The Fountains of Silence
Ratings20
Average rating4.6
15
Ratings20
Average rating4.6
--*Madrid, 1957*--
**UNDER THE OPPRESSIVE 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 lends 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 difficult 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 postwar struggles of Spain.
Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more.
This description comes from the publisher.
Reviews with the most likes.
I went into this with high expectations because I've devoured and loved and sobbed at every other Sepetys book. As always, I was anxious to learn about history that I, unfortunately, knew very little about. And the book did accomplish that much. I was disappointed by this one in a few ways, though. There were so many characters and so many POVs that I kept forgetting who was who. It jumped around a lot in POV and made it a little confusing to keep up. The pacing was dreadfully slow. Like ... slooooooooow. It makes me sad because I know this book had so much potential, knowing how incredible of a writer Sepetys is. But it fell flat. There was hardly any emotion, which was odd as it dealt with SUCH heavy and heartbreaking topics. Coming out of this, I felt like I learned about history, but not read a novel.
jó volt kicsit spanyolország történelmébe belekukkantani, de a twitterfonalnyi fejezetek az elején követhetetlenné tették, ki kicsoda, és mit és miért csinál, aztán meg egyszerűen csak nem engedtek jobban belesimulni a sztoriba.
Why oh why did I let this sit on my shelf for so long?! I was captivated from start to finish. I didn't realize I knew so little about Francisco Franco's regime. Ruta Sepetys illustrated the differences between the life of an American and the life of repressed citizens of Spain marvelously. I love walking away from a historical fiction book ready to read more about a specific event or time in history.
I'm usually wary of YA books because often I'm not too fond of the writing style or characters, but The Fountains of Silence was exceptional. I loved Ana, Daniel, Puri, Rafa... pretty much all of them. Ana and Daniel's rapport was a treat to read. I felt like I was there.
