From the #1 New York Times bestselling 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 eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of an oil tycoon, who arrives in Madrid with his ...
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From the #1 New York Times bestselling 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 eighteen-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.
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This is my first book by this author and it won't be my last. The writing style is lyrical and sprinkled expertly with historical facts and Spanish vocabulary, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed as I learned about a historical time and place I knew nothing about until reading this novel, and the Spanish words were easy to interpret contextually.
The author's research notes showed me the in-depth look she took into this time and place, even visiting and interviewing people at the hotel and meeting people who lived during the dictatorship.
The characters are ones I fell in love with and they popped out of history and became real. The friendships, family drama, romance, social struggles, and cultural differences between Americans and Spaniards made this a favorite book of 2019 for me.
Angelique M
Oct 1, 2019
Secrets in Spain
I thoroughly enjoyed Between Shades of Grey and Salt to the Sea. In fact they are two of the novels I most often recommend, so I had high expectations for the latest book by Ruta Sepetys. I'm happy to say it met them.
Like those other two books, this one sheds a light on a hidden part of history, but it does so more gradually.
Like in Salt to the Sea, there were multiple narrators. I felt they were all necessary for the telling of this story, and I liked them all, though initially I found one less sympathetic than the others.
The danger the characters faced here was not as overt as in the other books, but there was a tension, a sense of it lingering in the air. And while I'd describe the other two novels as being about a struggle to survive, I'd describe this one as being about a struggle to live, for what kind of life is it if you can't ask questions or even hope for anything better?
I enjoyed this and have already recommended it. I'm thankful for the early read from BookishFirst, and I liked it so much that I've purchased the hardback.
