Research the regime of Rafael Trujillo and describe what it was like to live under his dictatorship.

Investigate the culture of the late 1960s, especially as it appeared on college campuses. Explain how this culture could create added pressures for the Garcia sisters.

Research the status of women in Latin culture and American culture in the 1970s and 1980s. How do these differences affect the women in the novel?

Read another work on the immigrant experience, written by an author from another culture, and compare it to the experiences related in How the Garda Girls Lost Their Accents.