It is here that we encounter one of the most powerful parts of the novel. She is forced to erase all she has written so that it will not give anything away if found by the SIM. Her life is literally invaded by El Jefe’s Secret Police, the SIM.Īnita’s diary, a place where she once could pour out her heart, becomes a danger. She is forced to grapple with what is right and wrong, as family members flee the country, while others are forced into hiding. As the events of the story unfold, Anita’s life is forever changed.Īnita comes to realize that “El Jefe” is in fact, not the hero she believed him to be, but a dictator who threatens her family and friends, disappearing and torturing many Dominicans. The story takes place in the Dominican Republic during the months leading up to the assassination of the infamous dictator Trujillo. She annoys her older sister and has a crush on her new American neighbor Sam. Having lived a comfortingly protected life thus far, Anita is sweetly innocent and naïve. Like many young children, she is curious and talkative. In Julia Alvarez’s first young adult novel, Before we were Free, we meet 12-year-old Anita de la Torre.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |