop getting distracted long enough to remember to do so.

The quinceañera, the 15th birthday celebration for a Latina girl, is quickly becoming an American event. This legendary party is a sight to behold: lavish ball gowns, extravagant catered meals, DJs, limousines, and multi-tiered cakes. The must haves for a "quince" are becoming as numerous and costly as a prom or wedding. And yet, this elaborate ritual also hearkens back to traditions from native countries and communities, offering young Latinas a chance to connect with their heritage.

The author of How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents and In The Time of the Butterflies talks about her smart, funny and playful series that chronicles the flamboyant antics of the one-of-a-kind Tia Lola, a compassionate and nutty aunt, whose flair for creativity and spunky personality set the stage for wacky adventures.