Between Shades of Gray

Okay, first of all, I didn't even know the Baltic deportations happened. And after reading the author's note that follows the story, a lot of people don't know it happened. But it did. Many of the events in this book are based on things that actually happened. So I'm glad I read this book not only for the beautiful writing and the moving story, but also because it opened my eyes to an extremely dark period in human history that has been largely ignored by the rest of the world.

As for the story itself, it is heartbreaking, but also encouraging. Lina and her little brother are forced to grow up fast in the labor camps, and their strength is inspiring. Probably one of my absolute favorite characters was their mother, and I found myself aching with what she must have gone through in order to try to make life bearable for her children. I also found the array of characters extremely interesting. Not all the prisoners are inspiring -- one, in particular, drove me crazy every time he opened his mouth -- and not all the guards are despicable. I always find it fascinating when stories will explore why good people may be pushed to do terrible things, and while this one doesn't dive too deeply into that subject -- since its narrator is a 15-year-old deportee -- it touched on it in a thought-provoking way.

The events are extremely difficult to read about. From the moment the Vilkas family is pulled from their home, nothing that happens to them is easy or pleasant. Many of the things that happen are shocking and terrible, and all the more horrifying to know that humans once found this sort of treatment acceptable. Good and admirable characters wither and die, while abominable characters thrive. Much like reading about the Holocaust, reading about the Baltic deportations is not a pleasant experience.

At the same time, the writing is lovely. Ruta tells the story using sparse and simple prose that cut straight to the emotional core of what is happening. It took no time at all for me to be completely immersed in the story, and while the events it depicted were appalling, the way they were presented was beautiful. It made the small moments of love and kindness in the midst of an incredibly bleak time shine through that much more.

I think Between Shades of Gray is already on many school reading lists, as it should be. It's both educational and moving, a fantastic example of both fine writing and important storytelling. I loved it even as it broke my heart again and again, and I'd recommend this book to anyone.

This a beautifully written story about WWII that I've never heard before but one that needs to be told. Normally, when I think about WWII, I automatically think about the Holocaust which was horrific in and of itself but in "Between Shades of Gray" author, Ruta Sepetys, shares the stories of the Lithuanians who were under Josef Stalin and Soviet rule. There were hundreds of thousands of people from Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia that were deported and forced into labor and refugee camps in Siberia. They were imprisoned for over a decade and many died of starvation, disease or were killed and those who did manage to survive were treated like criminals even though they had done nothing wrong.

"Between Shades Of Gray" is told from the point of view of 15 year old, Lina, and her family as they are forced to leave their home in Lithuania. She begins a long and difficult journey along with her mother, Elena and her 10 year old brother, Jonas. Her father has been taken also but the family doesn't know what has happened to him. Lina and Jonas are forced to grow up quickly and the horrors they see and experience are heartbreaking.

Lina is a talented artist who is able to communicate with others through her drawings. She is also strong willed, brave and self sacrificing. Elena is a wonderful example of what it means to be like Christ in the way she treats each person she meets with compassion, respect, and love - including the enemy. She often gives up her own meager ration of food to others even if it means starving herself.

Jonas is just a boy but he too is strong and courageous and does what he needs to do to help his family and others survive for as long as they can. Andrius, a 17 year old boy is one of the many people that Lina and her family meet on the train and he is also searching for his father. He befriends Lina and Jonas, taking on a big brother role with Jonas. He is selfless and willing to put his life at risk repeatedly for those around him, especially Lina.

The refugees do what they can to help one another and even celebrate Christmas together. They also pray and read Scripture, Psalm 23 at a funeral that they hold for one of their dead.

The Soviets went to great lengths to hide these refugees during the war and to erase what happened afterward. The book jacket says that "The nations of Lithuania, Letvia and Estonia disappeared from maps in 1941 and did not reappear until 1990." There's something very wrong with that...this story needs to be told and Sepetys even encourages readers to do further research, to continue to tell this story so more

I've read many novels about WWII, but never anything about Lithuania. Sadly, until now, the only thing I knew about Lithuania was that the Grateful Dead sponsored their Olympic basketball team (ignorance isn't pretty). BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY taught me a lot.

Author Ruta Sepetys details the experiences of fifteen-year-old Lina and her family during the Soviet invasion of Lithuania. Separated from her father, they are rounded up into cattle cars and transported to Siberia to work in camps reminiscent of Nazi concentration camps. They are treated brutally, starved, and expected to toil to death. It is tragic that this history is not more well known.

Sepetys' writing is beautiful--simple enough for young readers to understand, with descriptions that pull you in. Through Lina's eyes, I saw the Lithuanian countryside through a gap in the cattle car, watched loved ones slowly becoming gaunt, and felt the fear of snow piling up outside of an inadequate shelter. Lina is a talented artist, and her attempts to document her experiences and get her drawings to her father were especially touching.

One of my biggest takeaways from this novel is how amazing mothers are. A common occurrence in harrowing books is the mother sacrificing her needs for her children: giving them her food rations, feigning calmness so that they are not scared, risking her life for them. Lina's mother is my favorite character for all the small moments of grace she provides. As soon as I finished BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY, I called my mom and gave her some love.

Please read this amazing book; you will love it.