The book gave an informative history of the Dominican Republic during the dictatorship of General Trujillo. The generations of a family affected by his rule was both tragic and sad, yet showed the resilience of some family members. The graphic language was at first a shock to my senses, and the inclusion of Spanish text without translation was a bit confusing.The book required persistence in following the story line as it jumped from present to past and to different generations of the family. However, if one persevered, it all came together at the end. The main character was both bizarre and tender. In hindsight, it was a good book, but may not appeal to the senses of older readers.