This 352 paged book has inspired many teens to acknowledge the genocide of baltic people. Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important. Between the shades of gray by ruta sepetys 1496 words 123. Nov 23, 2018 the idea for between shades of gray came when she was visiting relatives in lithuania in 2005 and learned more about the soviets forced deportation of thousands of people from lithuania, latvia. The total area is 65,300 square kilometers, which is a little bit bigger than west virginia. Between shades of gray litcharts from the creators of. Its about lithuanians displaced to siberian work camps during world war ii. Another groups built their jurta so that the door opened outward. Based on the authors family, includes a historical note. This 56page guide for between shades of gray by ruta sepetys includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 81 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Mar 12, 2015 in the book between shades of gray, ruta sepetys doesnt alter the settings of the novel. When the storm came, they were trapped inside and died. The washington postfrom new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys, author of salt to the sea. Between shades of gray symbols and motifs freebooksummary.
Between shades of gray is a wonderful historical fiction novel. The new york times bestseller between shades of gray by ruta sepetys is a harrowing story. Between shades of gray brings to light a period of ww2 history that has been overlooked or forgotten. Ruta sepetys got the idea to write this fictional story when she visited her family in lithuania and got the chance to discover more about her heritage. Now, thanks to between shades of gray ashes in the snow, the history of that part of the world is much more vivid. Between shades of gray, a new york times best seller, is the debut novel of american novelist ruta sepetys. By the time ruta sepetys debut young adult novel, between shades of gray, was published in the united states earlier this year by philomel books had already been sold into twentytwo territories. The movie ashes in the snow is based on the book between shades of gray written by ruta serpetys. Between shades of gray isnt the type of book id normally read, but im extremely. In terrifying detail, ruta sepetys recreates world war ii coming of age all too. Between shades of gray was originally intended as a young adul. Im trying to remember how i heard about this book but i think i might have found it on some nyt bestseller list.
Between shades of gray, what was the name of the farming village where the vilkas raised beets and potatoes. Sepetys is considered a crossover novelist as her books are read by both students and adults worldwide. Sadly, the family is captured before they can get away. May 17, 2012 two gray titles, one sexy mixup what happens when two books with similar names are out at the same time. During world war ii, many lithuanians lost their precious families and were forced to.
Between shades of gray takes place in a suburban neighborhood in lithuania. It borders the baltic sea, and is between latvia and russia. This is the only piece of fiction found in this event but its not viable to the story. In the year of 1941, the small countries of latvia, estonia, and lithuania were all absorbed by the soviet union, and became immediately subject to. We spoke with the author about seeing her historical ya novel adapted for film. Of course there were horrors against humanity in wwii. Lina fights for her life, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by burying her complete story in a jar on lithuanian soil.
Buy featured book title between shades of gray author. The peace is interrupted when the nkvd comes knocking on the door, telling lina, her younger brother jonas and her mother elena to pack their things and get out of the house. Most of between shades of gray was found to be very historically accurate. She is arrested alongside her mother, elena, and tenyearold brother jonas. Born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a lithuanian refugee. Oct 19, 2011 between shades of gray was a gamble that we felt proud to take. In 1941, fifteenyearold lina, her mother, and brother are pulled from their lithuanian home by soviet guards and sent to siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp while she fights for her life, vowing to honor her family and the thousands like hers by burying her story in a jar on lithuanian soil. The between shades of gray quotes below are all either spoken by kostas vilkas or refer to kostas vilkas.
Germany, already at war with poland, is on the verge of invading the ussr. The between shades of gray community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Different shades of gray meet your next favorite book. Richard peck, newbery awardwinning author of a year down yonder between shades of gray is a story of astonishing force. In the book between shades of gray, a lithuanian family is forced out of their home and forced into a new life. According to irena, a survivor of the deportations of the baltic countries, they were given two hours, a considerably longer time to pack there things. In the book between shades of gray the main character, lina is taken from her home in kaunas and put in a labor camp in siberia for 12 years. One girls passion for art and her neverending hope will break the silence of history. One of the men tells lina why their family was deported. This book starts in 1941 with 15 yr old lina along with her mother and brother being taken from their home in lithuania.
Between shades of gray 1941 fifteenyearold lina vilkas is arrested by the soviet secret police and deported to siberia with her mother and younger brother. This is a ya novel about lina and her family in lithuania during ww2. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature. Only her and her brother survived and returned to their homeland. With this debut novel, sepetys endeavors to tell the story of the baltic states. Ruta sepetys is the author for between the shades of gray, a novel that captures the truth of siberian camps and the annexation of the balkans by stalin. Lina, a girl apart of this family gets arrested with her family is sent to a kolkhoz to work for the soviets. It takes place during ww2 and shows the untold story of lithuania during the war.
It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid 20th century and follows the life of lina as she is deported from her native lithuania with her mother and younger brother. Until one night when soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family. Between shades of gray book page the baltic states. Written by micola magdalena the novel starts in the year 1941 on june 14 in lithuania where lina vilkas writes a letter to her cousin joana. Every historical fiction lover, but i honestly think every body should read this because its. A moving and haunting novel for readers of the book thieffifteenyearold lina is a lithuanian girl living an ordinary lifeuntil soviet officers invade her home.
It was nominated for the 2012 cilip carnegie medal and has been translated into more than 27 languages. Ruta was bestowed the cross of the knight of the order by the president of lithuania for her contributions to education and memory preservation and was recently honored with. That aspect of the book did not surprise me at all, either. Between the shades of gray by ruta sepetys 1486 words.
Did you know between shades of gray has been published in over fifty countries. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. But between shades of gray is also a profoundly moving and inspiring book, as lina discovers first her own capacity for courage, then her ability to use art to overcome challenges, and finally her desire for both love and survival. Ruta sepetys was inspired to write a fiction book instead of a nonfiction book based on the stories she heard from survivors of the genocide during. Although billed as a young adult book, between shades of gray can and should be read by all. I feel grateful for a writer like ruta sepetys who bravely tells the hard story of what happens to the innocent when world leaders and their minions choose hate and. Between shades of gray is certainly emotional, but the emotion also feels obvious. Two years earlier, the soviet union had annexed the baltic states lithuania, latvia, and estonia.
Two gray titles, one sexy mixup what happens when two books with similar names are out at the same time. The shading dark the title of the book is between shades of dark, and these shades of dim can allude to a few things. Between shades of gray is the story of fifteenyearold lina vilkas and her uppermiddle class lithuanian family. Her father kostas has been arrested earlier, and they dont know where he is. Now, thanks to between shades of grayashes in the snow, the history of that part of the world is much more vivid.
In the book between shades of gray, what stops the bald man from killing himself. Book talk between shades of gray the nameless book blog. What happens when two books with similar names are out at the same. Buy a cheap copy of between shades of gray book by ruta sepetys. Before writing the book, ruta took two trips to lithuania. As elevator pitches go, lithuanian teenager starving to death in stalinera. Of course people experienced unspeakable atrocities, and of course when were given a chance to look at their lives individually its all tragic. Ruta sepetys chronicles this harrowing time through fifteen year old lina, whose childhood is cut tragically short when she and her family are deported.
In between shades of gray, andrius gave lina a copy of the book dombey and. Tai pirmasis knygu ir filmu trilogijos fifty shades of grey gerbeju puslapis lietuviu kalba. If the material is there and it certainly was and the faith is sound, its just a matter of mobilizing forces and realizing that there is no losing. I probably knew some of lithuanias history during that time period from school, but it was something vague in the back of my mind.
It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid20th century and follows the life of lina as she is deported from her native lithuania with her mother and younger brother, and the journey they take to a labor camp in siberia. The first is linas moms dark coat, into which she has sewn gems, papers, silver, and different assets 31 in anticipation of the familys getaway from sovietinvolved lithuania. May 31, 20 in the year of 1941, the small countries of latvia, estonia, and lithuania were all absorbed by the soviet union, and became immediately subject to joseph stalins communist rule. Essay on between the shades of gray by ruta sepetys. Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray hits the big screen. Before the 2nd ww began the communist dictator stalin, knew war with the nazis was looming and had concerns about the baltic countries abilities to protect the russian border from. Before the 2nd ww began the communist dictator stalin, knew war with the nazis was looming and had concerns about the baltic countries abilities to protect the russian border from hitler. The bare facts about the genocide perpetrated by stalin. Her family consists of her, her brother, and her mother, all three of them are thrown into cattle carts and shipped off to altiia. Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray is now the film ashes in the snow.
Precedent, says green, was on their side in the form of that miraculous, international wonder, the book thief. To this day to this day, there are multiple cultures in lithuania and many different languages being used. Mar 28, 2011 but between shades of gray is also a profoundly moving and inspiring book, as lina discovers first her own capacity for courage, then her ability to use art to overcome challenges, and finally her desire for both love and survival. In this book, you will venture with lina as she goes through many hardships, emotional and physical. Teenage offspring of the herondales, carstairs, fairchilds, and other angeldescended nephilim continue their families demonfighting ways amid a round of elegant london balls, soirees, salons. Sadly, the family is captured before they can get away, and the. Between shades of gray book report timeline timetoast. Despite the facts that between shades of gray is a fictional novel almost every single detail was true to life. During this time period stalin is taking over lithuania and many other countries in this area.
We know a lot about what is happening in america and germany during wwii, but what is happening in lithuania. In 1989 two million people joined hands across lithuania, latvia, estonia in a. Mar 27, 2017 between shades of gray by ruta sepetys. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, is one of the most famous historical fiction books ever written. I probably knew some of lithuania s history during that time period from school, but it was something vague in the back of my mind. Analysis of between shades of gray 712 words 3 pages. In the book between shades of gray, ruta sepetys doesnt alter the settings of the novel. But its the history and content that truly got to my heart. The between shades of gray quotes below are all either spoken by lina vilkas or refer to lina vilkas. Official book website for between shades of gray by ruta. In 1941, a 16yearold aspiring artist and her family are deported to siberia amidst stalins brutal dismantling of the baltic region. Jan 16, 2015 between shades of gray is the story of fifteenyearold lina vilkas and her uppermiddle class lithuanian family.
It truly shows how life was in lithuania when stalin took control over the baltic countries. The idea for between shades of gray came when she was visiting relatives in lithuania in 2005 and learned more about the soviets forced deportation of thousands of people from lithuania, latvia. In june of 1941, fifteenyearold lina vilkas is arrested by the soviet secret police, the nkvd, from her home in kaunas, lithuania. In between shades of gray, what two things did kostas vilka send to his wife to help them survive. Jul 19, 2016 but its the history and content that truly got to my heart. In the book between shades of gray, what does lina believe the two possible outcomes of siberia are. Between the shades of gray by ruta sepetys 1496 words. Lina was fifteen when the nkvd took her from her home with her brother and mother.
With bel powley, timothy innes, jonah hauerking, sophie cookson. Unfortunately both of her parents could not survive. Jan 16, 2019 the movie ashes in the snow is based on the book between shades of gray written by ruta serpetys. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys 681 words 3 pages.
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