This is the first book that I have read by Ruta Sepetys. This book is set in the 1950's Spain, shortly after the Spanish Civil War, and during Francisco Franco's dictatorship. It tells the story of Ana and her family, who are trying to survive, having lost their parents, because their beliefs were different from Franco's. It also tells the story of an American photographer, Daniel Matheson. He is in Madrid, with his parents. He hopes that the pictures he will capture in Spain will help him win a photography contest, so he can go to photojournalism school, and avoid the school his father wants him to attend. But what he captures with his camera, and what he finds in Madrid that summer are more than just pictures to win a contest.
This story is told in several different points of view. Ana, her brother Rafa, her sister Julia, her cousin Puri, and Daniel. Normally so not like a story that has so many different view points. I fell that it makes a story too confusing. But with this story, and the way that the author writes the characters, I feel that it helps to tell this story. With each characters point of view, you learn important parts of the story, and it brings everything together very well.
I feel that this story flows well, and it does keep you interested. The author give a very realistic take on this period in Spanish history. There were things that were told, that I had no idea happened in Spain.
I really enjoyed the little bit of historical facts that were given throughout the book. I learned things that I did not know about before.
One thing in this book that I did not really like was that the author would switch so frequently from Spanish to English, having to translate the words the characters were saying. And even when the characters were only speaking in Spanish, it would have a phrase or two in Spanish, then translate it to English. It made it a little confusing at points, but did not take away from the story. I would definitely recommend this story if you are a fan of historical fiction. This story will pull at your heartstrings, with the way the Spanish people were treated, and everything that they had to deal with during Franco's dictatorship, and everything that the characters had to go through, throughout the book.
This story is told in several different points of view. Ana, her brother Rafa, her sister Julia, her cousin Puri, and Daniel. Normally so not like a story that has so many different view points. I fell that it makes a story too confusing. But with this story, and the way that the author writes the characters, I feel that it helps to tell this story. With each characters point of view, you learn important parts of the story, and it brings everything together very well.
I feel that this story flows well, and it does keep you interested. The author give a very realistic take on this period in Spanish history. There were things that were told, that I had no idea happened in Spain.
I really enjoyed the little bit of historical facts that were given throughout the book. I learned things that I did not know about before.
One thing in this book that I did not really like was that the author would switch so frequently from Spanish to English, having to translate the words the characters were saying. And even when the characters were only speaking in Spanish, it would have a phrase or two in Spanish, then translate it to English. It made it a little confusing at points, but did not take away from the story. I would definitely recommend this story if you are a fan of historical fiction. This story will pull at your heartstrings, with the way the Spanish people were treated, and everything that they had to deal with during Franco's dictatorship, and everything that the characters had to go through, throughout the book.