Before We Were Free

Alvarez, Julia. Before We Were Free. Random House, Inc: New York, 2002

This novel is about Anita, a girl living in the Dominican Republic during their dictatorship in 1960. Her family is part of the underground resistance movement working to overthrow the dictator. At 12, she is not given all the details, but over time she understands more of what's happening and how it effects her family. The book is eventful- Anita's school closes down, American ambassador's come to help her, she is in a car transporting weapons, and she witnesses her father's rebellious meetings. Most of her family flees the country. Anita also deals with puberty and her first "love." The main themes of the book are bravery, freedom, and rebellion. Anita struggles with being brave with her family spread all over and in danger. Her parents teach her the importance of freedom and the lack thereof in a country under a dictator. Obviously, she witnesses her family's rebellion and the effect it has on her and her country.
This book would be teachable for 6th or 7th grade. Although the topics can be violent, they are discussed from the viewpoint of a middle school aged character so they don't get too risque. The characters also tie into Alvarez's other novels, In the Time of the Butterflies and How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accent. It might be interesting to have different groups read different novels and compare them. However, this novel definitely appeals to girls over boys- the boy characters play minimal roles and Anita discusses her period and her interest in boys. This would be a great independent read or lit circle read with other books that discuss similar themes.