Synopsis:
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.
What To Expect:
Readers can expect a YA historical fiction novel that weaves together different characters’ perspectives of Franco’s reign in Spain with a sweet love story that keep readers invested until each storyline comes together.
Content Warnings:
Language: Mild – Hell, damn
Sexual Content: Mild – There is one vague closed door/fade to black scene. Unable to determine if characters kiss and talk, or if there is more. Some description of attraction, but nothing steamy.
Violence: Mild – One murder, description of a severed hand
Substance Use: Mild – Characters of age use alcohol and tobacco
Prejudices: Prejudice in Spain at the time of Franco’s reign against Republicans. One American character states a family is “too ethnic” because the mother was Spanish.
Religious Themes: Catholicism, characters go to confession.
Other Topics: Moderate – Kidnapping of infants, infant loss, miscarriage
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