E-Audio, 12:24:16
Narrated by: Maite Jáuregui, Ruta Sepetys, Richard Ferrone, Neil Hellegers, Joshua Kane, Liza Kaplan, & Oliver Wyman
Release Date: October 1, 2019Published by: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group
Read from: December 22-26, 2019Stand-aloneSource: LibraryTW: Child/Infant deaths, kidnappingFor fans of: Historical fiction, Romance,
A 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.
Includes vintage media reports, oral history commentary, photos, and more.
*MY THOUGHTS*
I’m sure you’re all shocked that I actually listened to a historical fiction novel, but trust me, no one is more surprised than me. I don’t normally care for them, but I will give anything a chance. Especially with the one of the biggest names in historical fiction YA.
As with every other Sepetys novel, I learned so much from this book. I had no idea about this situation before reading this, but I was so into it that I went and did more research after I finished the book. The book and the research made me teary, but it was well worth it. I definitely understand that this was a story that needed to be told. If nothing else, to teach people the things that were going on.
The writing style though didn’t really do it for me. It was super long and it was repetitive. It could have easily had some of that stuff cut out. I know it furthered the romance plot, but the pivitoal part of the story had nothing to do with it and it made me wish I was reading it so I could skip through it.
However, I’m super glad I listened to the audio. It was a full cast production and it had some really great sound effects. For instance, when there were sound bites from some important historical figures, they put a sound effect to make it seem as if it was recorded back then. It felt like real sound clips were embedded in this audio. This was what made the story for me. I was so glad I chose to go with the audio instead.
This wasn’t my usual read, but I’m glad I went with it. It served as a break from my regular reads and I enjoyed that. Even if you’re like me and don’t normally like historical fiction, try this (or any other Ruta Sepetys books) and see if it will change your mind.
Overall, I give this
