I got a review sample from the publisher through NetGalley.

So far, the beginnings of The Fountains of Silence is promising to be just as good as Salt to the Sea. Speech’s has a talent for not only making historical fiction accessible, but also well-developed through the lens of a diverse cast and a wealth of various sentiments floating around the period/event in question. I can’t wait to read the rest of the book!

The Fountains of Silence
by Ruta Sepetys
Read an Excerpt
PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group
Penguin Books
Historical Fiction | Teens & YA
Pub Date 29 Sep 2020 | Archive Date 31 Dec 2020

The sampler I read was enough to pique my interest. I have read this author before and have enjoyed her work.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin group for the YA sampler I received.

4 stars

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 and had me wanting to know more about the story and the characters in them.

Thank you to Penguin Group and NetGalley who provided me with this sampler in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

It's just a sampler, but the premise seems interesting. Spanish history is very fascinating, and I would love to read the entire book.

This book is fascinating, especially given the amount of research that was done to get the facts right. I love how books make me discover things that I did not know at all that actually happened in the world. All the perspectives were explained well, with well fleshed out characters. The ending did seem a little unnecessary, but I appreciated it nonetheless.

The Fountains of Silence is set in Madrid in 1957. We meet Ana and her sister Julia and in contrast, meet Daniel Matheson, an American visiting with his rich parents. Daniel hopes to connect to his mother's heritage and uses his camera to see the world around him, which is a world away from Texas where he grew up in America. There is suspense and the book flows quickly, capturing and keeping my interest from the beginning.

Setting, characters and plot so far have me very interested but it truly the writing by Ruta Sepetys that has me so entranced and dare I say, entrenched by the stories that are starting to intersect in The Fountains of Silence.

I requested to review an excerpt of The Foundations of Silence from NetGalley. I can't wait to dive into the full book and update my review once I read the whole way through.

Since I was only able to read a sample of this story, I am at a lack to fully review it. However, what I read did indeed seem both engrossing and very well written. I am quite interested in continuing the book. Hopefully, my library will acquire a copy of it.

I only had the opportunity to read the sample of this book and not the whole novel, but I really liked what I read. I'll try to get the book through NetGalley; otherwise I'm definitely going to look it up in my local library. Ruta Sepetys writes with grounded descriptions, both in character and setting, and I really wanted to know what happened next.

The Fountains of Silence promises to be an unputdownable foray into the past. Upon the introduction to Ana and Daniel, there is an immediate plunge into the hidden and overt dangers lurking in 1957 Madrid. It seems like a fast-paced and important read. I feel very intrigued by what certain characters are hiding and I am looking forward to learning more about the history of Spain as well. I will be planning to pick up a copy of this book, because I need to know what happens next! The Fountains of Silence is available now. Thank you to Ruta Sepetys, Penguin Books, and Netgalley for a free excerpt in exchange for honest feedback.

Just this sampler gives you a taste of what Rita Sepetys is so good at achieving. You are sucked in knowing there is mystery and heartache. You start to feel and care for the characters right from the beginning. I also know I am going to learn about some History that I was not aware of before reading this novel.

Thank you for NetGalley for this look at Sepetys new book. I will be picking up the full length novel.

The historical quotes added depth to the story. Ruta’s extenstive research and her ability to incorporate it into the story is amazing.

The character development and differing viewpoints demonstrated various aspects of life during this period in Spain. The short chapters moving between characters and the pace kept me interest and wanting to see what would happen. I didn’t want to stop reading!

Ana's character is torn between wanting to follow her own path or following her sister's request of remaining quiet. I think her character is a great representation of those who lived under Franco. Do you take the easy path to maintianin the peace or do you follow your heart by speaking out?

I was very excited to see this excerpt from The Fountains of Silence on NetGalley. My sister, who loves historical fiction, highly praised this novel. Although we may not always agree, we agree that this book is worth reading.

Although this title was published as a young adult novel, in my opinion both adults and young adults will find it to be interesting and involving. The setting, Franco’s Spain, engages the reader. There have been many historical novels set in France, Germany and England but not so many in Spain. Readers will learn what happened to the country under the Fascist leader. There are repercussions for today’s politics as well.

As in all good historical fiction, there are characters to learn about and connect with. Over the course of the book, readers will get to know Ana and those around her. They will also meet Daniel who gets to know Ana and her family. They were on the Republican side during the war. This is the side that was against Franco and has impacted them.

This sampler was enough to intrigue me and I now plan to read the novel. Have you read it? If yes, what are your thoughts?

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this excerpt. All opinions are my own.

I loved this sampler!

Historical fiction is, admittedly, one of my favorite genres. However, I had no prior knowledge of Spain in the 1950s under the fascist regime of Franco and an intrigued to learn about the city and buildings of Madrid, the people, the fear, and the bullfighters.

The characters are charming yet mysterious, aided by the very short chapters. At times, it's frustrating to come to the end of a chapter after only a page and in the middle of something so intriguing! But I do think it adds to the theme of the layers of secrecy. I can’t wait to read the rest!

The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (SAMPLER)

Pages
Publisher: Penguin Group / Penguin Young Readers Group
Release Date: September 29, 2020

Fiction, Historical Fiction, Teens & YA, Madrid, Spain

As children, Anna and her brother Rafael see their father murdered and mother imprisoned. They live with their older sister Julia, a seamstress who sews beads and gemstones onto the matador suits. Ana works as a maid at the Castellana Hilton, an American hotel and Rafael works at a butcher shop. Their cousin Purification, known as Puri, works at the orphanage run by the nuns. Daniel Matheson has traveled from Texas to Madrid with his parents to see his mother’s home country. He is a photographer and is working on his portfolio and a photo contest.

The story is set in 1957 Madrid under Francisco Franco. The local people are poor and hungry. They can see the lives of the Americans but look at it as a fairy tale. The story is interesting and is written in third person point of view. With each chapter the reader learns a little bit more of a different character. This teaser is just enough to pull me in to find out what happens in the relationships between Anna and Rafael, Anna and Daniel, and Daniel with his parents.

19 year old Daniel is a Spanish-American aspiring photographer. During a stay at the Castellana Hilton he meets Ana, a young maid as well as her siblings who are struggling to stay afloat after their Republican parents are ostracized for their political views. Told through the stories of Ana, Daniel and many other characters we get a glimpse of 1950's post-war Spain under the fascist dictator, General Franco.

All of the stories are interconnected to reveal Spain's history under Franco and what occurred after the Spanish Civil War that had lasting impact into the 1950's and beyond.

This story was very thought provoking and opened by eyes to a time and place in history that i was lacking knowledge. Highly recommend.

So interesting and I could not put it down. I had never read a book in this setting and it made me interested in reading more.

I got this sampler to see if I want to buy the book. This book has already pulled me in, and I will be getting the book to finish reading it. My star rating here is basic just on the sampler I read not the full book because I have only read the sampler. After I get and read the full book I will update my review. I did receive this sampler free, but this review is 100% my own opinion.