For two decades, Julia Alvarez’s books have offered adults and young readers alike a unique perspective on issues related to immigration and the coming of age of Latina girls in the United States. Meet this fascinating Dominican-American author and learn more about her work in this resource, which is sure to appeal to students writing reports, book clubs, and fans.
Reading Julia Alvarez reviews the author’s acclaimed body of writing, exploring both the works and the woman behind them. The guide opens with a brief biography that includes the saga of the Alvarez family’s flight from the Dominican Republic when Julia was ten, and carries her story through the philanthropic organic coffee farm that she and her husband now operate in that nation.
The heart of the book is a broad overview of Alvarez’s literary achievements, followed by chapters that discuss individual works and a chapter on her poetry. The book also looks at how the author’s writings grapple with and illuminate contemporary issues, and at Alvarez’s place in pop culture, including an examination of film adaptations of her books. Through this guide, readers will better understand the relevance of Alvarez’s works to their own lives and to new ways of thinking about current events.
