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Between Shades of Gray

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Between Shades of Gray

By: Ruta Sepetys
Narrated by: Emily Klein
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About this listen

 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the award-winning author of Salt to the Sea comes a “superb” (The Wall Street Journal), “eye-opening” (Los Angeles Times) novel of survival and hope in the darkest of places—the inspiration for the major motion picture Ashes in the Snow

"Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." —The Washington Post

WINNER OF THE GOLDEN KITE AWARD • A CARNEGIE MEDAL NOMINEE • A WILLIAM C. MORRIS AWARD FINALIST • A KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE CENTURY

A knock comes at the door in the dead of night, and Lina’s life changes in an instant. With her young brother and mother, she is hauled away by the Soviet secret police from her home in Lithuania and thrown into a cattle car en route to Siberia. Separated from her father, Lina secretly passes along clues in the form of drawings, hoping they will reach his prison camp. But will her letters, or her courage, be enough to reunite her family? Will they be enough to keep her alive?

A moving and haunting novel about loss, fear, and ultimately, survival, Between Shades of Gray is a tour de force of historical and emotional storytelling. Difficult Situations Fiction Growing Up Historical Fiction History & Culture Literature & Fiction Racism & Discrimination Survival Discrimination Heartfelt Military Soviet Union War

Critic reviews

Praise for Between Shades of Gray:

“A superlative first novel. A hefty emotional punch.”--The New York Times Book Review

“Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both.”--The Washington Post

"Beautiful…a superb though grueling novel.”--The Wall Street Journal

“An eye-opening reimagination of a very real tragedy written with grace and heart.”--Los Angeles Times

“An engrossing and poignant story of the fortitude of the human spirit in a dark time in Lithuanian history.”--Associated Press

“Brave Lina is a heroine young and old readers can believe in.”--Entertainment Weekly

“Please read this small window into a tragedy.”--NPR

“Beautifully written and researched, it captures the devastation of war while celebrating the will to survive.”--Family Circle

* “A harrowing page-turner.”--Publishers Weekly, starred review

* “A gripping story.”--School Library Journal, starred review

* “Bitterly sad, fluidly written…Sepetys' flowing prose gently carries readers.”--Kirkus, starred review

* "Beautifully written and deeply felt…an important book that deserves the widest possible readership.”--Booklist, starred review

“A haunting chronicle, demonstrating that even in the heart of darkness ‘love is the most powerful army.'”--The Horn Book Magazine

“Stalin deported and murdered millions, but he could not destroy the seeds of memory, compassion, and art that they left behind. From those seeds, Ruta Septeys has crafted a brilliant story of love and survival that will keep their memory alive for generations to come.”--Laurie Halse Anderson, bestselling author of Speak and Wintergirls

“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

“Between Shades of Gray is a story of astonishing force. 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 oppression. Beautiful and unforgettable.”--Susan Campbell Bartoletti, Newbery Honor–winning author of Hitler Youth

“Sepetys has penned a harrowing and heartbreaking novel. Beautifully written and important.”--Harlan Coben, international bestselling author of Shelter
All stars
Most relevant
It's an important historically accurate story about Soviet Union atrocities during WWII. Well written, not the best performance though.

must read/listen

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Soviet atrocities during WWII tend to get forgotten, this book sheds light on the inhumane treatment and genocide of the innocent people Stalin deemed unworthy of his perfect country. Heartbreaking, not giving you space to breathe but nevertheless unputdownable.
An interview with the author at the end was a great addition to the production.
The narrator is a letdown.

Brilliant

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An interesting story of a little known aspect of history, that I find fascinating. It is well performed and an excellent story overall. I would have liked a little more comprehensive ending but I still greatly enjoyed it.

Interesting Story Well Performed

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I accepted listening to the truth about my own country and homeland. I avoided it for a long time even when family members have been personally affected such atrocities.

The vivid images

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Well..I would love to say I enjoyed the book but recording was bad, very bad. No pause where was necessary, cheerful voice tone where is sad and etc. It took the beauty of the story, my story as well as I am Lithuanian.

A part of history, our history

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