LoveReading4Kids Says
LoveReading4Kids Says
Winner of the CILIP Carnegie Medal 2017 | Longlisted for the UKLA 2017 Book Award
It's early 1945 and a group of people trek across Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. This inspirational novel is based on a true story from the Second World War.
On winning the CILIP Carnegie Medal Ruta Sepetys commented: “As a writer, I am drawn to underrepresented stories and history in hiding. I spend a lot of time pondering the question – why do some parts of history penetrate our collective consciousness while others remain hidden? When I began work on the novel years ago, I had no way of knowing that when it was published, we would be amidst a refugee crisis. Then and now, my thoughts return to the children.” She added: “History allows us to examine decisions. Yes, history can be full of sadness and pain but it also shines light on hope, freedom, courage and the miraculous nature of the human spirit. History divided us, but through reading we are united in study and remembrance. That is the power of books.”
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About
Salt to the Sea Synopsis
New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal! "Masterfully crafted"-The Wall Street Journal
For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating-yet unknown-tragedies.
World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.
Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people-adults and children alike-aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff-the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity and love can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.
Praise for Salt to the Sea:
Featured on NPR's Morning Edition ? "Superlative...masterfully crafted...[a] powerful work of historical fiction."-The Wall Street Journal ? "[Sepetys is] a master of YA fiction…she once again anchors a panoramic view of epic tragedy in perspectives that feel deeply textured and immediate."-Entertainment Weekly ? "Riveting...powerful...haunting."-The Washington Post ? "Compelling for both adult and teenage readers."-New York Times Book Review ? "Intimate, extraordinary, artfully crafted...brilliant."-Shelf Awareness ? "Historical fiction at its very, very best."-The Globe and Mail ? "[H]aunting, heartbreaking, hopeful and altogether gorgeous...one of the best young-adult novels to appear in a very long time."-Salt Lake Tribune ? *"This haunting gem of a novel begs to be remembered."-Booklist ? *"Artfully told and sensitively crafted...will leave readers weeping."-School Library Journal ? A PW and SLJ 2016 Book of the Year
Praise for Between Shades of Gray:
A New York Times Notable Book ? A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book ? A PW, SLJ, Booklist, and Kirkus Best Book ? iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel ? A Carnegie Medal and William C. Morris Finalist ? A New York Times and International Bestseller ? "Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both."-The Washington Post ? *"[A]n important book that deserves the widest possible readership."-Booklist
About This Edition
| ISBN: |
9780399160301 |
| Publication date: |
2nd February 2016 |
| Author: |
Ruta Sepetys |
| Publisher: |
Philomel Books an imprint of Penguin Young Readers Group |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| Pagination: |
391 pages |
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Press Reviews
Ruta Sepetys Press Reviews
Ruta Sepetys is a master of historical fiction. In Salt to the Sea, the hard truths of her herculean research are tempered with effortless, intimate storytelling, as her warm and human characters breathe new life into one of the world's most terrible and neglected tragedies. -- Elizabeth Wein
A rich, page-turning story that brings to vivid life a terrifying-and little-known-moment in World War II history. -- Steve Sheinkin
Author
About Ruta Sepetys
Ruta Sepetys is the author of acclaimed YA novel, Between Shades of Grey. Born and raised in Michigan in a family of Lithuanian descent, Ruta now lives with her husband in Tennessee. Ruta was a highly successful promoter of classical music concerts, booking and touring with orchestras worldwide, before turning to writing full-time. In 2015, Ruta was awarded The Rockefeller Foundation's prestigious Bellagio Center writing residency, where she interacted with other leading international artists, writers and thinkers.
Ruta discovered the story on which Salt to the Sea is based originally through a family connection and discovered that a cousin of her father’s should have been on board but a fortunate accident near the port meant he missed boarding, saving his life. The book has recently been picked up for development by Universal Pictures.
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