Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood's Gilead in Ruta Sepetys's suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction…Though Ana and her family endure traumatic, tragic events, The Fountains of Silence offers a lighter reading experience than the gut-punch Sepetys delivered in her award-winning previous novel, Salt to the Sea…The Fountains of Silence speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past.

★ 07/29/2019

Sepetys (Salt to the Sea) again deftly explores a painful chapter in history, this time Franco’s Madrid. In 1957, 18-year-old Daniel, an aspiring photojournalist from Texas, visits Spain with his Spanish mother and American oil tycoon father. After arriving, he hones his lens on the culture, in some cases capturing forbidden images that earn the wrath of the menacing Guardia Civil, and he forms a relationship with his enigmatic hotel attendant, Ana, and her family, who are barely surviving, in stark contrast to Daniel’s family’s affluence. The tension heightens as a mystery involving orphans unfolds and Daniel and Ana’s magnetic romance progresses. The novel revolves around Ana’s brother, Rafa, a bullfighting promoter; her cousin Puri, who works at an orphanage; a lecherous American ambassador; and an experienced newspaper bureau chief, who mentors Daniel. Sepetys skillfully conveys Spain’s atmosphere under Franco—who limited women’s rights and squelched rebellion—with a pervasive feeling of fear and economic oppression. Compelling primary source materials, such as memos from U.S. presidents, oral history excerpts, and even hotel brochures, precede some chapters and contextualize the narrative. This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain. Ages 12–up. (Oct.)

Praise for The Fountains of Silence:

"Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead in Ruta Sepetys’s suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction . . . Like [Shakespeare's family romances], 'The Fountains of Silence' speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past." —The New York Times Book Review

“Full of twists and revelations…an excellent story, and timely, too.” —The Wall Street Journal

"A staggering tale of love, loss, and national shame." —Entertainment Weekly

* "[Sepetys] tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction." —Booklist, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "A stunning novel that exposes modern fascism and elevates human resilience." —Kirkus, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain." —Publishers Weekly, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "This richly woven historical fiction . . . will keep young adults as well as adults interested from the first page to the last." —SLC, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "Riveting . . . An exemplary work of historical fiction." —The Horn Book, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "With The Fountains of Silence, Sepetys has once again written gripping historical fiction with great crossover appeal to adult readers, combining impeccable research with sweeping storytelling." —BookPage, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "[A] far-reaching narrative . . . As usual Sepetys has done her homework [and] brings a brutal authenticity." —BCCB, *STARRED REVIEW*

* "In a gut-wrenching YA novel about the terrible destructiveness of secrets untold, master storyteller Ruta Sepetys reveals the dark underbelly of 1950s Spain under dictator Franco." —Shelf Awareness, *STARRED REVIEW*

"This well-crafted story sheds light on a disturbing chapter of 20th century history." —SLJ

"Readers who enjoy historical fiction will find that Sepetys has once again brought history to life." —VOYA

Praise for Salt to the Sea:

"Ruta Sepetys is a master of historical fiction. In Salt to the Sea the hard truths of her herculean research are tempered with effortless, intimate storytelling, as her warm and human characters breathe new life into one of the world's most terrible and neglected tragedies." —Elizabeth Wein, New York Times bestselling author of Printz Award Honor Book Code Name Verity

“A rich, page-turning story that brings to vivid life a terrifying—and little-known—moment in World War II history.” —Steve Sheinkin, author of Newbery Honor and National Book Award finalist Bomb
 
"Brutal. Beautiful. Honest." —Sabaa Tahir, New York Times bestselling author of An Ember in the Ashes
 
* "Sepetys excels in shining light on lost chapters of history, and this visceral novel proves a memorable testament to strength and resilience in the face of war and cruelty." —Publishers Weekly, starred review
  
* "This haunting gem of a novel begs to be remembered, and in turn, it tries to remember the thousands of real people its fictional characters represent. What it asks of us is that their memories, and their stories, not be abandoned to the sea." —Booklist, starred review
 
* "Artfully told and sensitively crafted, [this] will leave readers weeping." —School Library Journal, starred review

★ 03/01/2020

In 1957, 18-year-old Daniel Matheson has accompanied his parents to Madrid from Dallas where his oil tycoon father is working on a deal with the dictator Francisco Franco. Daniel has a passion for photography and soon develops a passion for Ana, the hotel maid assigned to his family. But Ana has secrets of her own; her parents were executed as part of the revolutionary group trying to bring Franco down. Other subplots of a mysterious orphanage, disappearing babies, and an aspiring bullfighter weave into the storyline to paint a troubling picture of Spain under Franco's rule. The main narrator is Maite Jauregui, who has excellent Spanish prounciation and realistically portrays the Spanish characters. Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, and Oliver Wyman all perform throughout, narrating primary-source material such as newscasts, memos, telegrams, and oral history excerpts, adding context and depth to the story. The book jumps 18 years into the future at the end, revealing more secrets, and concludes with a note read very expressively by the author herself. Although the audio version naturally omits the pictures included in the print version, the narration immerses listeners into this atmospheric place and time, hopefully enticing them to pursue further research into this turbulent time in Spain's history. VERDICT Recommend this to historical fiction fans, romance fans, and fans of Sepetys's earlier works.—Julie Paladino, formerly with East Chapel Hill High School, Chapel Hill, NC

★ 03/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—In 1957, 18-year-old Daniel Matheson has accompanied his parents from Dallas to Madrid, where his oil tycoon father is working on a deal with the dictator Francisco Franco. Daniel has a passion for photography and soon develops another passion, for Ana, the hotel maid assigned to his family. But Ana has secrets; her parents were executed as part of the revolutionary group trying to bring Franco down. Other subplots about a mysterious orphanage, disappearing babies, and an aspiring bullfighter weave into the storyline to paint a troubling picture of Spain under Franco's rule. The main narrator is Maite Jauregui, who realistically portrays the Spanish characters and words. Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, and Oliver Wyman all perform throughout the audio, narrating primary-source material such as newscasts, memos, telegrams, and oral history excerpts, adding context and depth to the story. The story jumps 18 years into the future at the end, revealing more secrets, and concludes with a note read expressively by the author herself. Although the audio version naturally omits the pictures included in the print version, having an authentic Spanish narrator immerses listeners into this atmospheric place and time, hopefully enticing listeners to pursue further research into this turbulent time in Spain's history. VERDICT Recommend this to historical fiction fans, romance fans, and fans of Sepetys's earlier works.—Julie Paladino, formerly of East Chapel Hill High School

09/01/2019

Gr 7 Up–In her latest historical novel, Sepetys illuminates dark secrets about Francisco Franco's fascist rule of Spain. In 1957 Madrid, 18-year-old aspiring photojournalist Daniel Matheson is staying at the luxurious Castellana Hilton Hotel with his Texas oil tycoon father and Spanish mother. Daniel befriends Ana, a hotel employee, whose attraction to Daniel is constrained by fear about losing her job and by silence about her family tragedies. When Daniel turns his camera lens on local people and places, he captures provocative images of nuns and orphans, infant burials, an impassioned, struggling bullfighter, the intimidating Guardia Civil military police, Ana's impoverished homelife, and his father shaking hands with Franco. Gradually, Daniel discovers that beneath the bustling tourist and business vibe of Madrid lurks the dark realities of Franco's regime: stolen children, sinister church and government collusion, murder of Franco's political adversaries, and the abuse and re-education of surviving children—like Ana and her siblings. Troubled by unanswered questions, Daniel returns to the U.S. with his parents and a newly adopted sister. He revisits Spain with his sister 18 years later, after Franco's death. As he introduces his sister to her original culture, he fondly reconnects with Ana and learns the truth of his sister's parentage. This multidimensional story contains a rich cast of characters with different perspectives, vivid descriptions, romance, and cultural insights. Multiple narrative threads are skillfully woven together. Official quotations from academic and foreign service archives are interspersed among the chapters and document the conflicted relationship between the U.S. and Franco. VERDICT This well-crafted story sheds light on a disturbing chapter of 20th century history and helps break the silence and expose the tragedy of 300,000 children adopted or stolen during Franco's rule.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham Public Schools, NC

This harrowing yet hopeful story of young people caught in the midst of Spain’s fascist regime in the 1950s is superbly rendered by Maite Jáuregui and an ensemble cast. With excellent Spanish, Jáuregui— who does not sound like a native English speaker—uses her mesmerizing vocal tones and unhurried pacing to infuse the audiobook with all of its inherent pathos. The love story between aspiring photojournalist Daniel, a wealthy Texan teen visiting Madrid with his parents, and Ana, a young hotel maid who is the daughter of executed anti-fascists, slowly uncovers the terrifying underbelly of Spanish life under fascist rule. Official documents and news clips, read by the cast, set the political context. An extensive author’s note, delivered by the author, rounds out this engrossing production. S.G. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

★ 2019-07-21
The pitiless dictatorship of Francisco Franco examined through the voices of four teenagers: one American and three Spaniards.

The Spanish Civil War lasted from 1936-1939, but Franco held Spain by its throat for 36 years. Sepetys (Salt to the Sea, 2016, etc.) begins her novel in 1957. Daniel is a white Texan who wants to be a photojournalist, not an oilman; Ana is trying to work her way to respectability as a hotel maid; her brother, Rafael, wants to erase memories of an oppressive boys' home; and Puri is a loving caregiver for babies awaiting adoption—together they provide alternating third-person lenses for viewing Spain during one of its most brutally repressive periods. Their lives run parallel and intersect as each tries to answer questions about truth and the path ahead within a regime that crushes any opposition, murders dissidents, and punishes their families while stealing babies to sell to parents with accepted political views. This formidable story will haunt those who ask hard questions about the past as it reveals the hopes and dreams of individuals in a nation trying to lie its way to the future. Meticulous research is presented through believable, complex characters on the brink of adulthood who personalize the questions we all must answer about our place in the world.

A stunning novel that exposes modern fascism and elevates human resilience. (author's note, research and sources, glossary, photographs) (Historical fiction. 15-adult)