From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, unforgettable portrait of love, silence, and secrets amidst a Spanish dictatorship.Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Spain is hiding a dark secret. Meanwhile, tourists and foreign businessmen flood into the country under the welcoming guise of … into the country under the welcoming guise of sunshine and wine. Among them is eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas 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 chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel’s photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, 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 about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence–inspired by the true post-war struggles of Spain.
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This intriguing look at 1950s Franco-era Spain was in turns enlightening, frustrating, and horrifying. Sepetys has a knack for using vivid characterization to tell the inside story of her chosen historical moment, and I was entranced by eighteen year old Daniel Matheison and his inamorata Ana Morena—star-crossed lovers who find themselves torn apart by the stringent rules of Franco’s twisted reign. A subplot diving into the illegal adoption trade is at once fascinating and terribly sad. An impeccably researched story, Sepetys’s unflinching account is well worth your time.
I admit I know nothing about Spain’s history. So this book was quite a revelation to me. I wasn’t aware of Franco and his heavy handed rule, of the fear and silence of the Spanish people, of the horrible stealing and selling of babies. Now I do, and I want to know more. With Franco dead, were these adopted “orphans” ever reunited with their birth families?
While this story did focus on historical events, the characters were so much more. Through them we experienced the power of family, friendship, love, loyalty, tragedy, and sacrifice. This is a beautifully written story with an important pice of history to share.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for this Sample (not quite an ARC, but okay). This story would probably interest fans of mystery/suspense/historical fiction.
The Fountains of SIlence is a strong and powerful book that tackles a topic not learned about in school. Ruta Sepetys melds fiction and nonfiction together into a tale that educates and evokes high emotions. From the various characters to the secondary characters, this book feels as if it’s taking me through a stroll in history. I love the sweet and complex story and the time jump that mends everything in place. Though there are times that Daniel and Anna overshadow the other characters, everyone’s story feels told by the end. If you love historical reads, I suggest reading The Fountains of Silence.
**Spoilers**
I will start off by saying that historical fiction is usually not my favorite genre, so the fact that this was a 5 star book for me is huge! I was immediately hooked by this novel. All of the characters were dynamic and well-developed. I felt invested in all of their stories, but obviously, especially Daniel’s and Ana’s story. I loved that they ended up together at the end! I also enjoyed the added aspect of the mystery about the dead babies, empty coffins, and babies being stolen. I had no idea that this happened in real life, so I appreciated how Sepetys portrayed this. All in all the novel felt very authentic. I have read all of Sepetys’s books and I think this is her best work by far!
A different book. I kept putting this book down to look up information. I can’t believe we aren’t taught so much of this information in traditional history classes. I even asked AP teachers and they said they don’t teach about Franco!
I learned so much!
What a beautiful and tragic story. The description and path the author takes to get you to the end while weaving together so many intricate little details is impressive. Very well done.
This book stays with you.
I love Ruta Sepetys as an author, but, unfortunately, I feel that this novel is a dud.
For my full review, please visit: https://www.krwardbookreview.com/2021/03/the-fountains-of-silence-by-ruta-sepetys.html
5 Stars. Powerful. Moving. Beautifully written.
A richly detailed and powerful portrait of surviving the devastation of war, and trying to move forward under the grip of a fascist dictator. The seemingly unrelated layers of stories are masterfully intertwined as the plot unfolds making this an engrossing and mesmerizing read.
Beautiful, tragic and suspenseful, the extraordinary storytelling transported me to another time and place full of mystery and kept secrets. In the midst of it all is a love story, not only between two people – but for a country, traditions, and the people who remain.
A truly spectacular book.
Fountains of Silence is beautifully written, interesting and heartbreaking in a way. I have fallen in love with Ruta Sepetys writing through this book. I love how she formats her chapters and how she shares her characters’ stories.
Fountains of Silence is set in Madrid, Spain. The majority of the book takes place during the 1950s. I haven’t read any other books set in Spain during this time. It was really interesting to learn about a new, to me, place.
The main characters in Fountains of Silence are Ana, a teenage Spanish girl from a poor family, and Daniel, a wealthy American teenage boy with a Spanish mother. Ana works as a maid at the hotel where Daniel and his family are staying. Ana and Daniel are fascinated by each other. Ana endlessly curious about the United States and Daniel fascinated by the beautiful girl who lives in a world of secrets and silence.
Fountains of Silence also tells the stories of Ana’s brother and cousin, with pieces of her sister’s story as well. Rafa, Ana’s brother is a butcher and a grave digger. He hates General Franco for stealing his parents and so much more. Puri, Ana’s cousin, works with “orphans”. helping to take care of them before they are adopted. She follows her parents’ example and is a “good” and respectful young woman, except for when she asks questions.
One of the main focuses of this book is to tell the story of the hundreds of babies who were stolen from their parents while Spain was under General Franco’s dictatorship. The parents of these babies were told that their babies died. The babies were in fact very much alive and were sold to families who were loyal to General Franco. Fountains of Silence tells these babies’ and their parents’ stories.
I loved this book. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.
The historical quotes added depth to the story. Ruta’s extenstive research and her ability to incorporate it into the story is amazing.
The character development and differing viewpoints demonstrated various aspects of life during this period in Spain. The short chapters moving between characters and the pace kept me interest and wanting to see what would happen. I didn’t want to stop reading!
Ana’s character is torn between wanting to follow her own path or following her sister’s request of remaining quiet. I think her character is a great representation of those who lived under Franco. Do you take the easy path to maintianin the peace or do you follow your heart by speaking out?
Set in 1957 Madrid, Spain under the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco explores the repercussions of war and the complexities of the dictatorship in Spain. Daniel’s father an oil tycoon from Texas travels to Spain to strike a deal with General Franco. Daniel travels with his father to experience his mother’s homeland. Daniel meets Ana a maid whose parents were killed during Franco’s regime while keeping a low profile. Author Ruta Sepetys alternates between chapters writing about the friendship between Daniel and Ana and facts about children who were abducted from their parents to be raised by degenerate families or become victims of child trafficking and illegal adoptions. I really enjoyed reading this young adult historical fiction while learning some historical facts about Spain.
I went to see author Ruta Sepetys speak at the Texas Book Festival in 2019 because I loved her book Between Shades of Gray so much. Of course she primarily spoke about her newest book, The Fountains of Silence, and what she had to say intrigued me.
My husband lived as a very small child in Spain for a couple of years with his family. His parents speak fondly of their time there and how safe they felt even though (and maybe because) Franco was still in power. He died shortly after they left. I sensed that there was an element of American privilege in their experiences. I’m not denying the validity of their perception, but as expatriates, I thought they were probably protected from the reality of most Spaniards.
My husband and I visited Spain ourselves in 2010 and loved every minute of our visit. I’m a huge guidebook nerd, so I started learning a bit more about the history of Franco’s rule while I was researching our visit. I learned enough to know that it was a pretty dark time, but I didn’t actively pursue any further knowledge.
I was intrigued when Ms. Sepetys started speaking of exactly how hard life was for most Spaniards during Franco’s reign. His followers were okay, but families who had members who had resisted him in the Spanish Civil War were punished for generations. Most horrifying of all, mothers were told that their babies had died shortly after birth when in reality, the children were adopted out to loyal families or foreigners. Franco’s regime wanted to ensure that the babies grew up with “good,” i.e. loyal, parents. Everyone was so afraid of Franco’s Guardia Civil that they rarely openly questioned what was going on and only started speaking of it years after Franco’s death.
The Fountains of Silence does a wonderful job of presenting the dichotomy of the face that Spain presented to the world and the underlying darkness of the 1950s. By starting from the point of view of Daniel, a wealthy Texas oil baron’s son staying in the American hotel that literally used to be a castle, readers are taken from the glitz and glamour and luxury and slowly led to see that everything is not as it seems.
The point of view switches around so that we eventually see how hard life was for the other main character, Ana, a young Spanish woman working as a maid in the hotel. Her parents were tortured and killed after the Civil War because they wanted better schools that were independent from the Catholic church. Ana and her siblings are terrified of drawing attention to themselves and meeting a similar fate. They live in a hovel and have big dreams but no real hope of ever pursuing them.
There is a lot to discuss and think about in this book. It would be an excellent choice for a book group. Whether you read it alone or with a group, just do yourself a favor and read it.
“When you discover the truth, you must speak it aloud and help others to do the same. Truth breaks the chains of silence. It sets us all free.”
The Fountains of Silence is set in Madrid and told in two parts, the summer of 1957, and then in 1975, just after the death of its dictator, Francisco Franco. The story is told through the eyes of several young adults, those who are of the generation most affected by the long-term effects of war (“History reveals that, amidst war, the highest tolls are often paid by the youngest. In Spain, young people were left amidst the wreckage to navigate an inheritance of heartache and responsibility for events they had no role in causing.”) The stories of the many characters weave together to tell about Spain’s secret history under the fascist dictatorship of Franco. I feel that each character’s story, no matter how big or small, was important to the overall story. For me, Part Two pushed this novel from 4 stars to 5.
I must admit that before reading this novel I had no knowledge of what post Civil War Spain was like. During that time, it is estimated that more than 300,000 children were stolen from their birth parents to be adopted by families deemed ‘more appropriate’. This novel explores the dark reality that lasted until the 1980s.
An absolute must for Spain lovers and fans of historic fiction. With a dash of romance, it tells the story of what living in Spain under a dictatorship and gives you some background to how today’s Spanish culture (specially for Madrid) was born.
Another masterful piece of writing from Ruta Sepetys. Like her other works, the story is told through the point of view of several characters through alternating short chapters. There is a budding romance in this one that is charming and makes the heart ache. I loved the characters of Rafi and Fugi as they pursued a dream and honored their friendship. I mostly related to poor Puri who worked in the orphanage. I am an infant teacher, so her love and concern for the babies (especially little Clover) really moved me. I highly recommend this to readers 12 and older. As usual for Sepetys novels, this is a book that will be equally enjoyed by adults and teens.
i really didn’t enjoy fountains of silence which was shocking since i liked her other book out of the easy i think it was because it was historical fiction and i am not a huge fan of that genre but still gave it a try and wasn’t the biggest fan of it and found it boring and hard to follow i definitely wouldn’t read something like that again but i love Ruta Sepetys writing and the details in the book which i thought was cool and interesting and i would probably recommended this book for people who like historical fiction and Ruta Sepety’s writing.
i dnf’d this half way through but i liked a little of it i read but it was just hard to read and i kept getting distracted.
Wow.
Just wow.
About 75% of the way through this book I knew that this book would be the kind that would give me a serious book hangover.
A stunningly complex, spellbinding novel of depth, seamlessly blending meticulous research with a heart-gripping story that snuck up on me and took me hostage until I turned the last page down.
It started out slower, painting a picture of Franco Regime Spain, divided after the Spanish Civil War, contrasting the facade of Madrid shown to Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas Oil Baron, with the realities faced by the citizens under the regime. I loved how the book used multiple characters, to show the challenges, heartaches, and hopes of the Spanish people, and though it took some time to get to know them all, I fell in love with each and every one of them as the threads of the story took shape.
I loved the descriptive language that showed, rather than told, evoking just the right emotion, and bringing the story to life. It is a book that is heartbreaking and beautiful, with a hopefulness, and bright bursts of perfection encapsulated against a foreboding backdrop, the contrasts making both sides more striking. Haunting in the best way, bringing to life a time in history that I was woefully ignorant of before reading this book. Highly recommend!
Opinions are my own. All books reviewed here are either bought by myself, borrowed from a friend, or checked out from my local library, unless otherwise stated.
Review for The Fountains of Silence
I can tell a book will be good when I lose track of time while reading it or savor each page before turning to the next one. I didn’t speed read one portion of this historic tale. The author pinned me to the setting and revealed the characters in such a way that drew my interest and almost made them real.
I know next to nothing about Spain’s civil war or Franco’s reign as dictator. Before I started reading, I was a bit worried if I would be able to relate to the setting, but my worries were unfounded, the story gripped me from the first page.
A tall Texan, Daniel, travels to Spain with his family. His mother has Spanish heritage and Daniel grew up speaking Spanish. His father, an oil big-wig, brushes elbows with men in high places. Daniel, whose interest lies in photography not oil, snaps shots which speak louder than words: a young bullfighter in his suit of lights, hardworking Spaniards, his own face covered in blood, dead babies, and the smiling face of the woman he can’t keep his mind off of—Ana, the hotel maid seeing to the needs of his family.
Ana plays by the strict rules of her society and social rank, but Daniel draws her attention. He slowly gets her to relax her guard and allow room for friendship and maybe something more.
In this rich, cultural story a bevy of characters will weave its way around you and make you emphasize with the plight of the Spanish people at that time in history.
This is by far the best book that I’ve read in over a year. If you enjoy historical fiction, The Fountains of Silence is a must read.
Historical fiction set in Spain. Loved the characters. Only thing I did not like is there is no ending. It is left up to your imagination, I guess. Turned the page and it was over.