Summary: 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. My Opinion/Characters: In Salt to the Sea, three teenagers are forced together by circumstance while trying to flee from East Prussia: Joana, a pretty Lithuanian nurse; Florian, the Prussian knight who is harboring a priceless piece of art; and Emilia, a Polish girl in a pink hat with a sad secret. The fourth narrator in the story is Alfred Frick, a young Nazi who you can’t help but immediately hate. The four characters have different backstories and backgrounds, but have one thing in common: they all find refuge on the ship, the Wilhelm Gustloff, until it is hit with a Russian torpedo. Salt to the Sea is filled with many memorable characters. The relationship between the Shoe Poet, an old shoemaker who finds stories in people’s shoes, and the Wandering Boy, a little boy of five or six whose grandmother “fell asleep and didn’t wake up,” brings tears to the eye. Throughout the book, as their relationship progresses, the little boy calls the Shoe Poet “Opi,” which is German for grandpa. Another wonderful character is Ingrid, a blind girl who has to hide her disability due to Hitler’s rules. One thing that sets this book apart is the fact that it is based off of the largest maritime tragedy in history. The ship’s capacity was 1,436 people. An estimated 10,500 people were aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, which included refugees, injured soldiers, and the sailors. The ship was hit by a torpedo and sunk within the hour. About 9,400 people died, with 5,000 of that number being children. The tragedy was covered up in the casualties of World War II. I completely loved this book. It made me laugh, it made me cry. Mostly it made me cry. It is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read in my entire life. Sepetys truly captures the horror and the will to survive in her book. She illustrates the night of January 30, 1945 in chilling clarity. A woman throws her baby down to a sailor only to miss and have the baby plunge to its death. People trampled to death by the storming mass trying to get off of the ship. Her characters are fictional, but their stories feel real. This is a must-read book. Read it and remember the tragedy that was worse than the Titanic and the Lusitania combined. Read it and remember the 9,400 people who no one knows died. Rating: 5 stars Leave a Reply. |
AuthorJust some reviews about some books I've recently read. Check 'em out! Archives
March 2017
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