Title: The Fountains of Silence
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Pages: 464
Publisher: Penguin
Release Date: 3rd October 2019
Blurb from Goodreads:
Madrid,
1957. Tourists and foreign businessmen flood into Spain under the
welcoming guise of sunshine and wine while Spanish citizens are
gripped by a dark secret.
Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, hopes to connect with
the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera.
Photography -and fate - introduce him to Ana, a hotel maid, whose
family is suffering under the fascist dictatorship of General Franco.
Daniel and Ana's lives and hearts collide as they unite to uncover
the hidden darkness within the city - a darkness that could engulf
them all. . .
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 and the hidden violence of
silence.
My Review:
*I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Penguin Random House UK Children's and NetGalley*
One summer, American
teenager Daniel Matheson travels to Madrid with his parents. While
his father attempts to broker an oil deal, Daniel intends to take
photos that will win him a photography contest and a place at
university.
Daniel soon becomes
friends with Ana, who works as a maid at the hotel he's staying at.
Ana's family struggles under Spanish dictator General Franco's rule,
something that makes Daniel realise that there is another side to
Madrid, and Spain, that the tourists don't see.
As Daniel and Ana
grow closer, dark secrets are revealed.
Can Daniel follow
his dreams and become a photographer?
Ruta Sepetys is an
author that lots of people seem to love, and while I do enjoy them,
her books never seem to quite hit the mark for me.
The setting of 1950s
Madrid was by far my favourite thing about this book. I don't know
much about the history of Spain, so it was enlightening to learn how
bad things were under the rule of General Franco. It's rather scary
to think of how many people must have been affected by his rule.
Daniel and Ana were
both likeable protagonists, but I didn't feel like I fully connected
with them.
There were quite a
few secondary characters that I liked, but I think Ben and Nick were
my favourites.
The story was told
from several points of views, which was interesting, but there were
times when I felt that the point of view changed unexpectedly or
unnecessarily.
The plot was good
overall, but given how long the book is not much actually happened.
This was definitely a very character-driven book, which I don't mind
as long as I really like the characters, but I would have liked a bit
more action in this case.
This was an
emotional read at times, but it didn't hit me as much as it could
have.
The writing style
was easy to follow and understand.
I am a bit
disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more, but I did find it
interesting and it made me want to find out more about the history of
Spain.
Overall, this was an
enjoyable read.
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