Episode 5 – The Butterflies: Love, Resistance, and Legacy

In this powerful episode of Gateway Books by Crestance, we honor the Mirabal sisters—Patria, Minerva, and María Teresa—whose defiance against Rafael Trujillo’s dictatorship in the Dominican Republic made them icons of resistance. We begin with Julia Alvarez’s novel In the Time of the Butterflies, a vivid reimagining of their lives. Then we turn to The Letters of Minerva Mirabal and Manolo Tavárez, a rare glimpse into the heart of a revolutionary partnership, and Alive in Their Garden by Dedé Mirabal, the last surviving sister’s deeply personal account.

Hosted by Cindy Cruz, this episode looks at how love fueled resistance, how women led the charge against tyranny, and how one family’s sacrifice helped bring a regime to its knees. Through fiction, memoir, and history, we remember not just the tragedy—but the triumph—of Las Mariposas.