Book Review: The Fountains of Silence

The Fountains of Silence is not my first Ruta Sepetys book. I read Out of the Easy back in 2014. For car rides, I still need audio books. This one jumped out at me in the library during a quick trip one day. Sepetys has a way of taking historical settings and fleshing them to life with realistic characters and dilemmas. I would never have sought a book on the Spanish Civil War, but I'm glad I gave this a listen.

Daniel Matheson wants nothing more than a chance to study photo journalism. His father has other plans. But, on a trip to Spain, Daniel brings his camera and captures images that just might win him the award necessary to finance the schooling on his own. He's after the "real Spain." He wants behind-the-scenes glimpses. Perhaps Ana, assigned to attend to his needs at the hotel, holds the key.

I loved how this highlighted a true evil from history and incorporated actual documentation from articles, books, and oral history interviews. Sepetys is quite skilled in bringing history to life for the reader. Countless babies, stripped from their families (often with lies), were adopted out to "more fitting" families. This human trafficking went on for years in Spain. Imagine the heartache, to hold your tiny baby in your arms, then lose him/her when doctors tell you the infant died. I couldn't help but put myself in those shoes and shudder. The love story was sweet (although it stretched belief at the distance they allowed to remain). The author's note at the end of the audio book provides extra insight. I would love to see this one turned into a movie.