There are equal parts of that in this book. So, although history can be full of sadness, it’s also full of love. Amidst these scenes of war, again and again, I’ve learned that people have fallen desperately in love and that people have forged these incredible lasting bonds during periods of adversity. I’ve found, from studying history for so many years now and writing these historical novels, that sometimes it’s in our most broken moments that we have an opportunity to find ourselves. Some people might be fearful that I write books that are so sad and tragic, but I also work really hard to weave in notes of hope. Knowledge of stories facilitates human understanding, and that’s something that resonates today and every day. Behind these headlines and these chapters in history books, these are human beings.
When we read about underrepresented characters like the ones in this story, they become human. And I think we can relate to that, especially in today’s news cycle. RS: When history is hidden in the shadows, the people who experienced those events probably feel forgotten or overlooked or misunderstood. MC: What makes your book timely? Why should people read it now? It took seven years going back and forth to Madrid, renting an apartment, walking the path that I thought my characters would walk, and spending time there, speaking to true witnesses and survivors. Do I have the right to write about Spain’s history? That’s what inspired me to write from the viewpoint of an outsider, an American in Spain. There's also the question of what right do we have to history other than our own? Here I am, a Lithuanian-American. So that kickstarted my interest to hopefully give voice to people who haven’t been able to tell their stories. I took it upon myself to do the research, and then my publisher sent me an article from The New York Times about some of the difficulties of Spain’s history under the dictatorship of Franco. When I asked them about their own country’s history, they told me, "Oh, it’s too difficult for an outsider to understand." They said, "Ruta, it’s just too painful." And that broke my heart.
Ruta Sepetys: All of my books are published in Spain, and when I would tour there, the Spanish readers showed such empathy and compassion for the hidden history in my novels.
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