I've read a few of Sepetys books, Salt to the Sea, and Between Shades of Gray being my favorites. They are both set during WW2, and like The Fountains of Silence, they were geared towards the YA audience.
I knew a great deal about WW2 from classes in K-12, as well as a few history courses I took in college. Somehow though I didn't know much about Franco. Thus, reading this book took me more time than a typical read would. I found myself looking so much up, and wondering if it all could be true. Why didn't my courses teach me more about Franco?? All I knew was Hemingway and Orwell were there reporting during the civil war.
This is set in the mid to late 1950's, for the most part.
The central issue in the book is how secretive the Spanish people feel they must be during Franco's reign. Those whose families fought against him, are especially secretive.
The other aspect I learned, that is central to the story, is American Oil companies were making deals with the Franco government, and that too was a secret.
It is heartbreaking to realize what families went through; murders, disappearances, and babies being kidnapped and sent to orphanages are a few of the issues addressed in this book.
It is well written, but didn't flow as readily for me simply due to my lack of knowledge. This made me realize how difficult historical fiction has probably been for my 6th grade students. If they haven't studied a period in time, they too might wonder which parts are fictional and which are historical.
I am rethinking my entire historical fiction unit now, and will do my utmost to coordinate with the history teacher on my team.
The other historical fiction novel I read was The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
This is so beautifully written. It is full of magical realism as well. Some might say that softens the horrors of slavery, but I felt it was depicted well (well, as well as I can imagine human bondage).
The magical realism plays itself out most when dealing with the underground railroad, and I know some complain that this diminishes the hard work, and bravery of Harriet Tubman, but in many ways I think it was perfectly fitting. It does seem like a miracle that so many were able to achieve a path to freedom, given the horrors of people attempting to capture them, and what they suffered when caught. She does play a central role in this story, so Moses as she was often called, is fully recognized.
There were many terrific lines in this book. Here are just a few. Speaking of how they had to be in the household, Hiram, a slave, writes: "Sloth was literal death for us, while for them it was the whole ambition of their lives."
Another quote that brings up incredible images, is this: "The Flesh-Traders, vultures of Natchez...They were a ghastly sight, the lowest of low whites, because unlike their brethren, these men, while originating in the bottom file, had grown wealthy from the flesh trade, but seemed to revel in their debased roots, their slovenly dress, their missing teeth, their foul orders, their habit of spitting tobacco wherever wished, as a kind of absurd show."
A great line is this one: "There was no peace in slavery, for every day under the rule of another is a day of war."
When speaking of all of the horrible family separations, as children were sold out from mothers, husbands from wives, the narrator states: "The tree of our family was parted---branches here, roots there---parted for their lumbar."
When speaking of the white slave owners, and how they treated female slaves, one of the main characters states: "You don't remember what they do to the girls down here? And once they do it, they got you. They catch you with the babies, tie you to the place by your own blood and all, until you got too much to let go of to go."
Both of these books were overwhelming to read, especially back to back. I keep thinking humanity will change, but atrocities keep occurring. Will we ever actually learn from our past?
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