Synopses & Reviews
"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." – The Washington Post
From New York Times bestseller Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea
A New York Times notable book
An International Bestseller
A Carnegie Medal Nominee
Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life – until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father’s prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive?
A moving and haunting novel for readers of The Book Thief.
Review
"In terrifying detail, Ruta Sepetys re-creates World War II coming of age all too timely today. Between Shades of Gray is a document long overdue." Richard Peck, Newbery Award–winning author of A Year Down Yonder
Review
"Bitterly sad, fluidly written…Sepetys’ flowing prose gently carries readers." Kirkus (Starred Review)
Review
"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." The Washington Post
Review
"Beautiful…a superb though grueling novel." The Wall Street Journal
Review
"An eye-opening reimagination of a very real tragedy written with grace and heart." Los Angeles Times
Review
"A superlative first novel. A hefty emotional punch." The New York Times Book Review
About the Author
Ruta Sepetys was born and raised in Michigan in a family of artists, readers, and music lovers. She is the award-winning, bestselling author of Between Shades of Gray and Out of the Easy. Ruta lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee.