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"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." —The Washington Post
From New York Times and international bestseller and Carnegie Medal winner Ruta Sepetys, author of Salt to the Sea, comes a story of loss and of fear — and ultimately, of survival.
A New York Times notable book
An international bestseller
A Carnegie Medal nominee
A William C. Morris Award finalist
A Golden Kite Award winner
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 perfect for readers of The Book Thief.
Praise for Between Shades of Gray:
"Superlative. A hefty emotional punch." —The New York Times Book Review
"Heart-wrenching . . . an eye-opening reimagination of a very real tragedy written with grace and heart." —The Los Angeles Times
"At once a suspenseful, drama-packed survival story, a romance, and an intricately researched work of historial fiction." —The Wall Street Journal
* "Beautifully written and deeply felt . . . An important book that deserves the widest possible readership." —Booklist, starred review
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Creators
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Publisher
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Awards
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Release date
March 22, 2011 -
Formats
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OverDrive Listen audiobook
- ISBN: 9781101978245
- File size: 224479 KB
- Duration: 07:47:39
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Languages
- English
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Levels
- ATOS Level: 3.6
- Lexile® Measure: 490
- Interest Level: 6-12(MG+)
- Text Difficulty: 1-2
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Reviews
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Emily Klein quickly convinces listeners of the harsh reality and perceptive viewpoint of Lina, an artistic 15-year-old Lithuanian. Klein's evocative inflections mirror Lina's family's confusion and fear as they're woken by Stalin's soldiers and loaded onto cattle cars labeled "Thieves and Prostitutes," which are headed to a labor camp in Siberia. Klein doesn't hold back from the story's intensity--portraying the brutality, filth, bitter cold, and sometimes brief tenderness that buoys Lina, giving her the resilience to record all she sees with her art, hoping that one day it tells the story she can't. Relief comes as well in the well-drawn, well-acted vignettes of Lina's formerly happy life in Lithuania. Klein also draws credible portraits of Lina's mother, brother, and fellow prisoners. An author's note strengthens this little-known part of history. S.W. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award (c) AudioFile 2011, Portland, Maine -
Starred review from January 3, 2011
Through the pained yet resilient narration of 15-year-old Lina, a gifted artist, this taut first novel tells the story of Lithuanians deported and sent to Siberian work camps by Stalin during WWII. From the start, Sepetys makes extensive use of foreshadowing to foster a palpable sense of danger, as soldiers wrench Lina's family from their home. The narrative skillfully conveys the deprivation and brutality of conditions, especially the cramped train ride, unrelenting hunger, fears about family members' safety, impossible choices, punishing weather, and constant threats facing Lina, her mother, and her younger brother. Flashbacks, triggered like blasts of memory by words and events, reveal Lina's life before and lay groundwork for the coming removal. Lina's romance with fellow captive Andrius builds slowly and believably, balancing some of the horror. A harrowing page-turner, made all the more so for its basis in historical fact, the novel illuminates the persecution suffered by Stalin's victims (20 million were killed), while presenting memorable characters who retain their will to survive even after more than a decade in exile. Ages 12–up.
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