BCLF and The Center for Fiction Present Julia Alvarez and Krystal Quiles on In the Time of the Butterflies

Saturday, 5:00 pm EDT September 12, 2026

The Center for Fiction
& Livestreamed

In the Time of the Butterflies Cover Julia Alvarez Kystal Quiles

Join the Brooklyn Caribbean Literary Festival and The Center for Fiction as we welcome author Julia Alvarez and illustrator Krystal Quiles to celebrate the launch of the graphic novel adaptation of Alvarez’s award-winning novel, In the Time of the Butterflies.

Alvarez’s novel is inspired by the true story of the Mirabal sisters, also known as Las Mariposas, who organized a rebellion against Rafael Trujillo, dictator of the Dominican Republic from 1930 to 1961. Following the sisters from their childhood in the village of Ojo de Agua through their involvement with revolutionary organizing and their eventual murder in 1960, the book blends the personal and the political with intelligence and grace. Quiles’s illustrations add a fresh dimension to the work, introducing rich, new possibilities for readers to engage with the story.

Alvarez and Quiles will discuss the processes of collaboration and adaptation as well as the importance of sharing histories of tragedy and resistance. All tickets include a signed copy of the graphic novel edition of In the Time of the Butterflies. In-person tickets guarantee a seat, and Alvarez and Quiles will sign books after the event.

Pricing inclusive of sales tax if applicable.

In the Time of the Butterflies Cover Julia Alvarez Kystal Quiles

Featuring

  • Julia Alvarez (c) Corey Hendrickson

    Julia Alvarez

    Julia Alvarez

    Julia Alvarez left the Dominican Republic for the United States in 1960 at the age of ten. She is the author of six novels, three books of nonfiction, three collections of poetry, and eleven books for children and young adults. She has taught and mentored writers in schools and communities across America and, until her retirement in 2016, was a writer in residence at Middlebury College. Her work has garnered wide recognition, including a Latina Leader Award in Literature from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, the Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature, the Woman of the Year by Latina magazine, and inclusion in the New York Public Library’s program “The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, from John Donne to Julia Alvarez.” In the Time of the Butterflies, with over one million copies in print, was selected by the National Endowment for the Arts for its national Big Read program, and in 2013 President Obama awarded Alvarez the National Medal of Arts in recognition of her extraordinary storytelling. In 2024, she was profiled in the American Masters documentary, “Julia Alvarez: A Life Reimagined,” on PBS.


    Photo Credit: Corey Hendrickson

  • Krystal Quiles headshot

    Krystal Quiles

    Krystal Quiles

    Krystal Quiles is an artist and illustrator who splits her creative time between Philadelphia and New York City. A graduate of Pratt Institute, Krystal has worked in the editorial world and has illustrated children’s books, including The Coquíes Still Sing / Los Coquíes Aún Cantan, for which she received a Pura Belpré Illustrator Honor. In the Time of the Butterflies is her debut adapted graphic novel.

Featured Book

  1. . 
    In the Time of the Butterflies Cover Julia Alvarez Kystal Quiles

    In the Time of the Butterflies

    By Julia Alvarez, Krystal Quiles

    Published by Little, Brown and Company

    PURCHASE

    Set during the waning days of Trujillo’s rule in the Dominican Republic, In the Time of the Butterflies was inspired by the true story of the three Mirabal sisters, known as Las Mariposas, or the Butterflies, who were murdered on November 25, 1960, for their part in an underground plot to overthrow the government.

    First published in 1994, the historical novel went on to receive wide acclaim, being nominated for the 1994 National Book Critical Circle Award, adapted into a feature film in 2001 starring Salma Hayek, and selected for the National Endowment for the Arts’ reading program, The Big Read. Today, In the Time of the Butterflies has sold over a million copies in all formats and is known as a modern classic.

    This magnificently illustrated edition of the 1994 novel reintroduces readers to the Mirabal sisters and renders these historical figures as they’ve never been seen before. A longtime reader of Alvarez, illustrator Krystal Quiles has honored the literary icon’s portrayal of the sisters’ teenage years, their resistance against Trujillo’s rule, and their terror as their involvement in the revolution is revealed. This is a stunning rendition of a beloved classic, sure to captivate a new generation of readers.

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