Before We Were Free

This suspenseful novel kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time I read it! It is a historical fiction tale of a pre-teen, Anita, whose family becomes involved in a plot to overthrow a vicious dictator, El Jefe, in the 1960s. As a result, her extended family flees their compound and Anita, her mother and father, and her two siblings are the only people left. Although Anita's world is turning upside down, she struggles with typical adolescent thoughts as she begins puberty. Her feelings for boys develop, she gets her period, and she begins keeping secrets from her own parents. 

She also begins to uncover the world around her. She once believed that her country was free. Anita quickly realizes she is clueless about the difficulties in her country and matures, learning the atrocities that her people are facing. The once worshiped dictator becomes a whispered code name in her house, as her father and his group of rebels plot to kill the ruler and end the dictatorship all together. 

Although I have never really been a fan of historical fiction novels in the past, I really enjoyed Julia Alvarez's take on the Trujillo regime in the Dominican Republic. Coming from a Latin American family, many of the traditions and sayings that were used in the book were authentic and I could identify with them, so I felt especially connected to Anita and her family. 

In terms of use in a classroom, this book deals with relatively mature themes including puberty, war, and death. I would recommend students in seventh grade and beyond read this book, as it may be a little confusing and challenging to younger readers. 

I particularly liked the Author's Note in the back of the book, explaining the inspiration for this story. This actually happened to Julia Alvarez's family and this was her tribute to her uncle who successfully escaped imprisonment and death after getting involved in a coup plot. The story felt genuine and realistic and I think that it truly puts the reader in Anita's perspective at the time. 

This would be a great book to use when talking about the difference between democracies and dictatorships. Many people from the United States were involved in helping Anita and her family escape from the Dominican Republic when they were in danger, so I also think that students could learn about consuls and embassies as well. In my opinion, this novel would do a great job of rounding out a social studies unit on types of government in order for students to visualize and feel how a government other than their own may influence their thoughts and decisions. 

Before We Were Free 
By: Julia Alvarez 

Published in 2004