Rachael asked Julia Alvarez:

You write a lot about the relationships between Antonia and her sisters. Do you have siblings? Which parts of their relationships felt familiar to you?

Julia Alvarez I do have siblings, three sisters--an all-female family. Maybe because of that, I've always been drawn to stories in which there are strong bonds between women, whether of blood or friendship. My first novel How The García Girls Lost Their Accents, as well as its sequel, ¡YO!, focus on the four García sisters, and In The Time Of The Butterflies is about the four historical sisters, the Mirabals. As a young reader, my favorite books were the Arabian Nights, in which Scheherazade and her sister, Dunyazad, work together to enthrall the cruel sultan with stories, and also Little Women, about four sisters, very much like my own family. Those powerful bonds of blood or friendship were what allow so many women to survive and thrive in the oppressive regimes they found themselves. That said, I don't want to airbrush "the sisterhood" and make it all about how wonderful and empowering such covens can be--they are also riddled with competition, conflict, grievances--and I can attest to that in my own life and in my novel! Especially in a Latina sisterhood, we don't have "pelos en la lengua," we don't hold back when we have something to say. The sparks fly, but they also create a bonfire by which we can sit, feel warmed, tell our stories.

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My friend had a signed copy of your book "YO." She leant it to me. I had it in a bag of books and mistakenly gave it away . Now, she wants it returned and is furious with me- I have no idea where it might have landed. Is there any way I can order another signed copy?? (Her name is Carmen.)

Rachael asked Julia Alvarez:

Do you think that when we have identified an injustice or problem in our world or in our family, we have a responsibility to address it? Like Antonia, how do you decide the balance between taking care of yourself and taking care of others?

Francisco asked Julia Alvarez:

Hello Júlia i am portuguese and i written my 2 book of poetry in portuguese can you read my book and tell me what do you Think about it ? I can send you the book by e-mail i think you speak spanish só you can read portuguese. Best regards Marisa Francisco

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Julia Alvarez

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You write a lot about the relationships between Antonia and her sisters. Do you have siblings? Which parts of their relationships felt familiar to you?

More Answered Questions

My friend had a signed copy of your book "YO." She leant it to me. I had it in a bag of books and mistakenly gave it away . Now, she wants it returned and is furious with me- I have no idea where it might have landed. Is there any way I can order another signed copy?? (Her name is Carmen.)

Do you think that when we have identified an injustice or problem in our world or in our family, we have a responsibility to address it? Like Antonia, how do you decide the balance between taking care of yourself and taking care of others?

Hello Júlia i am portuguese and i written my 2 book of poetry in portuguese can you read my book and tell me what do you Think about it ? I can send you the book by e-mail i think you speak spanish só you can read portuguese. Best regards Marisa Francisco

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