Compare Before We Were Free

Anita de la Torre never questioned her freedom living in the Dominican Republic. But by her twelfth birthday in 1960, most of her relatives have immigrated 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 to Trujillo’s iron-fisted rule. Using the strength and courage of her family, Anita must overcome her fears and fly to freedom, leaving all that she once knew behind. “A work of art.” — Starred Review account of a girl growing up too quickly while coming to terms with the cost of freedom.” — “Diary entries written by the child while in hiding . . . . Readers will bite their nails as the story moves to its inexorable conclusion.” —