Salt to the Sea
#1 New York Times bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal!
"A superlative novel . . . masterfully crafted."--The Wall Street Journal
Based on "the forgotten tragedy that was six times deadlier than the Titanic."--Time
Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories.
Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . .
This paperback edition includes book club questions and exclusive interviews with Wilhelm Gustloff survivors and experts.
"A superlative novel . . . masterfully crafted."--The Wall Street Journal
Based on "the forgotten tragedy that was six times deadlier than the Titanic."--Time
Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories.
Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . .
This paperback edition includes book club questions and exclusive interviews with Wilhelm Gustloff survivors and experts.
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Readers say *Salt to the Sea* is a powerful YA historical fiction lauded for its emotional depth, rich character perspectives, and meticulous research...
Loved.This.Book! I'm so glad to have stumbled upon this author as I really enjoyed her writing style, specifically her use of words and phrasing. The structure of this book - small chapters told from each of the protagonist's perspectives - was also quite engaging, for me. It kept it/me moving at a quick clip. I enjoyed "meeting" each of the characters, ha, as I write, realizing I really enjoyed Alfred's character, very well done! However, each of the character's were very-well written and enjoyable to meet and get to know in their own ways. Learning more about history (why couldn't middle, high-school and college-level history have been as interesting as this author's presentation) was also engaging, if not sobering. I very much look forward to my next RS's reads!
Oh, purely an aside: I had not appreciated this was identified as a YA book until after completion and "tagging" in Goodreads. If I were still teaching, and needed to cover WWII, we would most definitely incorporate this book in some manner!
Oh, purely an aside: I had not appreciated this was identified as a YA book until after completion and "tagging" in Goodreads. If I were still teaching, and needed to cover WWII, we would most definitely incorporate this book in some manner!
I have liked all of Ruta Sepetys' books. She does a tremendous amount of research for her books. This book is about the greatest loss of life in maritime history-the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff-six times deadlier than the Titanic. I always learn about something new when I read one of her books and this was something I had never heard of. Weaving fact and fiction together, this is the story of refugees trying to flee as the Russian troops gain ground toward the end of WWII.
The book is written in very short chapters (2-3 pages). While I appreciate short chapters, these were told from the perspectives of the 4 main characters. Since the chapters were so short, I found this style to be difficult. It didn't flow well; I had trouble getting to know each person. And there were 3 other characters, but their stories were told through the main characters. Florian is a young Prussian man fleeing his post; Emilia is a pregnant 15-year-old Polish girl; Joana is a Lithuanian medical assistant and Alfred is a young 17-year-old Nazi. So much of the book (probably 75%) is about these 3 (and others) trudging through ice and snow to get to the ship.
Be sure to read the author’s note at the end. Sepetys also includes a lot of extra info on her research. Very interesting.
The book is written in very short chapters (2-3 pages). While I appreciate short chapters, these were told from the perspectives of the 4 main characters. Since the chapters were so short, I found this style to be difficult. It didn't flow well; I had trouble getting to know each person. And there were 3 other characters, but their stories were told through the main characters. Florian is a young Prussian man fleeing his post; Emilia is a pregnant 15-year-old Polish girl; Joana is a Lithuanian medical assistant and Alfred is a young 17-year-old Nazi. So much of the book (probably 75%) is about these 3 (and others) trudging through ice and snow to get to the ship.
Be sure to read the author’s note at the end. Sepetys also includes a lot of extra info on her research. Very interesting.
Historical fiction is my favorite genre and I have read so many WWII books. I enjoyed the four distinct characters of varying nationalities providing different perspectives, bound together on a journey leading to a lesser known tragedy during the war. It was a slow start for me to become emotionally invested, but I got there.
The only downfall for me was the ending. I felt the story shifts from intense survival to closure too suddenly after the gripping tragedy. I don’t want a different ending, just more details of the people I was invested in.
The only downfall for me was the ending. I felt the story shifts from intense survival to closure too suddenly after the gripping tragedy. I don’t want a different ending, just more details of the people I was invested in.
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