Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
“Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch.”
Plot Summary:
During Stalin's reign in 1941, a Lithuanian family is separated from their father and forced out of their home and country. Lina, her younger brother Jonas, and her mother Elena have twenty minutes to pack their belongings before being thrown into a congested train car by Soviet police. Late one night, while traveling to an unknown destination, Lina finds her father in another train car, where she learns that he is being sent to a different location along with other men. Lina is a talented artist and decides to draw symbols in her handkerchief, hoping that the garment will pass along to her father to put together the clues of their whereabouts. After six weeks of traveling and witnessing police brutality and death, Lina, Jonas, and Elena are escorted to a Siberian labor camp where they must endure harsh conditions and harsher punishments. As Lina, her family, and other train passengers from Lithuania struggle to survive, they remain hopeful through strength, friendship, and love. Lina continues to document life in the labor camp through her artwork hidden in her luggage when their lives are suddenly uprooted once again. The group they have grown to love like family are separated as Lina, Jonas, and Elena are forced to travel further north to another camp in the Arctic Circle. Many years and many more tragedies pass before Lina discovers freedoms she's never truly known.
Critical Analysis:
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is a remarkable account of Soviet rule in 1941 and a similar story to how thousands of families in the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were affected. Sepetys seamlessly brings Lina's story to life through realistic characters, plot, and setting. Lina is a headstrong fifteen-year-old girl who readers will relate to as she finds light in dark realities. The story is filled with hope, endurance, family, friendship, and even a little romance. Anyone interested in World War II history and survival stories will enjoy reading this believable novel. Although, I recommend this reading for teenagers and young adults who will better understand the concepts of war, imprisonment and capture more than young children.
The history of this novel is presented accurately, and the plot is easy to follow. The Siberian setting is crucial for recreating the harsh weather conditions that families had to endure. The environment is an integral part of the story of not only surviving the Soviets but surviving winter where people froze to death from unlivable conditions. Sepetys' use of detail and description will make readers cringe as they read how lice infested people crammed in train cars, and weep with exhaustion and sorrow for friends who died too soon. Seriously, bring your tissues.
One importance of reading historical fiction is determining how much of the story is factual or exaggerated, and Between Shades of Gray leaves no room for stereotyping. There is an author's note at the end of the story that is a must-read. Ruta Sepetys not only based the story off of her father's experience in Lithuania in the early 1940s, but she thoroughly researched the era and events from other survivors as well. Sepetys notes how she traveled to Lithuania and spoke with many different people, from family members to historians to government officials. The Kindle version I read also included an interview from the author and discussion guide questions for further examination and analysis. Overall, this story will make you very grateful for history and the freedoms we experience every day.
Review Excerpts:
Awards & Recognitions:
- 2011 CYBILS Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction
- 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award Nominee
- 2012 Carnegie Medal Nominee
- 2012 Georgia Peach Book Award Nominee for Honor book
- 2012 Indies Choice Book Award for Young Adult
- 2012 SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Fiction
- 2012 William C. Morris YA Debut Award Nominee
- 2016 Lincoln Award Nominee
- A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
- A New York Times Bestseller
- A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
- A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
From Associated Press, "An engrossing and poignant story of the fortitude of the human spirit in a dark time in Lithuanian history."
From Booklist, "Beautifully written and deeply felt . . . An important book that deserves the widest possible readership."
From Entertainment Weekly, "Lina is a heroine young and old readers can believe in."
From The Horn Book, "A haunting chronicle, demonstrating that even in the heart of darkness ‘love is the most powerful army.’"
From Kirkus Reviews, "Sepetys’ flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling."
From The Washington Post, "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."
Connections:
- Lina escapes her turmoil through art and drawing. Encourage patrons or students to openly discuss what they do to help them destress. Is there anyone who relates to Lina and her artwork?
- After reading Between Shades of Gray, some patrons and students might be surprised to learn that the Holocaust occurred worldwide, in many countries, including Poland, Lithuania, Japan, and even The United States. Unfortunately, detention centers still exist in our current time too. Create a lesson plan or presentation about different countries or governments worldwide that established a concentration camp. The display can include information about current events such as the detainees at the Mexico border as well.
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Extra Content: To Kick Those Boredom Blues
If you enjoyed reading Between Shades of Gray, check out the movie trailer for the movie adaptation Ashes in the Snow: