In the Time of the Butterflies online timeline

When she was younger, Minerva compared herself to the bunnies in cages, and tried to set a half grown doe free, but the rabbit didn't want to be free, which is a similarity to the Trujillo regime, the people were used to Trujillo, and didn't know or want anything diferent.

Minerva is sent to school at Inmaculada Concepcion with her sister Patria and meets Sinita and Elsa

Minerva meets Sinita, a poor girl, and they become friends. When Sinita doesn't understand how babies come about, Minerva tells her, and in return, Sinita offers to tell Minerva the secret of Trujillo.

Sinita tells Minerva about Trujillo, and how he murdered all of the men in her family because they had begun to doubt the president and had begun to work against him. Then, she tells Minerva about how Trujillo became president in a 'sneaky' way, and how he slowly rose to power. Minerva doesn't believe her at first, but then, "I felt a china-crack of doubt." (Julia Alvarez, 17)

Lina Lovatón was one of the prettiest girls at Inmaculada Concepcion, and Trujillo noticed her. Trujillo began to send her gifts and poems, and eventually she left Inmaculada and became Trujillo's new favorite 'girlfriend'. Eventually, she became pregnant, and Trujillo's jealous wife found out, and Trujillo had to send Lina away to America. This is when Minerva begins to believe Sinita about Trujillo.

The loyalty performance to Trujillo performed by Minerva, Elsa, Lourdes and Sinita wins the prize at Inmaculada, and they are sent to perform in front of Trujillo. Minerva protests, but they send them anyway. Sinita almost shoots Trujillo in the face with a little bow, and the nuns are extremely upset. Minerva knows about Trujillo now, and already hates him.

Minerva finds out that her father has been cheating on her mother with one of the campesino (worker) families that he’s been ‘reviewing’. She loses her faith in her father, just like she lost her faith in Trujillo, and figures out that she’s stronger than him. Stronger than the decisions he’s made. She forgives the family, but not her father.

Minerva begins to suspect that something is going on between her father and her mother, and is feeling cooped up in the country while her friends, Elsa and Sinita, are taking a Theory of errors in the capital without her

• When Minerva starts attending parties with her father, she catches Trujillo’s attention, and he asks them to attend one of his bigger parties. Minerva isn’t happy about it, but she attends.
When Trujillo makes an attempt to invite her into his bed, Minerva goes out of bounds and slaps him, causing huge trouble for her father and the rest of her family. The Mirabal family is now famous for her little stunt.

When her father is arrested, Minerva is called in for questioning about Lio, and has to visit Trujillo for an apology, and is offered again, the chance to make life easier for herself by sleeping with him. Again she refuses.
The Mirabal family is pardoned by Trujillo, when Minerva rolls dice with him. They tie, and the score is called even..

Patria, Mate, and Minerva begin their journey to Puerto Plate to see their husbands, with Rufino as a driver.

Minerva and Mate get released from prison, and get put under house arrest.

The three sisters leave Puerto Plata to go back home, after visiting their husbands.

María Teresa's first entry into her diary, she ponders about what Minerva means when she says that reflecting upon something deepens ones soul.

The first diary of María Teresa Mirabal, during her time at Inmaculada Concepcion

María Teresa wishes El Jefe happy Benefactors day, she is congratulating him and is so happy that she was born in the same month he is (October), and thinks it shows something special about her character. (pre-revolution)

The new years resolutions of María Teresa Mirabal
-I resolve to not scare Nelson with scary stories
-I resolve to be diligent with my tasks and not fall asleep when I say my prayers
-I resolve to not think of clothes when I am in church
-I resolve to be chase, as that is a noble thing to do.
-I resolve not to be so tenderhearted as even Minerva says crying will bring on premature wrinkles.

Minerva tells María Teresa about Trujillo, and about the secret anti-Trujillo meetings that she's been attending. María Teresa asks why, and Minerva says "because she wanted me to grow up in a free country."-(Julia Alvarez, 39)

María Teresa begins to notice things that she's never known before, and wonders how many people the guards have killed, and she begins to be afraid of Trujillo, and his eyes that follow her everywhere. " I see the picture of our president with eyes that follow me around the room, and I am thinking he is trying to catch me doing something wrong. Before, I always thought our president was like god, watching over everything I did." (Julia Alvarez, 40)
But María Teresa still has faith in Trujillo, despite what her sister says, but she is starting to doubt herself.

A revolutionary friend of Minerva's named Hilda, is on the run from Trujillo, and is hiding at Inmaculada. The police have been looking for Hilda, but she is hiding out as a nun. María Teresa and the nuns do not approve of Hilda's bad attitude, and think that it's starting to spread to Minerva and her other friends.

Minerva graduates from Inmaculada Concepcion, and the whole family goes home. María Teresa is excited and wants to spend her summer doing activities with her sisters, such as embroidery, keeping books, cooking cakes and spells from Fela, and learning how to argue with Minerva.

Hilda has been caught, and Minerva is burying anything that might connect her to Hilda, and since María Teresa has written about Hilda, her diary has to be buried too. María Teresa is distraught, and is writing in her diary for the last time. "Minerva was right. My soul has gotten deeper since I started writing in you. But this is what I want to know that not even Minerva knows. What do I do now to fill up that hole?" (Julia Alvarez, 43)

The second diary of María Teresa, detailing her late teen years, and the beginning of her adult years and her marriage to Palomino, or Leandro.

Years after she buried her first diary, Mate is given a new diary and decides to start writing. The new diary was a gift from Minerva; who said that writing in a diary makes the sadness stop.

During the time she lived with Minerva, Mate learned the sad truth about Minerva's husband, Manolo: He was cheating on Minerva with another woman. After hearing this, she had to admit her feelings by saying, "I hate men".

After learning more about Minerva's life, Mate tells Minerva that she wants to participate in her movements.

After María Teresa and Leandero spend time together, they get married on February 14, The Day of Lovers.

The third and final diary of María Teresa, detailing her time in prison and her torture at the hands of the SIM

While in prison; Mate recieves a notebook that had been smuggled in for her.

Mate breaks down in her cell; where she feels she never will escape both the prison itself, and the sadness it brings to her.

On the night the prisoners called out, "Viva la Mariposa!" Mate believed that she had truly felt courage, even though she was in prison.

María Teresa says goodbye to both her third diary, and the prison that she and Minerva were held.

Patria describes how there is a struggle going on between her mind and her flesh, and how even though she’s devoted her life to the Lord, her wandering hands have other ideas at night.

• Patria is explaining her early life, and how she had felt the 'Pearl of Great Price' within her from the moment she was born. She was a born servant of the Lord, and felt her calling even at a very young age. She was noticed by the nuns at Inmaculada at a young age, and they had given her some time to think about becoming a nun.

At the age of 16, the nuns at Inmaculada notice patria, and ask her if she’s given any thought to becoming a nun. Patria says that she’ll think about it, and she is planning on saying yes.

One night when she’s washing feet, she sees the feet of a young man, and is immediately sure that this is her earthly groom, Pedrito Gonzales.

Patria gets married, and has two little children, Nelson and Noris, and has a third on the way. Then, Patria slowly starts to question her faith and realizes that she’ seen looking at the Lord the wrong way all of her life, and she gives birth to a stillborn little boy.

When the family goes on a pilgrimage to Higuey, Patria sees the Virgencita in a new way, and realizes that the Virgin Mary has been with her all along, in the voices of the people and as the voices of her family. She’s been looking up to try to find God all her life, but then she realizes that she has to try to find God in the hearts, and faces of others.

During Patria's religious retreat, she witnesses a casualty of Trujillo's madness, and she becomes changed forever.

Patria gives birth to another boy, who she named Raúl Ernesto.

After losing her home, her husband, and her son; Patria has a hard time living at her mother's house.

Patria's half sister arrives at her house to tell her about smuggling in the prison Mate and Minerva are staying at, and offers service to Patria.

Trujillo began to pardon minors in prison, so Nelson would be returned to Patria.

Patria and Noris meet Trujillo in person, who gives Noris ice cream and takes a picture with Patria and Noris.