"Stalinist repression exposed through the tale of Lina as she is deported from Lithuania and sent to Siberia - to the labour camps with her mother and brother. Highly readable account of a difficult time in history"
Unforgettable and eye opening, this is a compelling and deeply moving story of one family’s survival against unimaginable odds. Taken from their home with only twenty minutes to pack, Lina along with her mother and younger brother gather together everything they think is important. Herded into a train in Lithuania, they begin a seemingly endless journey of unimaginable deprivation and horror which takes them to Siberia. Lina tells the family story describing the emotional turmoil especially about the whereabouts of their father as well as capturing the fleeting moments of hope and even the feelings of falling in love which make survival possible.
TheNew York Times bestseller Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is a harrowing story of a Lithuanian family who suffer unimaginable hardship and deportation during World War II, pitched perfectly for children and adults alike.
That morning, my brother's life was worth a pocket watch . . .
One night fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother and young brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia.
An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun. Lina doesn't know if she'll ever see her father or her friends again. But she refuses to give up hope.
Lina hopes for her family. For her country. For her future. For love - first love, with the boy she barely knows but knows she does not want to lose . . .
Will hope keep Lina alive?
Set in 1941, Between Shades of Gray is an extraordinary and haunting story based on first-hand family accounts and memories from survivors.
'This superlative first novel by Ruta Sepetys demonstrates the strength of its unembellished language. A hefty emotional punch' New York Times
'Her prose is restrained and powerful, as unadorned as the landscape in which her characters struggle to survive... Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both' The Washington Post
Born and raised in Michigan, Ruta Sepetys is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. Ruta lives with her family in Tennessee. Between Shades of Grey is her first novel. http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/