Take a photo of a barcode or cover
serpentskirtt 's review for:
Salt to the Sea
by Ruta Sepetys
I cried at the end of this beautiful story. I don't know what it is about WW2 stories that are so engrossing, but it's almost a guarantee that I'll find something to hold on to in each book.
This time, I was thinking about our collective uniting against the evils of fascism, and how, despite inherent prejudice, many nations united to fight against a world-order of genocide and fascism. I think we've forgotten how to unite, in our collective selfishness. As a teacher, sometimes I hear my students talking lightly of Hitler: "He was a good leader, though." I don't know where we've strayed in that we can justify the actions of a genocidal dictator, so I shut down that kind of conversation immediately.
The beautiful author's note at the end touches on not erasing nor forgetting the stories of those who've experienced these horrors. She also touches on what reading does for us. As an English teacher, this is particularly relevant as we begin to ban books that make people uncomfortable. We need the safe space of experiencing discomfort through books.
The discomfort in this book is found in the German sailor Alfred, whom I could not STAND throughout the entirety of the book. Rightfully so, as he was a Hitler sycophant. I was just like, can't this guy die already?! Another of the thoughts I can exercise in the "safe space" of a book.
I wasn't sure I'd walk away loving this book at first - sometimes I find that good writing is sacrificed for the historical record in historical fiction. This was not the case here. By the end of the book, I was in love (or, see prior paragraph, in hate) with all of the characters. I didn't realize how subtly Sepetys had built the characters across the book. There's also a beautiful repetition of the opening lines for each character at the climax of the book. They are introduced to us by narrating phrases like "Fate is a hunter," at the beginning, and then when they are repeated at the end, they beautifully illustrate why the author chose those words.
This may be the best of the WW2 fiction I've read. Do yourself a favor.
This time, I was thinking about our collective uniting against the evils of fascism, and how, despite inherent prejudice, many nations united to fight against a world-order of genocide and fascism. I think we've forgotten how to unite, in our collective selfishness. As a teacher, sometimes I hear my students talking lightly of Hitler: "He was a good leader, though." I don't know where we've strayed in that we can justify the actions of a genocidal dictator, so I shut down that kind of conversation immediately.
The beautiful author's note at the end touches on not erasing nor forgetting the stories of those who've experienced these horrors. She also touches on what reading does for us. As an English teacher, this is particularly relevant as we begin to ban books that make people uncomfortable. We need the safe space of experiencing discomfort through books.
The discomfort in this book is found in the German sailor Alfred, whom I could not STAND throughout the entirety of the book. Rightfully so, as he was a Hitler sycophant. I was just like, can't this guy die already?! Another of the thoughts I can exercise in the "safe space" of a book.
I wasn't sure I'd walk away loving this book at first - sometimes I find that good writing is sacrificed for the historical record in historical fiction. This was not the case here. By the end of the book, I was in love (or, see prior paragraph, in hate) with all of the characters. I didn't realize how subtly Sepetys had built the characters across the book. There's also a beautiful repetition of the opening lines for each character at the climax of the book. They are introduced to us by narrating phrases like "Fate is a hunter," at the beginning, and then when they are repeated at the end, they beautifully illustrate why the author chose those words.
This may be the best of the WW2 fiction I've read. Do yourself a favor.