The Fountains of Silence

Just wow! Everything that I love about historical fiction and so well done. I will say that I started this one as an audiobook and it was a bit difficult to follow. I switched to the Kindle version as I had both checked out through my local digital library. The first quarter of the book I was

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thinking this would be a three star read. It was challenging to keep up with the characters and the events and I did need to research a bit about Spanish history during this time to fully understand. After that point, it just got better and better. Highly recommend!

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At first, the inclusion of historical documents and journalism seemed to slow down the pace of the very gradually evolving story; then, they became as compelling as the plot.

Each of the main characters circle under Franco's despotism and terror while moving together toward a deeper understanding of

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their changing situations and surprising dependance on each other. Franco has at last opened Spain to military, oil, and political interests from the United States. Visiting photographer Daniel joins his parents and
falls in love with Ana, the woman assigned to his family at Hotel Castellano.

The mild plot predictably gives way to an overriding fear for each of the main characters
and results in a tragic loss.

The only faltering is suspending disbelief that Daniel and Ana do not contact each other - even via Nick - for eighteen long years. Why wouldn't they check to be sure that their families, health, and lives were going along decently? A big stretch.

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I have been wanting to read a novel by Sepetys for quite awhile, so when this popped up for review I was eager to read it. The reviews I saw for this book were pretty mediocre, so I went into this expecting to be pretty disappointed in this book. However, I ended up finding the story very engaging

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and tore through this long book in only a couple days.

The story is set in Madrid when Spain was under Franco’s rule (1957ish). It mainly follows Ana and Daniel, although others chime in as well. Ana works at the first Hilton in Spain which is a hotel catering to Americans. Daniel is the son of an American oil tycoon and he wants to be a photographer and tell the story of the people suffering in Spain. Aside from hearing about Daniel and Ana there is a mystery involving missing babies. Additionally, woven into this main story are the stories of Ana’s brother, sister, and cousin as well.

I really liked the format of the book. The book switches POV a lot and the chapters are very short. Normally this would annoy me but it worked really, really well for this book and propelled the story forward.

While there is a mystery to be solved in this story, I felt like this was more of one of those “day in the life of” types of stories. Finding out what was going to happen to all of our characters really kept me engaged. I also really liked and enjoyed reading about all the characters.

I wasn’t really aware of what was going on in Spain in the 1950’s so I enjoyed learning about that. I would say that this book felt a bit more like a soap opera (where you follow people’s stories and drama) than a real deep dive into the history. Being that this is the first Sepetys book I have read I can’t compare to her other novels.

My only complaint is that I felt like that story ended very abruptly. There IS an epilogue at the end to tie things together. However, after being so involved with these characters and their lives I thought that things just suddenly...well...stopped.

Overall I really enjoyed this and would recommend to those who like reading a blend of history, romance, and “day in the life of” sort of books. I thought this was going to be a much heavier read than it was. It ended up being very engaging and I breezed right through it.

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I thoroughly enjoyed Between Shades of Grey and Salt to the Sea. In fact they are two of the novels I most often recommend, so I had high expectations for the latest book by Ruta Sepetys. I'm happy to say it met them.

Like those other two books, this one sheds a light on a hidden part of history,

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but it does so more gradually.

Like in Salt to the Sea, there were multiple narrators. I felt they were all necessary for the telling of this story, and I liked them all, though initially I found one less sympathetic than the others.

The danger the characters faced here was not as overt as in the other books, but there was a tension, a sense of it lingering in the air. And while I'd describe the other two novels as being about a struggle to survive, I'd describe this one as being about a struggle to live, for what kind of life is it if you can't ask questions or even hope for anything better?

I enjoyed this and have already recommended it. I'm thankful for the early read from BookishFirst, and I liked it so much that I've purchased the hardback.

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The Fountains of Silence quite a cracker! I read it via the Pigeonhole app where I received a stave a day for twelve days. I looked forward to receiving each instalment every day, I was so immersed in the story and the characters’ lives.

It’s set in 1957 in Madrid during its communist era under

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the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Tourist Daniel Matheson, son of a Texas oil tycoon father and a Spanish mother, is visiting with his parents. Daniel is a keen photographer, even so far as wanting to make a career of it against the wishes of his father. He meets a local girl, Ana, who is a maid in the hotel where he is staying and, through her, various members of her family, including Rafa and his friend, Fuga who have dreams of bullfighting fame. As Daniel takes his photos, he becomes gradually aware of the darkness running beneath the surface during this turbulent and tyrannical period of time in Spanish history, a history I knew little about but now know a lot more!

I found this a fascinating and highly interesting read. It’s beautifully written and well researched, combining historical fact with fiction to make an absorbing and captivating tale with some believable and likeable characters. And the ending just ties it all up wonderfully! This is the first book I’ve read by Ruta Sepetys and it won’t be my last. Highly recommended.

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Wow, Ruta Sepetys delivers time and again! She has a talent for taking a piece of "little known history" (not known to us American dunces anyways) and weaving together a brilliant young adult historical fiction novel that is impossible to put down. Madrid, Spain in 1957 might seem glamorous and

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"upcoming" to American tourists, but it's hiding dark secrets. The dictator, General Franco has ruled with an iron fist and life for kids and families who had members convicted of treason, have never slept easy. There is no freedom of religion, girls must be modest, and incomes must not increase. At first, the young Texan, Daniel is enamored with it all; the sights, the sounds, the food. But the more he gets to know his housekeeper, Ana, and "her Spain," the more he becomes determined to capture what's wrong with his camera and expose it to the world. Intriguing and delightful; I genuinely enjoyed all the perspectives and learned much more about Spanish history. Another great novel from a talented young adult author!

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Two stories intersect: Daniel is a wealthy Texan teenager who is visiting Madrid with his parents. Ana, the daughter of Republican parents who died during the Spanish Civil War, is a maid at the hotel where Daniel and his parents are staying. The hardships and dangers of daily life in Franco's

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Spain, even after the war is over, are brought to life through the events that happen to these two characters and their families. An important subplot is the mysterious orphanage where Ana's cousin works and observes unsettling goings-on. The bulk of the story takes place during the 1950's, and then resumes in the 70's.

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Another hidden part of history highlighted by Sepetys. I love how she brings the past to life and makes me genuinely interested in the lives of ordinary people in that era far beyond what might have been taught at school. It tends to be relatively recent "history" too which makes it easier to feel

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a connection than to say, 1700s.
This one is set in Franco's dictatorship in 1950s Madrid with the classic trope of American hotel guest falling in love with his maid... Yet it is so much more than that simple love story with multiple POVs showing life from her brother Rafa's perspective and from her cousin Puri's to give a much wider viewpoint for the reader.
Some beautiful language and unusual ways with words:
"Her parents’ offense has left Ana rowing dark waters of dead secrets"
“She rides dressage. You ride rodeo.”
“Their discussion sways like a dance. He steps forward with a question. She pivots back, holds for a moment.”

The only downside I would say is the slow start. It took me a couple of tries to get started on this novel but I think part of that was poor formatting in the netgalley copy I received with the historical quotes. I hope the finalised eBook is easier to read.

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The Fountains of Silence was my third Ruta Sepetys title (also read Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea). As with the other titles, this one is also YA historical fiction, but set a decade after WWII, in 1950s Spain under the dictator Franco. The story is told from multiple points of view,

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including those of Daniel, an American Texan teenager with an interest in photography who is visiting Madrid with his family, Ana, who works at the hotel where Daniel's family is staying, her older brother, Rafa and her cousin, Purificación, who works in an orphanage and a clinic. Daniel tries to use his photography skills to open up a window into the lives of people he meets who are trying to survive under the fascist regime.

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THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE by Ruta Sepetys
Sepetys writes teens beautifully and accurately. Her teens are impetuous, naïve, full hearted, empathetic, selfish, quick thinking and foolhardy. THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE tells of teens caught up in the tyrannical world of General Francisco Franco in the

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aftermath of the Spanish Revolution of 1939.
In 1957 as Spain was beginning to open up to the outside world, a family of American citizens, including their teenage son, entered Franco’s world. Daniel, a camera buff who wants to become a photojournalist, meets Ana, his family’s assigned maid. Ana’s family, formerly professors and Republicans, has been decimated by the Nationalists.
Through Daniel and Ana, Sepetys tells of tyranny, torture, death and bull fighting, friendship, kindness and a people’s yearning for freedom. As good historical fiction does, she teaches us painlessly the truths of dictators and freedom fighters and the good people caught between them.
Written for teens, this book will resonate with adults as well. It offers a multitude of topics for book group discussion. This is an altogether worthy read.
5 of 5 stars

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This I felt was more of political piece than a YA romance. The romance aspect was light and helped the reader understand what went on in Spain during the given period. Overall, it was a good book and I found the premise interesting enough that I finished the book. I like that the reader shed light

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on the given topics and its written well and easy to read.

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The Fountains of Silence, Ruta Sepetys-Author, Narrator, Maite Jauregui, Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, Oliver Wyman, Narrators.
In the author’s own words, she believes the future is in the hands of the youth, not the adults. The power to change resides with the young

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who will face it. This book covers many decades, beginning with the rise of Francisco Franco and continuing through his reign, ending with his death and a short period thereafter in which the country is reformed from a dictatorship into a more democratic regime.
Daniel Madison is in Spain with his parents. His father has dealings with the dictator, Franco. His father is involved in the oil industry and the family is quite wealthy. The father is also involved with the government of the United States and is following the accepted practices of foreign policy. They are staying at a hotel in Madrid.
When the book opens, Rafael Moreno is at his job working for a butcher. He sells blood to the ladies so they can make their sausage. He and his friend love the bullfights and his friend is training for an amateur exhibition. He is hoping to be recognized so he can be officially trained. In a moment of weakness, Rafa does something that he believes is the cause of his father’s death. His parents were involved in the Spanish Revolution, but not on the side of Franco. As a result, their lives were always in danger, and they were very poor. Rafael is Ana Torres Moreno’s brother. Ana works in a hotel. It is a coveted job because it pays a decent wage and affords opportunity to advance. Ana and her siblings have many secrets. Both of their parents have been murdered and they are trying to survive. Ana’s older sister is in charge of the family’s future.
Daniel is staying at the hotel where Ana works. She is assigned to assist his family. Daniel is immediately smitten by her, as she is by him. However, dare she dream of a relationship with a gentleman from such a different world than hers? As their relationship grows, the history of the Revolution, the time of Franco’s rule, the effect on the populace for and against him, the relationship of Spain with the rest of the world, and other historic perspectives are revealed and examined.
There is much to enjoy in the book, but I found this particular novel less enjoyable than others by this author. It seemed less of a crossover novel, for which she is known, and more of a Cinderella-like fairytale with history thrown into the mix. While it exposed the corruption and violence of Franco’s regime and the complicity of the United States which enabled his despotic rule, including random murders, the kidnapping of newborns (informing the mother her child died, although it was well), to sell to others deemed more fit to raise a child, the random murders of people considered enemies of the state, the continued punishing and deprivation of the ancestors of the revolutionaries, and while it explained the influence of the Church and the superstitions that informed the masses who were not well educated, it seemed written for a juvenile audience, only. The history and famous names mentioned were interesting and informative, with bits of knowledge imparted that I had not known, but some of it was confused by the reading of the footnotes concerning this information, which was interjected into the narrative in the audio without warning.
The author has written other books based on her own history. This one, however, is based on the Spanish Civil War and the period that followed. She researched it well. Her books generally appeal to both young and old, but this one, I think, will appeal more to the young. The narrative will enthrall romantic teens, on the more naïve side. The historic narrative should, however, appeal to both teens and adults. I did not completely enjoy or appreciate the main narrator’s interpretation of some of the characters since she presented an interpretation different than mine, however, overall, the narrators performed well, delineating each character in a unique way and the book is very much worth a read.

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I've loved all of Sepetys's books... and this is no different. Historical fiction novel describing Spain during the early-to-mid 1970s at the end of Franco's dictatorship. Not a period I was familiar with but wrapped in a story that was compelling and engrossing.

Sepetys writes about a crucial period of Spanish history, where freedom was totally abridged, where the dichotomy between rich and poor is substantial. Franco's rule is the definition of dictatorship. However compelling, the history is, the story unfolding in The Fountains of Silence is less

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so.

Eighteen year old Daniel and his parents (oil magnate father, Spanish mother) visit Spain to close on an oil deal between Spain and the U.S. Daniel, an aspiring photojournalist, uses this time and some contacts her makes in Spain to take photos of life there, contrasting rich and poor. He falls in love with a chambermaid, Ana, at the Hilton Hotel he is staying in but never truly realizes how limited her interactions can be with him without jeopardizing her job. He is a naive young man in a totally foreign world, both geographically as well as governmentally.

Unfortunately, the novel is not compelling. It drags,, and at 480+ pages, that can pose a problem. There is little int he way of action, intrigue, danger. Tighter editing and 100 pages less would have made this a much better story, one that teens would be interested in.

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This novel explores history that is largely a mystery to me and some of its own themes help one to understand why that might be. Set in Spain in the 1950s, after the Spanish Civil War, while Francisco Franco governed the country, this novel centered around two young people from very different

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worlds who fall in love, but are kept separate by circumstances and secrets. Forced adoptions also feature in this novel - a sad piece of real history that is explored within the characters' families. This is a great book for learning a bit about Spanish history and offers a window into a topic I hope to learn about, through both fiction and nonfiction.

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This work of historical fiction is set in Spain in 1957, when dictator Francisco Franco, abetted by the most conservative factions of the Catholic Church, held an iron grip over that country. Most areas of Spain were patrolled by the Guardia Civil, a military police that functioned as an important

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means of social control over civilians. Republican sympathizers, i.e., those against Franco or in favor of more liberal policies, were considered enemies of the state and were imprisoned or killed. Their children were taken to be raised in “proper” homes. Between 1939 and the late 1980s, as Sepetys reports, over 300,000 babies were stolen from their birth mothers (often by authorities insisting the babies had died in childbirth) and sold into adoption. Parents who believed their children weren’t really dead were too intimidated to report their suspicions. A veil of silence over abuses and outrages descended upon the country.

Sepetys's story focuses on young adults, who inherited the “heartache and responsibility for events they had no role in causing.” She writes that these youths became “fountains of silence.”

Relevant snippets of actual historical documents are replicated by the author at the beginning of each chapter.

Several teens dominate the story. Nick Van Dorn is the son of the U.S. Public Affairs Officer in Madrid. Daniel Matheson, a Texan, is in Madrid with his parents; his father is an oil tycoon in search of a deal with Franco. (Franco needed money, and decided to open up his country to outside trade; suddenly there was a lot of money to be made for enterprising Americans.)

Daniel’s mother was born in Spain, but raised in Texas. Dan was brought up speaking the language, and was able to navigate his way around Madrid better than most Americans. Still, there was much he didn’t understand, a product both of his own naivety and of the unwillingness of the Spaniards to reveal the truth about either their past or present.

A group of Spanish teens also share narration with the Americans. Ana Torres Moreno works as a maid at the Hilton Castellana, built four years earlier to cater to the Americans flowing into Madrid for business and tourism. She and Dan are attracted to one another, but they live different existences in different worlds.

Ana’s brother Rafa has two jobs, one at the slaughterhouse one at the cemetery. Even with all the hours he puts in, he barely makes enough to survive. When he was not working, he helped his close friend Fuga train to be a matador. Ana and Rafa’s older sister Julia helped Fuga too - Julia was an expert seamstress in the specialized field of creating matador costumes.

Ana’s cousin Puri also shares the narration. She assists at a local orphanage where what she sees challenges her faith and her sanity. What happens when everyone you trust is telling you not to believe your own eyes, and when they insist that obedience to those in power is more important than truth?

All of the characters battle their own personal challenges as they strain against the tight strictures of family, faith, and the punitive Spanish society. They are trying to realize their dreams, but also to stay alive in the process.

Evaluation: Sepetys does a good job bringing this era of history to life for young adults, with each character facing challenges and desires for the most part common to teens in any time period. It doesn't always make sense that the dialogue - assumed to be in Spanish - is sometimes peppered with Spanish phrases, but this is a frequent narrative device in stories featuring speakers of a foreign language. In any event, there is certainly no harm in the author’s desire to educate her readers about common foreign expressions.

As in other books by Sepetys, one is able to locate bright spots of hope underneath the awful load of tragic circumstances.

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Wow! Now this is really good historical fiction, a great story grounded in lots of research. Ruta Sepetys spent seven years doing research and visiting Spain, where this story set in the 1950s after the Spanish Civil War. All of her characters are fictional, except Franco, but they are set in real

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places.

This is the basic description of the story: "At the Castellana Hilton in 1957 Madrid, eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson connects with Ana Moreno through photography and fate as Daniel discovers the incredibly dark side of the city under Generalissimo Franco's rule."

Ana Moreno is a young woman trying to lift herself and her family out of poverty after the Spanish Civil War has taken both of her parents, who opposed Franco. She is working at the Hilton and assigned to provide for the needs of Daniel's wealthy Texan family. Ana and everyone she knows harbor secrets that they keep out of necessity, the necessity to remain safe under Franco's dictatorship. There is a phrase often repeated: "We really are prettier with our mouths shut," that keeps, especially women, from exposing their secrets to the world. Daniel wants to know Ana, wants to uncover her secrets, but there is a price.

Incredibly engaging and enlightening. Made me want to visit Spain.

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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

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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.

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This book is heartbreaking and wonderful all at the same time. I am just in love with this book!

Daniel Matheson and his family travel to Madrid in 1957. While his parents rub shoulders with the rich and elite, Daniel takes his camera and tries to find an authentic picture of Spain. Ana, a young woman working at the hotel, meets Daniel and begins to fall for him. Trying to keep a balance

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between family loyalties and her heart, Ana slowly begins to let Daniel into her life.

This was an engaging, and dynamic book. The characters felt very realistic, and the tension between real life in Spain and the superficial version presented to outsiders was fascinating. My biggest criticisms is that the time jump was very jolting. It did not feel as if the second half of the book was as well done as the first. The book also abruptly ended. It definitely needed a few more chapters or an epilogue. Overall, 4 out of 5 stars.

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So much unhappiness and so much pain in this story. It was hard to read, and yet, once begun, it was hard not to. It is set in Spain during the reign of dictator Francisco Franco. Many things were hidden then from tourists and foreign businessmen. Through the different points of view of various

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characters, some native Spaniards, some Americans, the reader learns of the hardships the people endured. Lack of food, inhumane treatment by the government, lack of good jobs, and more were only part of the problem. In hospitals and orphanages across the country, and reminiscent of Georgia Tann and the Tennessee Children’s Society in the US, many mothers were told their newborn babies had died, and then these children were stolen and sold to adopting parents. It’s a heartbreaking tale at times, and yet it ends on a hopeful note. It is a well written and engrossing story, with characters readers will care about. Though fiction, the book contains snippets of facts that illuminate a dark time in Spain’s history, and will enlighten readers’ understanding of what life was like in Spain for many of its inhabitants.

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The Fountains of Silence is about Texan teen Daniel visiting Francisco Franco's Spain in the 1950's. Franco is a dictator who needs business men to invest in his country so he opens it to Americans. Daniel visits with his parents to see his mother's birthplace. Ana works at the hotel Daniel and his

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parents are staying in and is assigned to their rooms. Daniel and Ana quickly become friends but Ana is guarded with him. Her family were Republicans, those who were against Franco's rein, and now are either shunned to live as second class citizens or died horrific deaths. Daniel quickly learns that Spain isn't what the government likes to show and there are secrets everyone is hiding.

I was fascinated with this novel as it's something I have never really learned of this time in history in school. I knew of before, during World War II, but never afterward with Franco's dictation. I cared about the characters and wanted to know the outcome. I could tell when some things would happen and cried during some of them too.

It was a heartfelt novel set in a dark time that had family and love and exploration. A must read for historical fiction readers and lovers of Ruta Sepetys.

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This felt like reading All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. That was one of the most beautiful books I've read in a while, and I enjoyed this one equally as much. The details about the city of Madrid and surrounding towns were beautiful and I felt fully immersed in the time period and was

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invested in the story of the characters.

Things I liked:

I really enjoyed the intro to each chapter with transcripts of interviews from real life political figures who were in Spain during the time period that the novel takes place in. They helped to make the novel feel realistic and relevant.
I really enjoyed the stories told through Daniel's photographs and the references to prominent photographers of the time period. It helped me to understand the important narrative that journalistic photography tells and understand the risks that those professionals take on a daily basis.
I loved the theme of family that runs throughout the book. Some key ones are Daniel's relationship with his mom and his father and how those relationships change and grow and his relationship with his adopted sister. The family bonds in Ana's family and how they've been shaped by their past and the tragedy around them are well developed. Nick and Shep's relationship is interesting, and I really enjoyed how a change in perspective about Nick's behavior helps you to understand that dynamic a bit more.
The way the hardships of those living and suffering under Franco's rule are starkly juxtaposed with the extravagant and indulgent lifestyle of the American tourists in Spain.

Things I didn't like:

The pacing was off. While I liked the story and the short chapters, it felt slow in a lot of parts, and rushed in others. I can't pinpoint why, it just felt off.
The romance at the end was a bit soap-opera like and melodramatic.
I wish the "surprise" ending was more of a surprise and that we got to see more of the present day storyline.
Puri's character change made me really upset. I had higher expectations.
Daniel's noble sacrifice was annoying. I think young readers would find his decisions and the choices he makes in his future to be highly unlikely in reality. While this is supposed to be a cross-over book that can appeal to both adults and young adult readers, Daniel's decisions are definitely written from an adult viewpoint and I think teens might find fault with this and possibly be turned off of the book.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I have heard great things about other books by this author, and reading this one makes me more likely to choose her other books. I would also like to state that this is one of the books on the list that teachers who only recommend "highbrow and intellectual" books would not hesitate to recommend. It is a very well written book that deals with "important" topics. I think this would qualify as "literature" for teachers who judge books based on literary quality. Despite all of that, I do think it is a book that teens would simply enjoy. Daniel and Ana's story is compelling, the mystery of the orphans is intriguing, and the supporting characters are interesting.

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Post-civil war Spain living as a Republicans’ daughter with little hope for raising herself from the slums of Madrid, girl falls in love with an American photographer. Not an easy situation, he finds where she and her family live in squalor. Important side story of the children stolen and sold,

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some 300,000 of them during these years. Worth rereading. My first Sepetys historical novel.

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