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The Fountains of Silence

Ruta Sepetys (Goodreads Author)

4.29 · Rating details · 29,613 ratings · 5,219 reviews

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, unforgettable portrait of love, silence, and secrets amidst 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 the country under the ...more

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Kindle Edition, 512 pages

Published October 22nd 2019 by Philomel Books (first published October 1st 2019)

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Ruta Sepetys - author, young adult, fiction

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Sep 06, 2019 Paromjit rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, historical-fiction, netgalley, family-drama

Ruta Sepetys paints a richly descriptive and historically detailed picture of post war Spain under the fascist dictator, General Franco. It is 1957, and Spain is desperate for money and to facilitate this, is welcoming tourists to the country. 18 year old American Daniel Matheson is staying at a luxury hotel with his family, his father is an oil tycoon looking to make a deal with Franco's regime. Spain is the country of Daniel's mother, and he is looking to explore it, with every intent of looki Ruta Sepetys paints a richly descriptive and historically detailed picture of post war Spain under the fascist dictator, General Franco. It is 1957, and Spain is desperate for money and to facilitate this, is welcoming tourists to the country. 18 year old American Daniel Matheson is staying at a luxury hotel with his family, his father is an oil tycoon looking to make a deal with Franco's regime. Spain is the country of Daniel's mother, and he is looking to explore it, with every intent of looking beneath the official versions of Madrid. Whilst his father wants him to work for the business, Daniel has other ideas, he wants to be a photographer, and has made plans to study photography at college. Ana is the young, bright and beautiful hotel maid charged with looking after the Matheson family and meeting their every need. This is a well researched multilayered story of David and Ana, love, identity, heartbreak, and the walls of silence behind which are hidden the true horrors of Franco's Spain.

Rafa, Ana's brother remembers the family, and its tragic past, his parents opposition to Franco and their death. He works hard, although he still goes hungry, at his two jobs at the slaughterhouse and the graveyard, with his friend, Fuga, an intense force of nature, with dreams of becoming a famous bullfighter and protecting the children. Ana's cousin, Puri, works at the Catholic Adoption Centre. Ben is an American journalist who urges David to capture the Spain beyond the official version through the lens of his camera, deploying angles that tell the truth, the varied stories that lay beneath the surface. As David connects with an Ana with her dreams of travelling and escape, she begins to slowly entrust him with the inner secrets of a country where people live in fear and terror. However, she puts at risk her job, love and freedom, she has family responsibilities, a job that is essential in keeping her family going.

The stories of the host of characters interconnect to uncover Spain's secret history under Franco, and the fall out from the Spanish Civil War and its repercussions that continued into the 1950s. Sepetys writes with humanity and compassion about this dark historical period, the vast swathe of untold suffering, pain, despair and the tyranny of a repressive regime. This is brilliant immersive historical fiction of a brutal period of history that I have long been fascinated and interested by. This is for those who are interested in this period of Spanish history and those who enjoy well written and informative historical fiction. Highly recommended! Many thanks to Random House Children's for an ARC. ...more

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Jun 22, 2020 Matthew rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library, audio, 2020, historical-fiction, young-adult

Ruta Sepetys can tell a story – that is really all you need to know!

Some authors write one great book and then spend the rest of their career trying to achieve the same level of greatness. Not Sepetys – she hits it out of the park every time! If you loved and were moved by her other books, you will definitely love and be moved by this one as well.

This time the story takes place is 1960s Spain during the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Overall, Spain is a country of which I do not have a lot of ...more

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Oct 27, 2019 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it liked it · review of another edition

Hey friends, I’m so excited to read a story about story an emotional, heart wrenching story takes place in Madrid in late 50’s when General Franco’s dictatorship takes over and rules the city! I’m taking small bites from patatas bravas, empanadillas accompanied by a big pitcher of Sangria (my new decision, tasting the foods where the book’s story is told to have a better focus on my book! I also ate beef stroganoff and had several vodka shots when I’m reading “Bear and Nightingale series”. Maybe ...more

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Mar 22, 2019 Emily May marked it as dnf · review of another edition

Shelves: young-adult, historical-fiction, 2019, arc

I'm not going to rate or review this. I've only liked one of the three Sepetys books I've read in the past, but I was really hoping a book on Spain under Franco would be the equalizer. It wasn't to be. I'm just not a fan of the way the author jumps very quickly between multiple POVs. I feel so detached from the stories. Just not for me. ...more

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Jun 25, 2019 Hannah Greendale rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fiction, young-adult, historical-fiction

Congested, sacharrine, and melodramatic.

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Dec 29, 2019 Beverly rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-historical-fiction

Historical fiction at its finest, The Fountains of Silence is another stellar work from Ruth Sepetys. I really loved Salt to the Sea by her as well. This book tells the story of Francisco Franco's Spain during the 50s. Franco is a brutal dictator but he needs American business men to invest in his country, so he opens its doors to the United States. Daniel comes along with his parents to visit his mother's birthplace.

Soon, the young Texan is immersed in Spanish politics because of his love of ph ...more

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Dec 20, 2018 Alex's Reads & Reviews rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Do you realize the lengths I would go to for a copy of this book? I NEED THIS SO BADLY

Now it’s been read, and this is easily one of my favorites of the year! It’s heart-breaking, it’s romantic, it’s fun, and it’s achingly honest in a way only Sepetys can achieve. Her debut, Between Shades of Gray, is one of my all time favorites, but her last two have been slightly disappointing. This, however, is her redemption novel. Filled with intricate and real characters, historical intrigue, and lusty ro ...more

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Nov 16, 2020 human rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2020, cover-love, historical, drama-to-rival-my-mothers-soaps

It's been three days and I've yet to consolidate my feelings on this book. ~~Blame school~~. So I'm just going to flat-out type everything (oh boy) (as I usually do).

First off, we've got our delightful cast of characters. I absolutely LOVED all the characters in this book. It was lovely seeing the romance bloom between Ana and Daniel. While the characters themselves were really enjoyable to read about, I didn't get the feeling that these characters were real, like I usually do with Ruta Sepetys' boo ...more

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Jul 06, 2019 Nenia ✨️ Socially Awkward Trash Panda ✨️ Campbell rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: les-arcs-de-triomphes, historical-fiction

Instagram || Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || Pinterest

A while back, I read another book called Ruta Sepetys, called OUT OF THE EASY, a work of young adult historical fiction set in 1950s New Orleans. It had the potential to be an interesting book, but the lazy, meandering pace; lack of action; and reliance on an almost entirely character-driven story made for some tough readin'. I hoped that THE FOUNTAINS OF SILENCE, with its intriguing premise of characters struggling to exist under the m ...more

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Nov 22, 2019 Erin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: books-i-own

Ruta Septeys' latest novel takes readers to Madrid, Spain in 1957 under the vice like grip of General Francisco Franco, a fascist dictator. This is my first time reading about this period of 20th century history and I continue to be in awe of the author's talent in making the bridge between YA and general historical fiction.

If this book were to be adapted to a screen, it would have to be a television series because the author alternates between a full cast of characters (think LOST) who all eve ...more

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Oct 08, 2019 Lea | That_Bookdragon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: arc-received, owned

A solid 5/5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House International for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. A very pretty bookmark was also included in the package they sent me, which you can see HERE

"The history hasn't written itself yet, Matheson. But you're capturing it as we speak with your photos."

Before we start, I would like to say that I was really eager for this book to be released because it is set during Franco's Spain. You guys n A solid 5/5 ⭐️

Thank you so much to Penguin Random House International for providing me with a free ARC of this book in exchange for an honest opinion. A very pretty bookmark was also included in the package they sent me, which you can see HERE

"The history hasn't written itself yet, Matheson. But you're capturing it as we speak with your photos."

Before we start, I would like to say that I was really eager for this book to be released because it is set during Franco's Spain. You guys need to know that my great-grandfather was one of those lucky ones who managed to escape Franco's dictatorship and found refuge in France. Unfortunately, I didn't get to meet him when he was alive but I felt like this book would be truly important for me on a personal level to better understand what life was like for him in Spain at that time. Of course we studied fascist regimes in high school, but this book provided a very different insight of something I had no idea was happening. I will try to keep this review as spoiler-free as possible and will mark the spoilers accordingly should there be any.

This book is set in 1957 Madrid, namely 20 years after Franco took power after the Spanish Civil War. While Spain is hiding a very dark secret, it opens its arms to American investors eager to do business with the European country by selling itself as the country of wine and sunshine. Daniel Matheson, the aspiring photographer son of one of those wealthy oil businessmen finds himself in this country with rules and laws so different from what he knows of America. He will meet plenty of local people and befriend them, taking photographs of them in their everyday lives in hopes of taking the shot that will offer him the first prize of a photography contest. While he stays at a newly open luxury hotel, he gets to meet Ana, a young Spanish maid assigned to his family. Secretive and discreet, Daniel will quickly understand that Spain as he imagines it is nothing like it actually is...

"It's impossible for outsiders to understand. There is a tension that exists between history and memory, señor. Some of us are desperate to preserve and remember, while others are desperate to forget."

This book was the first book I've read by Ruta Sepetys and I know for sure it won't be the last. She has a way to use words that hits right home. Through powerful prose, she depicts a deeply insightful image of Spain and its post-war status with a dictator holding a firm grip over it, controlling his citizens and threatening them at all moments. I didn't know prior to reading this book that Spain so desperately tried to attract tourists, especially Americans. I learned a lot while reading this book, and I do believe that's the quintessential essence of Historical Fictions to make readers learn more about very specific aspects of History that are often put aside by school's curriculums. It was interesting to see the clash of these two very different cultures. Americans with their freedom to do almost whatever they want against Spanish people being barely allowed to breathe. I loved the little "extras" the interviews and extracts from real papers brought to the text, it made the book even more believable and, in a way, even more gut-wrenching. I think it's always complicated to review a book that's based on events that truly happened and it always baffles me to see the sheer amount of research that needs to be done to write Historical Fictions.

"When captured at the right moment, truth reveals itself to the camera."

The characters of this story were also what truly brought it to life. This story follows multiple points of view but each character's voice is so different from the other that it was truly easily to distinguish who was talking and when. I think Daniel was my favorite character. He was genuinely good, a light within the darkness of all these people's lives. He wanted to help by taking pictures to show the world the reality behind Franco's Spain, the horror and the terrible secrets that are kept within its borders. However, I grew really attached to Ana and her family as well. They are the descendants of a mother and a father who were opposed to Franco and his dictatorship and ended up being executed for it, branding Ana and her siblings as the children of "degenerated people". All of them work hard, they often have two jobs to try to sustain their family and keep everyone fed. Miguel and Fuga were also memorable characters that I truly enjoyed reading about. Overall, I feel like every character in this story will leave a mark on me for a very long time, and not only because of their link to my family's history.

I finished this book last night, gobbling up the 250 pages I had left of it in less than one hour and a half. I really didn't want to leave them because they all felt close to me. However, I needed to know what would come to them so I kept reading anyway and ended up staring at my ceiling in silence for half an hour once the last page was turned. I wanted to write this review as soon as possible to have my emotions and feelings still raw and fresh from what I read. As I said before, it's hard for me to rate and review books talking about events that happened, but this one taught me about something terrible I had no idea was happening but will most certainly tell people about because I think it needs to be more widely known. If you want to know what I'm talking about, then you will have to get this book and find out for yourself because otherwise I would basically be revealing to you the whole plot of this mind-blowing book. And I very highly recommend you do, even for the sake of a History lesson given to you by the fantastic teacher Ruta Sepetys is. This book touched my heart very deeply and I really hope as many of you will pick up a copy of this book.

My Bookstagram ...more

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Feb 20, 2020 Drewthereader20 rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: new-releases, own-books, audiobook, book-of-the-month, fall-tbr, hardcover, 2020-reads, tbr-shelf, 2020-favorites

OMG THIS WAS SO GOOD!
I picked this book up this week because it was on my #tometopple tbr and I couldn't be anymore happier that I picked it up and read all 512 pages! I loved listening to this audiobook.
5/5 stars!(: ...more

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Oct 01, 2019 Book of the Month added it · review of another edition

Why I love it
by Danielle McNally

When I read, I want to be transported. To another place, to another time, to a world I never could have experienced on my own. In Ruta Sepetys’s latest, The Fountains of Silence, I was taken to a sepia-toned summer in 1950s Spain. The entire time I was reading (which wasn’t long, since I flew through the 475-page novel in three days), I felt as if I, too, were walking the cobblestoned streets of Madrid, the heat of the late afternoon sun on my shoulders.

That said, ...more

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Oct 20, 2019 Renee (itsbooktalk) rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

If you're like me and tell yourself that you don't like YA, give this book a try and prepare to be blown away! My automatic reaction when I come across YA is to pass it by but after reading several I've loved (Field Notes on Love, Hope and Other Punchlines, Salt to the Sea) and now this, I have to say...I'm LOVING YA! I know this author is known as a "crossover" author since her books appeal to both teens and adults and I would agree but with The Fountains of Silence, I'd almost say it has a mor ...more

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Dec 03, 2019 My_Strange_Reading rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-reading-challenge, historical-fiction

#mystrangereading The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for GR)

Only Ruta Sepetys can rip your heart completely apart and then put the pieces back together again with a beautiful conclusion. My only qualm was that I really wanted an epilogue, but goodness that was heartbreaking, painful, inspiring and just stunning.

I love Spain and even lived there for a summer, but damn did I learn so much more than I ever understood before.

Aspects that make this historic ...more

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Nov 27, 2019 may ❀ rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, 500-pgs, historical, meh, real-problems, decent, standalones

this book was incredibly informative and eye-opening. there's so much deep information about spain during franco's rule and the horrors that occurred during that time. this book is rich with details and the many different faces and lives that spain had to offer.

i found it kind of slow and drawn out. the beginning and middle portion of the book felt like it went on forever. i really liked the ending though i would have liked to see more of the characters closer to present day.

lots of thoughts on ...more

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Mar 18, 2019 Alicia rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: adult, family, religion, romance, dark, female, male, historical, politics-justice, sports-hobbies

Having had twelve hours to process the book after reading it in the span of twenty-four hours including a car ride (and I don't read in the car because well, motion-sickness, but there are just times where that needs to be overcome), I can now write a review that consists of more than hearts and exclamation points.

Picking stories that represent dark times in our global history is likely the easiest part, but deciding to tell it with the emotional strength and depth required can only be trusted Having had twelve hours to process the book after reading it in the span of twenty-four hours including a car ride (and I don't read in the car because well, motion-sickness, but there are just times where that needs to be overcome), I can now write a review that consists of more than hearts and exclamation points.

Picking stories that represent dark times in our global history is likely the easiest part, but deciding to tell it with the emotional strength and depth required can only be trusted to a few writers. Sepetys is one of those chosen few, and chosen because three books have already solidified her ability to write historical fiction and this one is equally captivating. Her appeal lies with adults and young adults who want to access the worlds she opens up. In this story, there are four characters who intersect in mesmerizing ways: Spanish brother and sister Ana and Rafa, their cousin Puri, and the American-- Daniel. Their connections unfold in a series of suspenseful, dark, sentimental, and deeply personal ways in and around the Castellana Hilton, a hotel that's a piece of the United States inside Madrid, Spain during the tumultuous and tenuous reign of Generalissimo Franco. The policies and practices that emerge lead to tragedy that Puri begins to uncover while Daniel as an outsider who pines for Ana also discovers additional stories when using the lens of his camera. Everyone has a story to tell.

There are characters you'll love to hate and characters you want to fall in love. One thing is for sure, you'll fall in love with Sepetys again. Storytelling is her passion and her purpose. And the power of the story is similar to Doerr's All The Light We Cannot See and Hannah's The Nightingale and the length and span of the story to Julie Berry's newest Lovely War. Whether readers are understanding the importance of dress for a bullfighter or poverty in Vallecas. I had no problem following the array of characters because they are all instrumental, even as the book moves forward in time and new secrets emerge, I would have gladly welcomed more.

It's the nuanced relationships and evocative time period that teach us about humanity. The setting creates is own set of problems and character so anyone who has visited will easily recognize it while those who haven't (me) can understand through Sepetys' choices what we didn't experience firsthand. She's a guide for epic stories of love and loss, politics and economics. The human toll of dictatorship. The secrets and the danger of secrecy. There was a constant pull to uncover and understand, so when Sepetys adds a confessional and power struggles, money and beauty, no one is ever quite certain who to trust but that in that, we can only imagine why even now there a vow of silence as Spain moves on.

One thing is for certain: this book is layered. It can be re-read as one of the three books someone would take on a deserted island and never tire of whether I'm staring at the cover or remembering all that unfolded between the pages. It's masterful and a book I will continue to re-live. ...more

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Oct 07, 2020 Debra rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

Ruta Sepetys is the queen of period pieces and she did not disappoint in the brief sampler I read of The Fountains of Silence. The Setting is Madrid Spain in 1957. Under a harsh dictatorship, Spain is hiding a dark secret, but that does not stop the flood of tourists and businessmen from flocking to Spain.

In the sample, I was introduced to eighteen-year-old, Daniel, and Ana, a young hotel employee.

****I read a SAMPLER of the book and not the book itself. The sample served to pique my interest a ...more

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Apr 19, 2020 Aoife - Bookish_Babbling rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 3-point-5-stars, read-in-2020, audiobooked, library-loan

Another read that I'm not sure how to rate. I've been backburner thinking about how to review this book since I finished it on friday...it's now sunday morning and I need to post something before I forget entirely 🙈

I have previously read one Ruta Sepetys book last year and have another waiting on my kindle for a Buddy Read if/when things calm down.
Both those books show aspects of WW2 from perspectives that we don't often see them from and this book was no different in that it shows a time in Sp ...more

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Dec 28, 2019 mindful.librarian ☀️ rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: library-paper, young-adult

Phenomenal narrative about a setting and time I had almost no knowledge of. A must read for historical fiction readers in general as well as fans of the author’s other works. Also an excellent companion read to Lisa Wingate’s “Before We Were Yours”.

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Sep 20, 2019 Kim Friant rated it really liked it · review of another edition

4 Stars—Ok so first off, I love Sepetys’ books. They’re amazing and she’s one the authors that I pick up no matter what the book is about. But I’m gonna start with my one criticism that applies to multiple books. The endings frustrate the crap outta me! I’m learning to accept open endings that could go in any direction and could be interpreted and imagined in a myriad of ways. However, with Sepetys’ stories, I want to know more! She always seems to completely draw me into the stories and the cha ...more

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May 08, 2020 Lori rated it it was amazing

“Helpless children and teenagers become innocent victims of wretched violence and ideological pressure... innocent youths who, instead of pursuing hopes and dreams, became fountains of silence.” Ruta Sepetys

Sepetays has created another masterpiece in this beautifully told story of Spanish life under the dictatorship of Francisco Franco. Engaging characters that help to expose the different facets of life under Franco. I really liked that the story was told through the eyes of young adults. As Se ...more

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Jun 30, 2019 Bitchin' Reads rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

My favorite Ruta Sepetys yet. The last third of it had me sobbing regularly. SOBBING, I SAY. BIG FAT BITTERSWEET TEARS.

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Jul 22, 2019 Misfit rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, young-adult

I don't normally read YA, but when I was offered an ARC and saw how how popular this author was, I decided to go for it. The setting is 1950s Spain under the rule of General Francisco Franco. The hero, 18 year old Daniel Matheson arrives with his parents as his father conducts whatever business Texas oil tycoons do. They stay at a swanky hotel that is popular with the Hollywood type set. Many famous names are dropped throughout the story - say too many names.

Anyway, Daniel meets up with hotel e ...more

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Nov 06, 2019 Skip rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical

Well-researched book about life in Spain under the leadership of Franco. Set in 1957, we follow the life of 18-year old Daniel Matheson, who has travelled from Texas to Madrid with his father (who is trying to negotiate an oil deal with Franco) and Spanish mother, who is dealing with her own problems. Daniel is adrift, having broken up with his high society girlfriend, and unsure how to tell his father that he wants to be a photographer. He falls for the hotel maid, Ana, and gets a real view of ...more

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Oct 26, 2019 Joey rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019-favorites, i-own-it, ya, aww

WORDS CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN
(Seatbelts pls, y’all are about to engage on a very crazy fan rant 😉)
GAIS, i need help. Anyone know how to perform open heart surgery?????
I trusted Ruta Sepetys with my heart (again), and she ripped it out unmercifully (again).
This book was so beautiful- everything about it. And tbh guys, I CRIED. AND I HARDLY EVER CRY WHEN IM READING BOOKS. THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS WAS and also as a side note I mayyyy have read this in less then 24 hours. *nervous chuckle* yeahh WORDS CAN NOT EVEN BEGIN TO EXPLAIN
(Seatbelts pls, y’all are about to engage on a very crazy fan rant 😉)
GAIS, i need help. Anyone know how to perform open heart surgery?????
I trusted Ruta Sepetys with my heart (again), and she ripped it out unmercifully (again).
This book was so beautiful- everything about it. And tbh guys, I CRIED. AND I HARDLY EVER CRY WHEN IM READING BOOKS. THAT’S HOW GOOD THIS WAS and also as a side note I mayyyy have read this in less then 24 hours. *nervous chuckle* yeahhh ooooops
The things I loved (aka basically EVERYTHING)
The characters: Ana, Julia, Ben, Nick, Daniel, Rafa, I had to love everyone. They were so beautifully well done and somehow the author allowed me to feel deep connection to each one, even if I couldn’t relate that well personally to them.
The romance: DAN AND ANA FOREVER. I loved it so much, it was so fresh and real, maybe it was a little(?) too rushed(?). Personally I didn’t think that at all but I could see others thinking it was.
The social issues: I love how Ruta Sepetys doesn’t JUST write for entertainment. She exposes many social issues during this period and displays them in such a talented way. And let me tell you- she has done her research. For all of it. Everything.
The writing. Was amazing. As always. What’s else can I say.
Basically just everything sucked me in and enraptured me to the point where I could. not. put. this. book. down.
Thing(s) i didn’t love:
There was A LOT of catholic religion. They attend mass, go to confession, etc. And personally I don’t agree with any of that, but at the same time, having been to Spain, YOU CAN NOT REALISTICALLY WRITE HISTORICAL FICTION IN SPAIN WITHOUT CATHOLICISM. Again, I don’t agree, but I respect that it’s there, and admit the accuracy of it, and it really didn’t bother me. A few times it got to be a little heavy but i know what i believe, and this didn’t rly bother me.
Content:
H*** is used as a curse word about half a dozen times. God’s name is taken in vain (in Spanish) multiple times. A sprinkling of other minor language includes a**, p*ss. Christ’s name is taken in vain once.
Mentions of a woman wearing a bikini, and references to bikinis. Ana wears a dress that exposes a decent amount of her back. Daniel goes into a bit of detail as he stares at her. Daniel and Ana kiss, like, a lot. Never really very detailed.
Anyway- YOU GUYS NEED TO READ THIS I AM TELLING YOU. It’s probably my favorite book of the whole year. That’s how good it is.
Anyway, if you’re still here after all my ranting, kudos to you! Happy reading guys!
...more

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Sep 04, 2019 Sophie "Beware Of The Reader" rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: eye-opener, favorite-ya, historical, the-bests, favorite-author, favorite-of-2019

5 incredible stars

Warning: gushing ahead!

I am a late bloomer to the Ruta Sepetys bandwagon. I read or rather listened to “Salt to the Sea” around February this year.
That story moved me so deeply that Ruta instantly became one of the authors I am vowing to follow in every adventure she goes on.

Did the Fountains of Silence live up to my expectation? Totally!

Is it another Salt to the Sea? No even if you can find Ruta's trademark in her precise and effortless writing; in her use of multiple poin ...more

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Oct 31, 2019 Chelsea Humphrey marked it as dnf-lost-interest · review of another edition

Shelves: book-subscriptions, bookstagram-made-me-do-it

BOTM YA add on November 2019!

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Dec 30, 2018 Belkiss Misa marked it as to-read · review of another edition

My body and soul are ready

...more

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Nov 25, 2020 Wendy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: dec-20, 5000-2020

Author Ruta Sepetys is unquestionably a gifted writer! Her story telling ability is simply captivating!
In The Fountains of Silence she takes us to Madrid in 1957. Under the fascist dictatorship of General Francisco Franco the country is ruled by an iron fist.
This story of love, silence and secrets taught me many things I wasn't aware of during this time in Spain. The media reports and oral history commentary were a wonderful addition to the story.
I highly recommend this audiobook! ...more

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The Fountains of Silence: A Theory [SPOILER WARNING]	4	82	Jan 05, 2021 12:30PM
Goodreads Choice ...: The Fountains of Silence - Oct 2020	10	64	Nov 15, 2020 12:28PM
Play Book Tag: The Fountains of Silence - 4 stars	3	8	Aug 16, 2020 11:53AM
Literally Leander: Final Thoughts - July	1	10	Jul 01, 2020 09:21AM

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About Ruta Sepetys

Ruta Sepetys

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#1 New York Times Bestselling Author and Winner of the Carnegie Medal.
Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. The daughter of a refugee, Ruta is drawn to underrepresented stories of strength through struggle and hopes to give voice to those who weren't able to tell their story. Her award-winning historical novels are published in over fifty c ...more