Booklist Reviews
*Starred Review* It's 1957 and aspiring photographer Daniel Matheson is visiting Spain with his Texas oil tycoon father. Daniel is eager for the opportunity to flesh out his portfolio for a photography contest—what would be more prize-worthy than photos of daily life in notoriously secretive Spain?—but he gets repeated warnings, some quite aggressive, against looking too closely. Another thing Daniel doesn't bank on is Ana, an arrestingly beautiful maid at the Castellana Hilton, where he's staying with his parents. As their affection deepens, so, too, do their differences: Ana, daughter of executed anti-Fascists, lives a tightly constrained existence, and Daniel has unprecedented freedom in her country and can't quite wrap his head around the danger he puts her in. In another meticulously researched novel, Sepetys (Salt to the Sea, 2015) offers a captivating glimpse into Franco's Spain, a region awash in secrets and misinformation. As Sepetys slowly unspools hard truths about the era, such as the prevalence of babies stolen from poor, Republican families, the facts become increasingly impossible to ignore, both for the reader and for Daniel. The romance ultimately takes center stage, but the troubling events in the margins add terrifyingly high stakes to Daniel and Ana's relationship. For all her extensive, careful research (evident in the back matter), Sepetys doesn't overwhelm readers with facts; rather, she tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: A new novel from best-selling, award-winning Sepetys is always news, but this latest has a hefty promotional campaign to bolster it up as well. Grades 9-12. Copyright 2019 Booklist Reviews.
Publishers Weekly Reviews
Sepetys (
School Library Journal Reviews
Voice of Youth Advocates Reviews
It is 1957, and eighteen-year-old Ana works at the Castellana Hilton in Madrid, helping her family survive under the fascist regime of the dictator General Francisco Franco. Daniel, the son of an oil tycoon, is spending the summer learning about the country of his mother's birth. Although they are from separate worlds, Ana and Daniel feel an instant connection. While Ana is afraid of getting too close and possibly causing problems for her family, Daniel learns to confront his own privilege. A budding photojournalist, he wants to use his pictures to tell the hidden story of Madrid and possibly win a journalism scholarship. Daniel soon discovers that secrecy runs deep and he does not realize that some of the choices his family makes will have long-term effects for his family. Everyone has a story to tell, and Sepetys captures an era that is not often written about. Character development is an integral part of the over-five-hundred-page tome. Told from different point of views, the story flows smoothly. The setting becomes a character itself. The clouds of secrecy and poverty—interspersed with a story of love, hope, and redemption—enthralls readers. The story is well researched and includes an author note, a research and sources section, a glossary, and a section of pictures that are integral to the story. The Fountains of Silence will make a good addition to any library, and readers who enjoy historical fiction will find that Sepetys has once again brought history to life.—Elizabeth Nebeker. 5Q 4P J S Copyright 2019 Voya Reviews.