BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sepetys, Ruta. 2011. BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY. New York. The Penguin Group. ISBN 978-0-399-25412-3
PLOT SUMMARY
Line, a fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl, interested in art school is suddenly forced to pack her bags with only essentials along with her mother and brother who are taken by the Soviet police. Their destination, Siberia, is a journey that would test their physical and emotional strength. Their father is sent to prison without their knowing of his whereabouts or destination. The conditions at the camps are poor, they are mistreated and punished severely. Her love for drawing helped her document her torturous experiences and gave her hope she’d contact her father. The faith in reuniting as a family kept her motivated to fight for her life with the hopes of returning to their homeland.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS
The journey of their life as prisoners of the Soviet Union gives reference to the history of Lithuania’s occupation in 1941 forcing the people on the list to be imprisoned and taken to Siberia by NVKD officers. Lina’s character as a fifteen-year-old is very relatable to the young adult audience as she develops a first crush; however, because of her survival situation she is forced to grow up quickly and make difficult decisions risking her life to find her father and to nourish herself or her family, even strangers. Her mother manages to stay strong and helpful to everyone until she can’t. Lina sees her family aging at a fast rate because of the labor-intensive toll their bodies have taken. Their time spent on the train being forced to relieve themselves through a hole with minimal space while trying to remain calm when there was unknown certainty of their safety gives the story its lamentable survival theme and dark setting.
Written in first person narrative, we feel Lina’s emotions of longing as she reflects on her flashbacks to the happy family memories in her home as well as the horrible sense of violation when a guard inappropriately touched her making her angry and “felt dirtier on the inside than the outside”. This historical fiction story is filled with strong emotions of pain, struggle, violence, hope and love. Love for each other is what carried them enduring daily pain to return home. Black and white maps of the journey with a timeline map offer the reader the opportunity to follow their way from country to country and an author’s note provides information on the research that went into creating the fictional character’s story.
REVIEWS /EXCERPT(S)
Booklist Starred, 02/01/11
Horn Book Magazine, 10/01/11
Kirkus Reviews starred, 01/15/11
School Library Journal, 09/01/11
Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA) 04/01/11
Booklist starred (February 1, 2011 (Vol. 107, No. 11): “Sepetys’ first novel offers a harrowing and horrifying account of the forcible relocation of countless Lithuanians in the way of the Russian invasion of their country in 1939.”
Horn Book Magazine (May/June, 2011): “So begins a human drama calling forth the best and worst of human behaviors—courage, anger, fear, confusion, little kindnesses, and engregious selfishness.”
School Library Journal (September 1, 2011): “Ruta Sepety's excellent novel (Philomel, 2011) depicts a lesser-known aspect of World War II and its impact on the citizens of the Baltic States.”
CONNECTIONS
This historical fiction story is a great read for the young adult audience. The narrative is easy to follow and filled with shocking events that had me crying because of the suffering Lina and all the people like her endured.
The history of the Russian takeover of 1939 may be unfamiliar to a reader; therefore, providing patrons websites such as britannica.com can help them read further into and get more details than what was mentioned in the book, although it was explained very well.
This book offers a good discussion on racial discrimination, overcoming adversity and perseverance.
Sepetys, Ruta. ASHES IN THE SNOW. ISBN 978-1-72541-214-4
Scott, Marina. THE HUNGER BETWEEN US. ISBN 979-83-687-0728-0
Savit, Gavriel. ANNA AND THE SWALLOW MAN. ISBN 978-151819-043-8
No comments:
Post a Comment