Julia Alvarez was born to Dominican parents in New York City in 1950. When she was three months old, her family moved back to the Dominican Republic under the rule of Rafael Trujillo. Her father became involved in a political rebellion, and her family fled the country in 1960. They escaped just three months before the murder of the Mirabal sisters, vocal opponents to Trujillo's regime, on whose lives she based her second novel, In the Time of the Butterflies.
Her re-introduction to American life was difficult, but she became an avid reader and dedicated herself to learning English fluently. She was sent to boarding school at the age of 13, and she returned to the Dominican Republic...
