The Fountains of Silence

The Fountains of Silence
Ruta Sepetys
Philomel/Penguin, October, 2019 494 pages
Grades 9-Up
Historical Fiction

Multiple points of view relate events in the Spain of the late 1950's under the iron fist of Dictator Franco. Aspiring photographer, Daniel Matheson, is the son of a Texas oilman and Spanish mother. The small family travels to Madrid in order for Dad to negotiate a deal with Franco. They stay at the newly minted Hilton Hotel, where Daniel meets Ana, a beautiful maid harboring secrets. Ana's parents were teachers before the war and were killed as communists, leaving Ana and her sister with an aunt and her brother Rafa to be raised in a cruel orphanage. Now Rafa works two jobs and is promoting his orphanage friend, who has dreams of becoming a famous bullfighter in order to save the voiceless children of Spain from suffering the same terrible fate he endured. Currently working in an orphanage is Rafa and Ana's cousin Puri. She is a dedicated follower of Franco, yet still has many unanswered questions. Why are babies mysteriously appearing at the orphanage and being adopted for large sums of money? Rafa also has suspicions about what is happening to babies all over Franco's Spain and asks Daniel to photograph what he sees. Daniel takes pictures of Spanish culture under the dictatorship as he falls in love with Ana. Will the two lovers be able to overcome their differences I order to make a relationship work? What is happening to the babies at the orphanage? More importantly, how does this directly affect both Ana and Daniel's families?

Acclaimed teen author, Sepetys, offers another meticulously researched historical novel that is sure to win many starred reviews and accolades. This layered and atmospheric story effectively reflects the Spain of this time in history, a topic that is untouched in literature for young people. I knew very little about Spain in the 1950's, which is a shame considering my mother's best friend-and my second mother-came of age in this place and time. She would tell us stories and was not a big fan of Franco, yet I never really appreciated what she must have gone through until I read this book and now I see her with fresh eyes. Ana, Rafa, and Puri all offer different points of view of young people growing up from beneath the cloud of Fascism, while Daniel interprets the events through American eyes. We see the corruption, disparages, and fear experienced by Spain's citizens and survivors of the horrific Civil War. The writing is brilliant and the book is certainly a cut-above the usual teen fare with an enticing eye-catching cover and all of the plot threads coming together in an unexpected way at the end. That said, I don't think many teenagers will get through this book and will find it confusing and a bit of a slog. I think the audience is the new emerging category of "New Adult", which is a fiction hybrid existing somewhere between of teen and adult. The characters are eighteen for much of the novel, yet the ending section has them aged in their thirties, making it in my mind more of an adult book featuring younger characters. Mature teens, especially those who pick up their parent's books, will find the read worth the time and I would highly recommend it to historical fiction loving adults. An author's note, extensive source notes, relevant photos from the time period, and a glossary of Spanish terms used (though not necessary for comprehension) round out this high quality volume.