Between Shades of Gray is a novel written by Ruta Sepetys and has easily become one of my favorite books. Surely enough, it will become yours too.
The novel is narrated in 15-year-old Lina’s perspective as her, her brother, and her mom fight to survive and stay together after being ripped away from their Lithuanian home in the summer of 1941 by the Soviet Union.
The family was dragged around to Siberia and the Arctic Circle in cattle cars to provide labor at work camps under extremely harsh and freezing conditions. Lina documents her journey through her art in hopes that somehow it will reach her dad, who was sent to a prison camp. As she wants to let him know they are alive and together.
Ruta Sepetys grandfather was an officer in the Lithuanian army during the time of this book and Lina’s (?) grandparents and father fled the country with some relatives being deported to Siberia. This historical fiction novel truly had me on the edge of my seat for hours. It demonstrated pain, survival, and the power in love and faith.
One of the quotes that really stuck with me from the novel was: “Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch”. (Ch.7, Pg.27)