In the Time of the ButterfliesIn the Time of the Butterflies
Score Modern
What it's about
In the Dominican Republic under the dictator Rafael Trujillo, the four Mirabal sisters grow up in a comfortable family. Three of them, Patria, Minerva and María Teresa, join the underground movement against him, known as the Butterflies. In November 1960 they were murdered. The fourth sister, Dedé, survived, and the novel tells their story in all four voices.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. Based on real heroines, it's a moving story of courage and sisterhood.
You'll love it if you liked
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Purple Hibiscus
The Book ThiefGood to know
The sisters' deaths are known from the start. There's prison torture.
By the numbers
- Readers71 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics25 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller22 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #83 of the 219 young adult books we rank
- #692 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #1308 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Dark
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Quick answers
Is In the Time of the Butterflies worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award. It ranks #1,308 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 69.9 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is In the Time of the Butterflies about?
In the Dominican Republic under the dictator Rafael Trujillo, the four Mirabal sisters grow up in a comfortable family. Three of them, Patria, Minerva and María Teresa, join the underground movement against him, known as the Butterflies. In November 1960 they were murdered. The fourth sister, Dedé, survived, and the novel tells their story in all four voices.
How long does it take to read In the Time of the Butterflies?
About 9 hours (352 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after In the Time of the Butterflies?
If you liked it, try The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz, Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.