Synopsis:
Madrid, 1957.
Daniel, young, wealthy and unsure of his place in the world, views the city through the lens of his camera.
Ana, a hotel maid whose family is suffering under the fascist dictatorship of General Franco.
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:
“There is a tension that exists between history and memory…Some of us are desperate to preserve and remember, while others are desperate to forget. We all have our reasons.”
The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys tells the story of post war Spain during the 1950s. It gives us a glimpse of the lives of 7 young people under the Franco regime at the time and how their life intertwined with each other and were changed forever.
There is a reason why Ruta Sepetys is considered one of the finest historical fiction writers nowadays. Every time I read her books, I always end up feeling completely overwhelmed in the best way possible as there are so much I don’t know. I am ashamed to admit I didn’t know much about the Franco regime and that Spain was under the ruling of a facist dictator for almost 35 years after WWII! That’s why it’s incredibly important to tell these stories so we can remember this painful history.
It was a dark period and extreme hardship for a lot of people during the early years of Franco regime. Ruta has skilfully presented this dark part of the history with so much compassion and sympathy. There were so much pain and suffering but Ruta also focused the story on the youth and the l love between the two main protagonists. It was beautiful and tender, the perfect contrast to the brutality that was happening to a lot of people at that time. It was love that gave us hope, was it not?
I thoroughly enjoyed The Fountains of Silence and if you love historical fictions, you are going to love this so much. I highly recommend it! Thank you Nina Douglas and Penguin books for gifting me this copy to review!
Sissi Reads 