From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, extraordinary portrait of love, silence, and secrets under a Spanish dictatorship. Madrid, 1957. Under the fascist 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 lens 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.
Praise for The Fountains of Silence * "[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*
Praise for The Fountains of Silence * "[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* "This well-crafted story sheds light on a disturbing chapter of 20th century history." --
SLJ 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, Sepetys's exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping."
--School Library Journal, starred review "The inevitability of the ending (including the loss of several characters) doesn't change its poignancy, and the short chapters and slowly revealed back stories for each character guarantee the pages keep turning. Heartbreaking, historical, and a little bit hopeful." --
Kirkus "This book includes all the reasons why teens read: for knowledge, for romance, for amazing and irritating characters. This novel will break readers' hearts and then put them back together a little more whole." --
VOYA
"Sepetys's...scene-setting is impeccable; the penetrating cold of the journey is palpable, and she excels at conveying the scope of the losses while giving them a human face." --
The Horn Book
