Book description
PURE BELPRÉ AWARD WINNER • ONE OF TIME MAGAZINE’S 100 BEST YA BOOKS OF ALL TIME • AN ALA-YALSA BEST BOOK FOR YOUNG ADULTS
From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl’s struggle to be free while living in the Dominican Republic under…
Why read it?
1 author picked Before We Were Free as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I was fascinated by this gripping story about a twelve-year-old girl living in the Dominican Republic in 1960 because, while it is fiction, it is based on a very real and scary time in the history of the DR. My parents grew up in the DR under the dictatorship that was still in place in 1960, and Julia Alvarez does a beautiful job showing readers how young people and their families were impacted by that regime, as well as the bravery and hopefulness of those who fought for their country’s freedom.
From Hilda's list on sensitive topics.
If you love Before We Were Free...
A Foot is Not a Fish!
In a time of alternative facts and the loss of a shared sense of reality, A Foot is Not a Fish playfully illustrates the difference between what is true and what is not through absurd fun comparisons that every child—and parent—will instantly understand.
This book playfully illustrates common truths by…
Want books like Before We Were Free?
Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Before We Were Free.
Share your top 3 reads of 2025!
And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.
1,343
readers submitted
so far, will you?
📚 If you like Before We Were Free, you might also like...
Jurassic Girl
Not too many people know about Mary Anning. In 1811, at age 12, Mary lived on the Jurassic Coast where she unearthed a 17-foot fossil.
Many of the men in the scientific community called her a fraud. They didn’t believe a girl from a poor family could make such a…
From Cells to Ourselves
4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…
From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…
