An underground political group called las Mariposas (the Butterflies) rises in the Dominican Republic after three sisters are murdered. In the Time of the Butterflies is a novel written by Julia Alvarez that shares a fictionalized story of the Mirabal sisters.

In the 1960's when Alvarez's family moved to the U.S., they fled from political corruption in the D.R. These real experiences inspired Alvarez to imagine what life was like from the women who spawned a political rebellion. "Needless to say, this book is one I felt compelled to write. The day of the murder of the Mirabal sisters, November 25th, has been declared by the United Nations, International Day Against Violence Against Women. I'd love it if we began a tradition of wearing a butterfly on that day!"