BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY by Ruta Sepetys

BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY is a haunting book about a little known piece of history, the attempted genocide of the peoples of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Under Stalin’s rule of terror, these countries were wiped off the map, their male inhabitants thrown into prison, while the women and children were sent to Siberian work camps. That anyone survived such extreme conditions is nothing short of miraculous. 

Author, Ruta Sepetys is the child of a Lithuanian refugee. To recreate this story, she traveled to Lithuania, interviewed survivors, visited a Soviet prison, and spent time in one of the train cars used to transport prisoners. The authenticity of her research makes this novel an exceptional work of historical fiction.

The book begins, “They took me in my nightgown.” Fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother, and younger brother, Jonas, are rounded up along with many of their neighbors and thrown into cattle cars. Thus begins their journey.

It’s a journey of starvation, scurvy, dysentery, backbreaking work, and bitter cold. But it’s also a journey of kindness, forgiveness, and first love. 

I can’t do this story justice, but the author has recorded a book trailer that does. Listen to it here and I’ll bet you’ll be inspired to read this book. http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/