called a woman’s novel. You know, a man’s novel is universal; a woman’s novel is for women." Alvarez claims that her aim is not simply to write for women, but to also deal with universal themes that illustrate a more general interconnectedness. She explains: "What I try to do with my writing is to move out into those other selves, other worlds. To become more and more of us." As an illustration of this point, Alvarez writes in English about issues in the Dominican Republic, using a combination of both English and Spanish. Alvarez feels empowered by the notion of populations and cultures around the world mixing, and because of this, identifies as a "Citizen of the World". Grants and honors Alvarez has received grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and the Ingram Merrill Foundation. Some of her poetry manuscripts now have a permanent home in the New York Public Library, where her work was featured in an exhibit, "The Hand of the Poet: Original Manuscripts by 100 Masters, From John Donne to Julia Alvarez." She received the Lamont Prize from the Academy of American Poets in 1974, first prize in narrative from the Third Woman Press Award in 1986, and an award from the General Electric Foundation in 1986. In 2009, she received the Fitzgerald Award for Achievement in American Literature. How the García Girls Lost Their Accents was the winner of the 1991 PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Literary Award for works that present a multicultural viewpoint. Yo! was selected as a notable book by the American Library Association in 1998. Before We Were Free won the Belpre Medal in 2004, and Return to Sender won the Belpre Medal in 2010. She also received the 2002 Hispanic Heritage Award in Literature. Bibliography Fiction How the García Girls Lost Their Accents. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 1991. In the Time of the Butterflies. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 1994. Yo!. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 1997. In the Name of Salomé. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2000. Saving the World: A Novel. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2006. Afterlife: A Novel. Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, 2020. Children’s and young adult The Secret Footprints. New York: Knopf, 2000. A Cafecito Story. White River Junction, VT: Chelsea Green, 2001. How Tia Lola Came to visit Stay. New York: Knopf, 2001. Finding Miracles. New York: Knopf, 2004. El mejor regalo del