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A review by jj24
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
4.0
Remember in school when you learned about the sinking of the Wilhem Gustloff?
Yeah, that's what I thought. Me, too.
As she did in [b:Between Shades of Gray|7824322|Between Shades of Gray|Ruta Sepetys|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327873479s/7824322.jpg|10870318], author Ruta Sepetys vividly and emotionally gives a voice to those who have been lost to history in her latest book, [b:Salt to the Sea|25614492|Salt to the Sea|Ruta Sepetys|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437084512s/25614492.jpg|27126244]. In this fast-paced and stirring book, readers follow a rag-tag band of refugees through Nazi-occupied East Prussia in the waning days of WWII as they try to escape from the advancing Russian forces. The refugees are headed toward ports on the Baltic Sea where they have heard ships will transport them to safety.
While the refugee group includes both a child and an elderly man, the majority of those in the group are teens and young adults, and Sepetys primarily tells the story through their point of view. Don't be put off by this YA bent. Sepetys's writing is smart and mature and will appeal to those who normally wouldn't consider a YA book.
WWII-inspired literature is prevalent, and I find myself sadly thinking of its relevance today more than ever. How "leaders" foment hatred and distrust among groups of neighbors who once worked for the same goals. "Would she believe that Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, Armenians, and Hungarians had all coexisted peacefully in Lviv before the war?"
Sepetys includes a poignant author's note at the end of the book, parts of which I'd like to share here: "Stories of war are often read and discussed worldwide by readers whose nations stood on opposite side during battle. History divided us, but through reading we can be united in story, study, and remembrance. Books join us together as a global reading community, but more important, a global human community striving to learn from the past. What determines how we remember history? And which elements are preserved and penetrate the collective consciousness?...When the survivors are gone, we must not let the truth disappear with them."
And the Wilhem Gustolff? It's not exactly a spoiler, since it's a matter of historical record, but it was the largest maritime disaster in history. The boat was designed to hold 1,500 and was carrying over 10,500. It was sunk by Russian torpedos and over 9,400 people died, most of whom were civilians (by comparison, 1,503 died on the Titanic). In 1945 alone it is estimated that over 25,000 people lost their lives in the Baltic Sea, again most of them civilians.
4+ stars
Yeah, that's what I thought. Me, too.
As she did in [b:Between Shades of Gray|7824322|Between Shades of Gray|Ruta Sepetys|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1327873479s/7824322.jpg|10870318], author Ruta Sepetys vividly and emotionally gives a voice to those who have been lost to history in her latest book, [b:Salt to the Sea|25614492|Salt to the Sea|Ruta Sepetys|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1437084512s/25614492.jpg|27126244]. In this fast-paced and stirring book, readers follow a rag-tag band of refugees through Nazi-occupied East Prussia in the waning days of WWII as they try to escape from the advancing Russian forces. The refugees are headed toward ports on the Baltic Sea where they have heard ships will transport them to safety.
While the refugee group includes both a child and an elderly man, the majority of those in the group are teens and young adults, and Sepetys primarily tells the story through their point of view. Don't be put off by this YA bent. Sepetys's writing is smart and mature and will appeal to those who normally wouldn't consider a YA book.
WWII-inspired literature is prevalent, and I find myself sadly thinking of its relevance today more than ever. How "leaders" foment hatred and distrust among groups of neighbors who once worked for the same goals. "Would she believe that Poles, Jews, Ukrainians, Armenians, and Hungarians had all coexisted peacefully in Lviv before the war?"
Sepetys includes a poignant author's note at the end of the book, parts of which I'd like to share here: "Stories of war are often read and discussed worldwide by readers whose nations stood on opposite side during battle. History divided us, but through reading we can be united in story, study, and remembrance. Books join us together as a global reading community, but more important, a global human community striving to learn from the past. What determines how we remember history? And which elements are preserved and penetrate the collective consciousness?...When the survivors are gone, we must not let the truth disappear with them."
And the Wilhem Gustolff? It's not exactly a spoiler, since it's a matter of historical record, but it was the largest maritime disaster in history. The boat was designed to hold 1,500 and was carrying over 10,500. It was sunk by Russian torpedos and over 9,400 people died, most of whom were civilians (by comparison, 1,503 died on the Titanic). In 1945 alone it is estimated that over 25,000 people lost their lives in the Baltic Sea, again most of them civilians.
4+ stars