A new documentary from PBS' American Masters opens a window into Julia Alvarez’s extraordinary journey from an idyllic, privileged childhood in the Dominican Republic to a life of exile in New York City to a brilliant literary career that shows no sign of slowing down.
Alvarez now lives in Vermont and serves as a writer in residence at Middlebury College.
Her semi-autobiographical novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, was published in 1991, followed in 1994 by In the Time of the Butterflies, which sold over a million copies and raised global awareness about life under Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo. Spanning multiple genres and audiences, Alvarez’s work includes three nonfiction books, three poetry collections, 11 books for children and young adults and seven literary novels.
The new documentary explores how Alvarez burst onto the literary scene and blazed a trail for a generation of Latino authors.
More from Vermont Public: Alvarez spoke to Vermont Public's Mikaela Lefrak in front of a live audience at the Town Hall Theater in Middlebury to watch the film and discuss the author's storied career. Listen now on Vermont Edition.
After October 16, 2024, the video above will be limited to Vermont Public Passport members. Learn more and sign up for Passport.
