I just finished one of the best books I have read in a long while. I cried. It was so darn good.The best part is that I get to teach it this school year!

Julia Alvarez is an amazing author and I could devour anything she writes. Her stories come alive so much that you become convinced that you are a part of the families in her tales.

In "Before We Were Free", Alvarez tells the tale of a young girl during the dictatorship in the Dominican Republic in the 1960s. The story is told from Anita's 12-year-old perspective and is absolutely enchanting. I felt like I was 12 again with a crush on a boy, worrying about what to say in school and dealing with my family. She weaves into Anita's story the history of a dictatorship, where Trujillo stayed in power for 31 years and left an indelible mark on the Dominican people. This book is fantastic and I 100% recommend it to "Spanish junkies" or "bookworms" alike.

Enjoy! M