The Fountains of Silence

By Ruta Sepetys

Book Overview

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - From the award-winning author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, extraordinary novel of love, silence, and secrets under a dictatorship in 1950s Spain.

"Suspenseful, romantic and timely . . . speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past."--The New York Times Book Review

Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera.

Photography--and fate--introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War, as well as the chilling realities of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. Lives and hearts collide when he's backed into a corner to protect those he loves, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel. Featuring vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more, The Fountains of Silence provides a memorable portrait of the true postwar struggles of Spain.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399160310
• ISBN13: 9780399160318
• Release Date: October 2019
• Publisher: Philomel Books
• Length: 512 Pages
• Weight: 1.68 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.7" x 6.3" x 9.2"
• Age Range: 13 to 17 years
• Grade Range: Grades 8 to 12

Customer Reviews

Elegant and Heartbreaking!

This was such an elegantly written book with a veneer of sunshine covering deep sadness. It is amazing how the author could convey such things so perfectly. It may have been historical fiction but there were many facts in this novel. I was drawn in by the story of Ana and Daniel, which was really good and really sad but it was also cool to see the various parts of Madrid through the eyes of Puri and Rafa and Julia too. There were two Madrids, the one that the tourists lived in and then the hidden Madrid. I also enjoyed the real life bits too, the historical statements by presidents and ambassadors and other about how Spain was during the reign of Franco. And then how it was all tied in with the stolen babies of Spain. This was a well written book and would be enjoyed by people of all ages.

I would highly recommend

In the beginning, it took me a few chapters to get used to the point of view because I think (I don’t know the technical term) it was some kind of omnipotent 3rd person point of view. Each chapter jumped from character to character and you were able to see into that character’s thoughts even though it was told in 3rd person. It was harder to get into because I don’t think many stories are told that way, but I really liked it. Because of the point of view, I think that really helped to make the characters become more rounded, realistic and dynamic. As soon as I started reading, I wanted to learn everything about them and it felt like they were real. Even though one of the relationships probably could be categorized as “insta-love” I didn’t feel that way while I was reading. The interactions between everyone were so smooth and flawless. The atmosphere also felt very real and beautiful to me. I always had a very vivid image in my head picturing the place, people, and actions. I loved how we would never get a full explanation (I mean, by the end, stuff made sense, but I’m talking about the rest of the story). We would get a little information here, a little more there, but it felt like the more questions the author answered, the more questions you had. I read most of the book in one day because I always had a question that needed to be answered right then. Ruta Sepetys does a brilliant job of grabbing onto your attention, and never letting go. If you don’t like short chapters, you might not enjoy the experience as much because the chapters were probably all under 4 pages long. I personally really liked it because it made me feel like I was making so much progress super quickly. Also, I absolutely loved the short articles or quotes from real people that were added between chapters. It reminded you that this is real history and many people had to live through this. The pacing was a little slow because the story was very character-driven. There weren’t a lot of plot points, because it was mostly everyday life and what that would look like for people in this era (that probably makes it sound very boring, but I promise, there’s more than the characters just living). I thought the denouement was slightly unsatisfactory. I’m not exactly sure how to explain it, but something just felt off. I’m sorry, I don’t know how to put it into words :P