Book Review of
The Fountains of Silence

Author: Ruta Sepetys

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Publisher Summary:

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 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.

Includes vintage media interstitials, oral history commentary, photos, and more.

Lynn's Review

I picked The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys for one of my Book of the Month picks. I didn’t have high hopes for the book. I had started another book by Ruta Sepetys but never finished it. I am kind of picky on my fiction, so I wasn’t sure if I would like The Fountains of Silence or not.

Right now I am trying to read from my TBR stack, which is quite large. This book was in it, so I picked it up and then couldn’t put it down. I loved The Fountains of Silence. It is considered YA, which I am not sure I agree with. Many YA books feel like YA, but this one didn’t at all.

This book shares a part of history that I didn’t know anything about. I am pretty sure I am not alone on that. I don’t think a lot of people know about this time period in Spain.

I loved how the author wove the characters lives together. She took characters from totally different background and classes and made it work in a believable way. One of the reasons that I struggle with historical fiction is that so much of it seems unbelievable. This book isn’t that way. This book reads like a real story. What the author does with the characters in this book feels real.

After reading this one, I am going to pick back up the Ruta Sepetys book that I never finished.