Itis November 25, 1960, and three beautiful sisters have been found near theirwrecked Jeep at the bottom of a150-foot cliff on the north coast of theDominican Republic. The official state newspaper reports their deaths asaccidental. It does not mention that a fourth sister lives. Nor does it explainthat the sisters were among the leadingopponents of Gen. Rafael Lenidas Trujillosdictatorship. It doesnt have to. Everybody knows of LasMariposastheButterflies.

In this extraordinary novel, the voices of all four sisters--Minerva, Patria, Mara Teresa, and the survivor, Ded--speak across the decades to tell their own stories, from secret crushes to gunrunning, and to describe the everyday horrors of life under Trujillos rule. Through the art and magic of Julia Alvarezs imagination, the martyred Butterflies live again in this novel of courage and love, and the human costs of political oppression. Written by Julia Alvarez. Paperback; 352 pages.

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