mcarson24 's review for:

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

3.0

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Just finished this novel yesterday. It’s been on my list for awhile, but took a long time to get to it. I know, I know. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction. What is it that makes that era so fascinating? This story is drawn from a little different slice of the whole. It follows 4 people on their journey toward the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German cruise ship turned wartime vessel that has been tagged for use in evacuating German troops and refugees from the Baltic coast in advance of the encroaching Russian Army. The war is nearly over in Germany, defeat is inevitable and people are desperate. You can follow the fear, the hope and the hidden secrets of the main characters through the frozen terrain of Northern Germany on their way to find safety and escape. Along the way, you get a glimpse of the trials of those whose homelands fell to the Russians and the internal struggle of those caught in the middle of political and ideological forces. The real surprising part of the story for me was that of the Wilhelm Gustloff herself. The largest maritime disaster in history (in terms of loss of life) and yet I had never heard of it.

Be prepared for the sadness of this book if you read it. And be ready to grab for your favorite search engine to find out more (German evacuation, Nazi art theft, Lithuania, the Amber Roon…). Of all the books in this genre I have read to date, this one was good, but did not rank among my favorites. However, I did appreciate the new glimpses into history it gave and the memorable characters. Definitely appreciate the author’s work to bring it to us.