Before We Were Free
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Narrated by:
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Julia Alvarez
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By:
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Julia Alvarez
About this listen
Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her 12th birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have emigrated to the United States, her Tío Toni has disappeared without a trace, and the government’s secret police terrorize her remaining family because of their suspected opposition of el Trujillo’s dictatorship.
Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind.
From renowned author Julia Alvarez comes an unforgettable story about adolescence, perseverance, and one girl’s struggle to be free.
©2002 Julia Alvarez (P)2004 Random House, Inc. Listening Library, an imprint of Random House Audio Publishing GroupListeners also enjoyed...
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Critic reviews
"Alvarez proves as gifted at writing for adolescents as she is for adults. Here she brings her warmth, sensitivity and eye for detail to a volatile setting, the Dominican Republic of her childhood, during the 1960-1961 attempt to overthrow Trujillo's dictatorship....A stirring work of art." (Publishers Weekly)
"An involving book for adults as well as young adults....[Julia Alvarez] reads with emotion and clarity, and her warm Latin accent is a pleasure to listen to." (AudioFile)
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Story
Camila Henríquez Ureña is about to retire from her longtime job teaching Spanish at Vassar College. Only now as she sorts through family papers does she begin to know the woman behind the legend of her mother, the revered Salomé Ureña, who died when Camila was three. In stark contrast to Salomé, who became the Dominican Republic's national poet at the age of seventeen, Camila has spent most of her life trying not to offend anybody. Her mother dedicated her life to educating young women to give them voice in their turbulent new nation.
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Interesting story
- By Roseli on 03-02-24
By: Julia Alvarez
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Saving the World
- By: Julia Alvarez
- Narrated by: Blanca Camacho
- Length: 16 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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A finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award with In the Time of Butterflies, author Julia Alvarez is a beloved voice in modern fiction and poetry. In Saving the World, she weaves the stories of two courageous women—separated by two centuries—into a breathtaking novel of love and idealism in an increasingly troubled world.
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Split narrative never comes together -poor audio
- By Kenneth Powell on 05-06-24
By: Julia Alvarez
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Once Upon a Quinceanera
- Coming of Age in the USA
- By: Julia Alvarez
- Narrated by: Daphne Rubin-Vega
- Length: 9 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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The quinceañera, the 15th birthday celebration for a Latina girl, is quickly becoming an American event. This legendary party is a sight to behold: lavish ball gowns, extravagant catered meals, DJs, limousines, and multi-tiered cakes. The must haves for a "quince" are becoming as numerous and costly as a prom or wedding. And yet, this elaborate ritual also hearkens back to traditions from native countries and communities, offering young Latinas a chance to connect with their heritage.
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Dont just exist - LIVE!
- By Reina on 04-02-21
By: Julia Alvarez
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Antes de Ser Libres [Before We Were Free]
- By: Julia Alvarez
- Narrated by: Maria Siccardi
- Length: 6 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
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This is the story of Anita de la Torre, a 12-year-old girl living in the Dominican Republic in 1960. Most of her relatives have immigrated to the United States, her Tio Toni has disappeared, Papi has been getting mysterious phone calls about butterflies, and someone named Mr. Smith and the secret police have started terrorizing her family. While Anita deals with this frightening series of events, she also struggles with her adolescence and her own personal fight to be free.
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A great follow-up to En el Tiempo de las Mariposas
- By Suzy Fox on 09-24-12
By: Julia Alvarez
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Separate Is Never Equal
- Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation
- By: Duncan Tonatiuh
- Narrated by: Adriana Sananes
- Length: 22 mins
- Unabridged
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Almost 10 years before Brown vs. Board of Education, Sylvia Mendez and her parents helped end school segregation in California. An American citizen of Mexican and Puerto Rican heritage who spoke and wrote perfect English, Mendez was denied enrollment to a whites-only school. Her parents took action by organizing the Hispanic community and filing a lawsuit in federal district court. Their success eventually brought an end to the era of segregated education in California.
By: Duncan Tonatiuh
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Red Scarf Girl
- A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution
- By: Ji-li Jiang
- Narrated by: Christina Moore
- Length: 6 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Twelve-year-old Ji-li Jiang has brains, friends, and a bright future. Then Mao Zedong launches China’s infamous Cultural Revolution. Soon school is suspended and students are getting caught up in the fervor of Mao’s extreme politics. When Ji-li’s family is accused of capitalist crimes, all of her beautiful dreams burst like soap bubbles. Because Ji-li’s grandfather was a landlord, her family is harassed and humiliated. Their home is searched, and they live in constant fear. Nonetheless, Ji-li remains loyal to her beloved Chairman Mao....
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compelling story
- By Sharon on 10-02-15
By: Ji-li Jiang
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Becoming Naomi Leon
- By: Pam Munoz Ryan
- Narrated by: Annie Kozuch
- Length: 4 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
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I always thought that the biggest trial in my life was my name, Naomi Guadalupe Zamora Outlaw, but little did I know that it was the least of my problems, or that someday I would live up to it.
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My class LOVES this book!
- By Terri on 09-21-16
By: Pam Munoz Ryan
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A Step from Heaven
- By: An Na
- Narrated by: Jina Oh
- Length: 4 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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From master storyteller An Na comes the Printz Award-winning novel about a Korean girl who tells her firsthand account of trying to find her place and identity in America from the day she leaves Korea as a child to her rocky journey through the teenage years.
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missing one chapter(Punishment)
- By Amazon Customer on 12-31-17
By: An Na
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Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna
- By: Alda P. Dobbs
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia, Ana Osorio
- Length: 5 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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It is 1913, and 12-year-old Petra Luna’s mamá has died while the revolution rages in Mexico. Before her papá is dragged away by soldiers, Petra vows to him that she will care for the family she has left — her abuelita, her little sister, Amelia, and her baby brother, Luisito — until they can be reunited.
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¡Me encanto!
- By Roxann Martinez on 01-11-23
By: Alda P. Dobbs
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Clap When You Land
- By: Elizabeth Acevedo
- Narrated by: Elizabeth Acevedo, Melania-Luisa Marte
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
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In a novel-in-verse that brims with grief and love, National Book Award-winning and New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Acevedo writes about the devastation of loss, the difficulty of forgiveness, and the bittersweet bonds that shape our lives.
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Narration
- By VB on 06-05-20
What listeners say about Before We Were Free
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-17-20
Gracias!
I read it from beginning to end with out stopping. Julia Alvarez you're one of the best storytellers ever.
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- Keith E meyer
- 09-07-20
Amazing
Loved every second of the novel. Beautiful. The narration was top-notch and I truly fell in love with every character.
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- QueenNay
- 12-02-22
Lovely book
I started reading this book at my local library, but never was able to find the name again until recently. I was so excited to see the audiobook available. I truly enjoyed this book and highly recommend.
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- Stacy
- 10-24-21
Humbling
To hear others stories is humbling to me. Humans can be cruel to people when we do not understand their story. This is a good, simple, story for all ages to develop compassion for another person.
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- Amazon Customer
- 02-16-23
Before We We Free book by Julia Alvarez
Love the book! The audible reading i wish would be clearer for readers to read.
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- Lily
- 01-08-18
Talented Author Left Much To Be Expected Narrating
Bad News First
Superb story conflicted with not-so-great narrating: characters were not made as lively as they could've, jokes didn't hit as well they should've, many a tender scene was made awkward by monotonous, almost forcibly hushed tone, inappropriate inflections disrupt a truly captivating buildup.
As far as the story itself, the line between historical context and fiction is very efficiently maneuvered. Interesting, well-developed characters endear themselves to the reader as events unfold throughout the story. Events do not simply happen around the characters; the reader is made aware very early on that no one is invincible in this world and that the reign in the character's country is no exception. This gives the reader hope: anything can happen. This also makes the reader consider the fate of every character: anything can happen.
As with any story, there are flaws to be found. This particular story possesses very few.
The reader is left with many questions at the end of the story; many of which can be answered with a great deal of speculation but are ultimately still just speculation.
Narration strengths would include the distinguishing of voices of various characters (which makes it much easier to follow conversations between multiple characters) and an unhurried pace that compliments many image-heavy scenes, allowing the listener to soak in every detail and even add to the scene themselves, in their mind's eye.
In summation: Ms. Alvarez created a beautiful story about war, the avoidance of such, and the key players involved in any conflict, all from the perspective of a child growing into a young woman.
However, this particular medium (audiobook) of communication of aforementioned beautiful story leaves much to be desired and/or imagined, in this case, at least.
Many thanks to anyone who took the time to read this lengthy backhanded compliment.
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4 people found this helpful
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- Reader5309
- 06-11-24
Compelling!
I enjoyed this story from start to finish! It weaves together the coming of age of the protagonist and the heartbreaking situation in her native country in an authentically tween-ager way. At moments lighthearted, and at others devastating, there are many stopping points for pause and reflection. I think this would be a fantastic book for middle schoolers, though more politically conservative regions of the U.S. may contest some of the mentions of puberty’s effects. However, to me, this makes it all the more powerful for young learners to see themselves centered in the story.
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- Boston Shopper
- 02-23-21
Great story
Great story. Julia Alvarez is a wonderful writer and poet. No offense to Julia but I didn’t like narration. I stuck with it because it’s a good short story.
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- Carmen Feliciano
- 10-24-21
Beautiful story
I loved it! What a heartbreaking yet beautiful story! The narrator kept me engaged! I especially liked Anita! What a smart , creative and courageous little girl.
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- Katherine Jaspon
- 02-01-23
Great story.
Very engaging. I read it with my daughter. Narrating is excellent. I would highly recommend.
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