The Fountains of Silence

by Ruta Sepetys

Scott County Library hardcover 474 pages plus author's note and more

Genre: YA historical fiction

Published: 2019

Sepetys is an amazing author! She has once again written a story that both informs and captivates. This one is set in Spain post-WWII. Wow. I already want to re-read it. So good!!!

Daniel is a Texan, the son of a wealthy oilman, but he is passionate about photography and telling stories with images. Ana is a beautiful young woman whose parents were killed as part of General Franco's cleansing of Spain's ideology after the Spanish Civil War. They meet at the hotel where Daniel and his parents are staying and where Ana works. Layered in between their personal stories and struggles is the deeply secret story of babies who are taken from their parents and sold to wealthy Catholics. The characters, struggles, and secrets were beautifully written.

Page 41 - I love how Sepetys made us "see" Daniel's passion for photography so quickly.

But manicured trees don't interest Daniel. People do. They are living, breathing landscapes. When captured at the right moment, truth reveals itself to the camera.

Page 70 - Puri was not one of my favorite characters, but I did appreciate her tendency to ask questions and highlight worthy curiosity.

When the radio broadcasts announce, "Spain is the chosen country of God," does that mean that God has abandoned other countries? And if foreigners are indecent, why is Spain catering to them as tourists?

"Why must you question everything?" scolds her mother. "Have you no faith?"

She most certainly has faith, but she also has questions. Can't she have both?

Page 202 - This jumped out at me. Reading this book was a huge education for me . . . I simply never thought about or learned about Spain after World War II. What an eye opener! This is Ben talking to Daniel.

"After World War II, even Germany, our archenemy, was a recipient under the Marshall Plan, but Spain?" Ben forms a "zero" with his hand. "Spain was the only major Western European nation excluded from the economic recovery plan. What do you think that says?"

"I'm not sure what it says," replies Daniel. "That's why I'm asking questions."

"It says the topic of Spain is very controversial. Look, you study Hitler and Mussolini in school, but you don't study Franco," whispers Ben. "Because he's still alive. The history hasn't written itself yet, Matheson. But you're capturing it as we speak with your photos. Exciting stuff."

Page 246 - I felt as though I could SEE the photos that were described in the text. When Ana started suggesting captions, it got even better.

Ana looks at the photo. Her voice is steady and lyrical. "Fighting phantoms. There are some problems that even money can't solve."

 

Page 251 -  I loved Rafa (Ana's brother)! His joy and his exuberance were infectious. But he was also contemplative at times. (I also loved how Sepetys used the concept of "fortune" in different ways for different characters.)

Although Rafa is determined to face fear, a quiet part of him worries that he may be luckless. What then? If they actually take part in the capea (bullfight) today, the participation alone will be the most fortune he has ever known. As he considers the potential for victory this afternoon, an overwhelming sense of joy emerges. The voices in his head, the questions - they are his own. They are not voices from the shadows, creeping forth to taunt him.

Page 289 - Puri asks her mother a particularly challenging question, one her mother does not answer.

Puri steals a glance over her shoulder. Her mother sits, a block of erect silence, slowly stirring the spoon around and around in her coffee. And that's when Puri realizes.

Silence has a voice of its own.

Page 425 - This is another piece of text that reminded me of our former POTUS . . . and creepy, awful men like him.

Daniel thinks of the letters he wrote to the embassy and the State Department about Shep Van Dorn. Nothing came of them. Nick is right. Guys like Shep always seem to land on their feet. He should have decked him when he had the chance.

Page 444 - Ana to Daniel (18 years later). Sometimes, silence truly is golden. But for the reasons and ways Ana had to keep silent, it definitely had negative effects on her life.

"Only because we tried to stay silent. Silence warps everything. I can accept if there's silence around us, but not between us."

Page 448-9 / Chapter 143 - I loved this chapter so much! Daniel's sister Cristina is so authentic and fun. 

He's never lied to his sister. She understands him better than even his mother did. She truly can hear things in his voice. That means she also sees it on his face. He has to tell her something. He remains quiet for several minutes, hoping she'll fall asleep.

<I can't ruin this for another reader, so I won't include the rest of their conversation. It brings a smile to my face!>

Page 462-3 Miguel made me tear up! After all those years, the photo developer / camera guy had kept copies of Daniel's photos from his time in Madrid.

"Si. A promise is a promise. I also have these photos." Miguel lifts a copy of National Geographic from the table. "We followed you through the years, Texano. Ana would run to the shop and ask questions about your photos. Together we dissected every detail and made markings on a map to follow you. Caramba, we worried." Miguel puts his hands on Daniel's shoulders. His voice rolls low with emotion. "What a journey you've been on. I am so proud of you, amigo. Capa would be proud too."

Daniel doesn't care that his eyes are welling for all to see. Like Ben, the man in front of him believed when others didn't.

Page 472 - Throughout the book, there were actual interview quotes, news stories, etc. Having the fact interspersed with the fiction was powerful.

Thousands of babies were stolen from their parents during the Franco dictatorship in Spain, but the story was suppressed for decades. Now, the first stolen-baby case has gone to court. The trial is expected to last months. As Lucia Benavides reports from Spain, it's a dark part of Spanish history that is finally getting more recognition.

Between 1939 and the late 1980s, it is alleged that over 300,000 babies were stolen from their birth mothers and sold into adoption. - Lucia Benavides

<from "First Stolen-Baby Case from Franco Dictatorship Goes to Court in Spain" NPR August 14, 2018.>

That shocked me! This book is stunning. I didn't write about the final scene with Daniel and Fuga, or Lorenza's treachery, or so many other amazing parts of this book. Two thumbs up for sure!