The Fountains of Silence

By: Ruta Sepetys

Narrated by: Ruta Sepetys, Maite Jáuregui, Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, Oliver Wyman

Length: 12 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

From the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Salt to the Sea and Between Shades of Gray comes a gripping, extraordinary portrait of love, silence, and secrets under 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 Spain under the welcoming promise of sunshine and wine. Among them is 18-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his parents hoping to connect with the country of his mother's birth through the lens of his camera. Photography - and fate - introduce him to Ana, whose family's interweaving obstacles reveal the lingering grasp of the Spanish Civil War - as well as chilling definitions of fortune and fear. Daniel's photographs leave him with uncomfortable questions amidst shadows of danger. He is backed into a corner of difficult decisions to protect those he loves. Lives and hearts collide, revealing an incredibly dark side to the sunny Spanish city.

Master storyteller Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history's darkest corners in this epic, heart-wrenching novel about identity, unforgettable love, repercussions of war, and the hidden violence of silence - inspired by the true postwar struggles of Spain. Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more.

Read by Maite Jáuregui, with Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, and Oliver Wyman, and with an author’s note read by the author.

©2019 Ruta Sepetys (P)2019 Listening Library

Critic reviews

"[Sepetys] tells a moving story made even more powerful by its placement in a lesser-known historical moment. Captivating, deft, and illuminating historical fiction." (Booklist starred review)

"A stunning novel that exposes modern fascism and elevates human resilience." (Kirkus starred review)

"This gripping, often haunting historical novel offers a memorable portrait of fascist Spain." (Publishers Weekly starred review)

"Spain under Francisco Franco is as dystopian a setting as Margaret Atwood’s Gilead in Ruta Sepetys’ suspenseful, romantic and timely new work of historical fiction.... Like [Shakespeare's family romances], The Fountains of Silence speaks truth to power, persuading future rulers to avoid repeating the crimes of the past." (The New York Times Book Review)

Historical Fiction. Great Storytelling.

Very informative. Wonderful characterization by readers.Very enjoyable. Very good reading for teens and adults. Do read it.

A must read

This book takes us on a beautiful journey. The stories
of the characters are both heart warming and heart breaking. It’s a book that makes you think and captures you early on.

Review

Heartbreaking story of life in Spain under Dictator Franco with a great love story interwoven.

Amazing book

I love this book and the story. I also love how Ruta Sepetys always has a love story in the book.

Human complex story intertwines in history

I learned a lot from this book while enjoying a romantic story at the same time. It is a bit idealistic the way characters behave, It is still a very fun reading

Great Historical Fiction of Spain's Franco era

I loved it. I have learned to look for the author's works. She weaves a great piece of fiction with tons of historically accurate facts. I recommend her. This is one of her best.

Overall 4 stars. Narration was bothersome

Overall I loved the story. I learned a lot and it had me googling for more information. And it was told very well. There was no point in listening that I thought "ok, get on with it".

One story line was predictable but then there were a few surprises thrown in there that I did not see coming and that even had me gasping. So again, good story telling.

Ruta Sepetys is one of my favorite authors of HF and she did not disappoint in this one.

Narration...the reason I took away the one star...I found it a little annoying in that some pronunciations of English words were off...when not part of dialogue. Examples were for dynasty it was pronounced deen-a-stee. And contributes was pronounced con-tra-butes. I would have thought that would have been caught in editing. That said, what I really liked about the narration was how they did the "new reel" feel of the excerpts being read from previous state records or broadcasts. That was WELL done.

A mixture of emotion and history!

Really enjoyed this book. Its a nice smoothe transition that mixes a love story with real historical information! I really enjoyed the narrators as well! Alot of parts made me sad and even cry! But the information in this book was portrayed so well..and I'm not one who goes for history type books!

Long, yes, but worth the time

This story, often buried like the silences Ana's family holds, is nonetheless, important. I loved the voices here, and the varying points of view, and the nuanced It is long, as some have said, but thoroughly enjoyable.

Gripping History

Sepetys has a way of weaving a tale of love, desperation, circumstances, anguish and redemption so masterfully. History truly comes alive in this telling.