The latest book club

I think by now we have a steady group in the book club, and, except for Molly, everyone else was at Rachel's on Saturday, but I will write a brief account of what we talked about on Saturday anyway, if anyone cares to read. I just want to say that despite the gloomy topic, I had the best time, as did Joseph. It's great to get to know all of you I hadn't known before, and for the kids to get to know each other.  Who was there: Rachel and Ila (of course), Kelley and Evie (in an awesome Mexican dress), Analisa and Asher, Erin and Santiago (in a Che onesie), Bridget and Edie, Carrie (did I spell this right?) sans child, and Joe and myself. 

As for the book, we tried to draw the line between fact and fiction, but of course could not do that. There is not much info on the Internet, either. I found one site interesting:

http://www.vermontwoman.com/articles/1206/mirabal_sisters.shtml

I guess Julia Alvarez, Dede, and Minou visited this college, so the story is about all three of them.

We also discussed Dede: I initially thought she wasn't much of a heroine, but the others convinced me otherwise, pointing out how hard it must have been to be the one left behind, and how it's not a small feat to raise all those children and keep the other sisters' story alive. We talked about the other sisters. We all were partial toward Minerva, though, having children of our own, we were not as sure as we probably would have been at age 20 that we would join the revolution as easily anymore. Patria, we thought, was the sister who grew the most, and Mate was interesting, because it felt like her heart was never fully in it, that she did it for the love of Minerva and her husband, at least partly. 

We wondered if their deaths could have been avoided. This book actually reminded me of the Chronicle of Death Foretold by Marquez: you know from the start what's going to happen, but you keep hoping it's going to change anyhow. So although I knew they were going to die on that pass, I kept seeing all the ways they could have gotten out. But of course, as Erin pointed out, it wasn't a matter of if, but only of when. I also read that their murders finally galvanized the people, and Trujillo was overthrown later that year, I think.

Is there anything else that someone wants to add? The discussion actually went on for a while, interspersed with the usual conversations about children, so I am sure we talked about a lot more, but I can't remember right now.

In any case, we decided for a lighter reading for the month of June, and decided on The divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. I am perhaps ashamed to say that this is one of my favorite books. Now, don't expect this one to be completely light either, but it definitely won't give you that doomed feeling that I had the entire time I was reading In the Time of the Butterflies. And, since I won't be here in June (flying to the motherland for Joseph to be spoiled by his grandparents), I hope you will be posting on the blog so I can vicariously participate.