The central themes of the novel are sacrifice, political control, loyalty, and identity. Minerva Mirabal sacrificed the most of her personal life working against Trujillo's political regime. Trujillo ruled with constant fear, having people disappear if they were suspected of disloyalty. The Mirabal family showed strong loyalty to each other despite attempts to divide them. In order to stay safe, the Mirabals had to create fake identities while remaining committed to their ideals of a free nation.