by Ruta Sepetys
Age Range: 12 and up
Grade Level: 7 and up
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Speak (April 3, 2012)
Buy the book: Amazon
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?Lina Vilkas lived quite happily with her father, mother and 10 year old brother, Jonas, in the city of Kaunas, Lithuania. It was June 1941 and Lina was looking forward to attending a summer art program where she would study with some of the greatest artists in Europe. Then on the evening of June 14, Soviet police entered the Vilkas home and gave them 20 minutes to gather belongings and leave their comfortable home. They were eventually put into train cars that took them to Siberia. Many of the people who were crammed into those cars didn't survive. Those who did were imprisoned for as many as 15 years.
This story takes us along on Lina's journey to Siberia. It is a journey filled with confusion, fear, anger, deplorable living conditions, and death. However, the underlying foundation of their lives is built on love and hope. These two pillars of faith keep the reader holding on throughout the book. The story is beautiful and horrifying all at the same time. It takes place at a time in history that most eyes of the world were focused on Hitler and his actions in Germany. The people of 3 small Baltic countries were, for the most part, ignored as the Soviet Union overtook them. I was unfamiliar with this part of the history of World War II and found it deeply tragic and moving. This is not an easy book to read because it doesn't spare us from the horror of life for the prisoners. However, it is also not an easy book to put down once you start it. I read it in less than 24 hours and resented anything that interfered. Books of this kind are so important to help generations to come understand what happened and prevent it from ever happening again. Congratulations Ms. Sepetys on writing a wonderful book.
Content:
- Profanity: Minor
- Sexual Content: Moderate
- Violence: Heavy
- Other Notables: Suicide, starvation and other atrocities
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This is one of those books I tend to see everywhere but really don't know that much about. It sounds beautiful and heart breaking.
ReplyDeleteI was so impressed with this book and deeply appreciative of it bringing to light a less-known historical event. Everything during WWII always does seem to be focused on the Nazis with maybe a little bit about the war near Japan. I'd never read any fiction about these horrors in the Baltic states.
ReplyDeleteThat is exactly how I felt when I read this book. I consider myself a history buff of sorts and had no idea that this had taken place. I think that the story was told very well in this book.
DeleteI can't believe I've had this book since before it came out and STILL haven't read it. I need to fix that. Thanks for the heartfelt review!
ReplyDeleteRead it Madeleine!! You won't regret it!
DeleteGreat review! I wondered if I would be bored with this, but I love war books at the same time. I'll brace myself for any detachment, but it sounds like a really good book.
ReplyDeleteI think that on e you start reading you won't be able to stop. Let me know what you think!
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