An unflinching look at the cruelty and resilience of Spain under Franco
Fountains of Silence is a dramatic, interesting novel that takes place in Franco's Spain. I happened to read this right after traveling to Madrid, so it really resonated with me and had a strong sense of place.
In this book, Daniel, the son of an American oil executive, travels to Madrid with his American dad and Spanish mom for a business deal. Daniel wants to be a photojournalist, but his father wants him take over the oil business. When he arrives, he meets Ana, a maid at his luxury hotel, who has her own secrets. He gets a carefully controlled view of Madrid, but as he takes photos of the curated Madrid, he starts to uncover a dark history for Ana and others that hurtles toward a devastating conclusion.
I learned so much about Spanish history here, which I was largely ignorant about before reading this book. While this is YA, it is unflinching about the cruelty of Franco and his regime, and the toll it took on the Spanish people. This isn't an easy read, but you'll be drawn in by the characters and the resilience of the Spanish people. They remain willing to love, and hope, and want a different future
In this book, Daniel, the son of an American oil executive, travels to Madrid with his American dad and Spanish mom for a business deal. Daniel wants to be a photojournalist, but his father wants him take over the oil business. When he arrives, he meets Ana, a maid at his luxury hotel, who has her own secrets. He gets a carefully controlled view of Madrid, but as he takes photos of the curated Madrid, he starts to uncover a dark history for Ana and others that hurtles toward a devastating conclusion.
I learned so much about Spanish history here, which I was largely ignorant about before reading this book. While this is YA, it is unflinching about the cruelty of Franco and his regime, and the toll it took on the Spanish people. This isn't an easy read, but you'll be drawn in by the characters and the resilience of the Spanish people. They remain willing to love, and hope, and want a different future