Literally Leander discussion

Our featured book club pick for July 2020 was Ruta Sepetys's most recent novel, The Fountains of Silence. There will be spoilers for the book in this thread!

This month our discussion prompt questions come from the publisher, Penguin. Click on the link to see more questions! As always, don't feel pressured to answer these; we'd love to see anything you have to say about this book!

1. Sepetys uses short chapters to keep the pacing tight and handle multiple settings. How did this reading experience (of moving quickly from scene to scene) affect the emotional impact of the book for you?

2. The tradition of bullfighting has a long history in Spain. How do Rafa and Fuga become fixated on this way of life? Does the matador narrative weave seamlessly with the rest of the story or stand out? Did you find symbolism in the inclusion of these scenes?

3. Of all the characters, whose story did you find the most intriguing and want to follow longer? Were there any characters you found difficult to understand or relate to?

4. Did you know anything about the Spanish Civil War, Franco’s regime, or the hundreds of thousands of missing children potentially affected by it before starting this novel? If not, how compelled do you feel to do further research on this topic? What most affected you about the historical events depicted in the novel?

5. How do you feel about Nick? In what ways did the author develop his character as the story progressed? What prompts him not only to remain silent, but to take up a post in Spain, following in his father’s footsteps, if he knew about the stolen babies? Is that consistent with his character?