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Author : Ruta Sepetys
Genre : Historical Fiction
Set in 1957 Madrid, Spain during the oppressive dictatorship of General Francisco Franco, Ruta Sepetys once again shines light into one of history’s darkest corners in this heart-wrenching novel about identity, love, the after effects of civil war, and the hidden violence of silence inspired by the true post-war struggles of Spain.
At the same time, tourists and foreign businessmen come to Spain for sunshine, wine, and business opportunities. Eighteen-year-old Daniel Matheson, the son of a Texas oil tycoon, hopes to connect with the country of his mother’s birth through the lens of his camera. He meets Ana and her family, whose poverty and obstacles are part of a number of secrets kept from the world view by General Franco.
In fact, thousands of babies were stolen from their parents during the Franco dictatorship in Spain, but the story was suppressed for decades. Now, the first stolen-baby case has gone to court. They have determined that between 1939 and the late 1980’s, it is alleged that over 300,000 babies were stolen from their birth mothers and sold into adoption.
From Frank Oram, U.S. public affairs officer, Madrid (1959-1962): “One of the amusing tings to me was that there was a ministry called The Ministry of Information and Tourism headed by an old line Falangist who I am sure hadn’t had a new idea in a long while. On the one hand he was the chief censor, that’s what information meant. Information did nutmeat giving out information, it meant control of information.”
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