Julia Alvarez books in order
Dominican-American poet, novelist, essayist
- Born
- 1950
- Country
- Dominican Republic
- Books
- 28
Julia Alvarez has published 10 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 8 children's books, 3 poetry collections and 3 other books, beginning with How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (1991). The best-known is In the Time of the Butterflies (1994). The latest is Afterlife (2020).
Updated September 2026
Where to start with Julia Alvarez
Start here
In the Time of the Butterflies
Julia Alvarez's most-read book.
Newest
Afterlife
Published 2020.
Standalone novels in order
How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (1991)
In the Time of the Butterflies (1994)
Rebel Angels (1996), with Thomas M. Disch
Yo! (1997)
En El Nombre De Salomé (2000)
In the Name of Salome (2001)
Finding Miracles (2006)
Saving the World (2007)
How Tia Lola Saved the Summer (2011)
Afterlife (2020)
Novellas in order
A Cafecito Story (2001)
Short story collections in order
The Secret Footprints (2000)
Non-fiction in order
Something to Declare (1998)
A Wedding in Haiti (2012)
Children's books in order
How Tía Lola Came to Visit Stay (2001)
Before We Were Free (2002)
Cuando Tia Lola Vino (de Visita) A Quedarse (2004)
A Gift of Gracias (2005)
Return to Sender (2009)
How Tía Lola Lola Learned to Teach (2010)
How Tía Lola Ended Up Starting Over (2011)
Where Do They Go? (2016)
Poetry in order
Homecoming (1984)
The Other Side = (1995)
The Woman I Kept to Myself (2004)
Other books in order
How Tia Lola Came to Stay (2002)
Devolver Al Remitente (2010)
Antes De Ser Libre (2018)
About Julia Alvarez
Julia Alvarez is an American New Formalist poet, novelist, and essayist. She rose to prominence with the novels How the García Girls Lost Their Accents (1991), In the Time of the Butterflies (1994), and Yo! (1997). Her publications as a poet include Homecoming (1984) and The Woman I Kept to Myself (2004), and as an essayist the autobiographical compilation Something to Declare (1998). She has achieved critical and commercial success on an international scale and many literary critics regard her to be one of the most significant contemporary Latina writers.
Biography from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photo via Wikimedia Commons.
Julia Alvarez FAQ
- How many books has Julia Alvarez written?
- Julia Alvarez has published 10 novels, 1 novella, 1 short story collection, 2 non-fiction books, 8 children's books, 3 poetry collections and 3 other books that we list, as of September 2026.
- What order should I read Julia Alvarez's books in?
- Publication order is a safe choice; the full list is above. Most readers start with In the Time of the Butterflies.
- What is Julia Alvarez's latest book?
- Afterlife (2020).
- What is Julia Alvarez's most famous book?
- In the Time of the Butterflies (1994) is Julia Alvarez's most widely read book.
Authors like Julia Alvarez
Sources: book lists and dates from Wikidata and Open Library, ratings from Open Library readers. Last updated September 2026.