The story follows a 15yearold lithuanian girl in 1941 who is taken from her home with her mother. Between shades of gray book douglas county libraries. In between shades of gray, sepetys created a character, the soviet prison guard nikolai kretzsky, who proved to be a nuanced, complicated character and not a pure villain. Between shades of gray is partly based upon the stories sepetys heard from survivors of soviet repressions in the baltic states during a visit to her relatives in lithuania. 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. Woe to the one who has held his hearts tongue sog science fiction action adventure mystery serial series kindle edition by higgins, kristie lynn. This election cycle, with its exacerbated islamophobia, makes author mills positively beautiful, 2015 fictive meditation on 911 and the 15 years after especially timely. Sepetys has toured internationally for three years, presenting the novel and associated history in dozens of countries. 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. Eager to institute communist rule and reduce dissent in baltic countries annexed by the soviet union during the war.
With this debut novel, sepetys endeavors to tell the story of the baltic states. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys this is the tale of lina vilkas, a girl whose first person account chronicles the events of the unwarranted arrest of her family in lithuania and subsequent deportation a journey of horror to the far reaches of siberia. Between shades of gray summary from litcharts the creators. Analysis of between shades of gray 712 words 3 pages. Until one night when soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family. May 07, 2015 author ruta sepetys, the daughter of a lithuanian refugee, based her fictional book between shades of gray on the real experiences of hundreds of thousands of people who died under dictator. One of the people bought a pad of paper and a pencil for lina. They sing a birthday song and all eat their bread rations together. Recommended resources discussion guide between shades of gray.
James, initially a trilogy consisting of fifty shades of grey 2011, fifty shades darker 2012 and fifty shades freed 2012. Ruta sepetys grades 35 in 1941, fifteenyearold lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. Unfortunately both of her parents could not survive. Inspired by her father, an escapee from lithuania, she wrote her first book between shades of gray. In the book between shades of gray, a lithuanian family is forced out of their home and forced into a new life. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Analysis of the book between shades of gray 888 words. 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. Between shades of gray tells the tragic story of fifteenyearold lina vilkas who is deported from lithuania to siberia in 1941 with her mother and younger brother. Can be historical, historical fiction, novels, poetry, etc. Ruta sepetys speaks with students miami university.
Lina, a girl apart of this family gets arrested with her family is sent to a kolkhoz to work for the soviets. Feb 11, 2014 between shades of gray by ruta sepetys. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, until the robin walks on snow by bernice l. Ashes in the snow bel powley as lina vilkas youtube. Tai pirmasis knygu ir filmu trilogijos fifty shades of grey gerbeju puslapis lietuviu kalba. Only her and her brother survived and returned to their homeland. Richard peck, newbery awardwinning author of a year down yonder between shades of gray is a story of astonishing force. Between shades of gray book report timeline created by sarahjohnson1. Learn between shades of gray with free interactive flashcards. Its printed in russian, so she can learn the language better.
The washington post from new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys. Between shades of gray questions and answers the question and answer sections of our study guides are a great resource to ask questions, find answers, and discuss literature. An introduction to lithuanian literature in 8 books. Learn more at about the author born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a lithuanian refugee. Choose from 500 different sets of between shades of gray flashcards on quizlet. Soviet deportations from estonia, latvia and lithuania lithuanian children in the gulag by tomas balkelis. The book opens with travis mclaurin, a 19yearold white man trying to protect alia susanto, a 16yearold hijabwearing indonesianamerican muslim, from the debris caused by the south. It borders the baltic sea, and is between latvia and russia. Between shades of gray is a powerful book, and the excellent writing sweeps you along ms. 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. She is a rockefeller foundation bellagio fellow and the first american writer of young adult literature to. Between shades of gray isnt the type of book id normally read, but im extremely glad that i decided to read it.
The testimony of these characters is produced to create an absolute record, to speak in a world where their voices have been extinguished sepetys 338. To this day to this day, there are multiple cultures in lithuania and many different languages being used. Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important. It was a shining moment for ruta sepetys, author of the ya historical novel between shades of gray philomel, 2011, which tells the story of a 15yearold girl who is deported from lithuania to. Between shades of gray book shades of grey book, vows, books to read. Her father kostas has been arrested earlier, and they dont know where he is the family is given very little time to pack before they are loaded onto a bus full of other arrested. Before reading this book, i was unaware of the mass deportations carried out in lithuania by stalin during and after the second world war. A discussion of between shades of gray and book signing. Overall, the film centers on the dynamics between the two main characters, as they adjust to each others expectations of a romantic relationship.
Between shades of gray and over 8 million other books are available for amazon. Ruta sepetys is the author of between shades of gray. Lithuania hetalia, kaunas lithuania, lithuania travel, lithuanian recipes. Over spring break i read between shades of gray published march 2011, a young adult historical fiction novel by ruta sepetys. Mar 28, 2011 between shades of gray by ruta sepetys thanks in part to the large body of wellwritten, honest accounts both fictional and nonfictional about the holocaust, americans now grow up both knowing of, and being rightly horrified by, the atrocities committed by the nazis during world war ii. But one night, the soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her along with her mother and younger brother.
She is arrested alongside her mother, elena, and tenyearold brother jonas. Fifteenyearold lina, her mother, and her younger brother are dragged from their. Official book website for between shades of gray by ruta sepetys. Author ruta sepetys, the daughter of a lithuanian refugee, based her fictional book between shades of gray on the real experiences of hundreds of thousands of people who died under dictator. During world war ii, extreme atrocities were committed across the globe. Ruta sepetys in 1941, fifteenyearold lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. An engrossing and poignant story of the fortitude of the human spirit in a dark time in lithuanian history. Between shades of gray is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit. 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. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys thanks in part to the large body of wellwritten, honest accounts both fictional and nonfictional about the holocaust, americans now grow up both knowing of, and being rightly horrified by, the atrocities committed by the nazis during world war ii. Sepetys decided she needed to write a fiction novel rather than a nonfiction volume as a way of making it easier for survivors to talk to her. Awardwinning actress bel powley discusses her portrayal of brave lina vilkas in ashes in the snow, the film adaptation of between shades of gray. The family is given very little time to pack before they.
The main characters in the book thief and between shades of gray use art and literature as a means for empowering themselves within the conflictridden setting around them. But one night, the soviet secret police barge violently into her home, deporting her, along. Between shades of gray follows lina vilkas, a fifteen year old girl who is torn from her life in kaunas and exiled with her family to siberia. Apr 14, 2011 between shades of gray is a powerful book, and the excellent writing sweeps you along ms. Books of lithuania 39 books meet your next favorite book. Their educational value cannot be underestimated whether its fiction or nonfiction. Andrius gives her dombey and son, a book by charles dickens.
In the book between shades of gray, what does lina believe the two possible outcomes of siberia are. Jan 04, 2019 awardwinning actress bel powley discusses her portrayal of brave lina vilkas in ashes in the snow, the film adaptation of between shades of gray. 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. Jul 11, 20 between shades of gray tells the tragic story of fifteenyearold lina vilkas who is deported from lithuania to siberia in 1941 with her mother and younger brother. As elevator pitches go, lithuanian teenager starving to death in stalinera. Fifteenyearold lina, her mother, and her younger brother are dragged from their home and packed into a train car in the opening pages of this harrowing novel that begins in lithuania on june 14, 1941. The story end with lina looking into the sky and seeing a tiny silver of gold between shades of gray on the horizon, then she squeezed the stone that andrius had given her from the beginning of the book. Between shades of gray takes its title from the complex nuances of morality that lina, the teenage protagonist and narrator, experiences and must grapple with during her years of imprisonment in the harsh soviet labor camps of siberia during world war ii.
In 1940, josef stalin, the leader of the soviet union, annexed lithuania to make it part of the soviet union. Aug 15, 2012 when i first heard about this book, i was captivated by the actual background of the novel ruta sepetys is the daughter of lithuanian emigrees, and between shades of gray was inspired by sepetys father, a refugee who escaped lithuania as a young boy. 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. Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray hits the big screen.
Between shades of gray themes from litcharts the creators. Between shades of gray, a new york times best seller, is the debut novel of american novelist ruta sepetys. Before reading this book, i was unaware of the mass deportations carried out in lithuania by. Her family consists of her, her brother, and her mother, all three of them are thrown into cattle carts and shipped off to altiia. Between shades of gray brings to light a period of ww2 history that has been overlooked or forgotten.
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. In the book between shades of gray, what stops the bald man from killing himself. 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 is the story of the genocide of the baltic people of eastern europe by the soviet union, one that is significantly less well known than the genocide of the jews and other minorities in the holocaust. Reading between shades of gray reminded me, once again, the importance of reading books. Analysis of the book between shades of gray 888 words 4 pages paper to life it is a well known fact that hitler killed nearly 11 million people in the holocaust, yet few seem to realize that josef stalin killed nearly 9 million more in wwii. Sepetys has toured internationally for three years, presenting the. Ruta sepetyss onewoman mission to unearth secret histories. Ruta sepetys 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. Author ruta sepetys awarded lithuanias cross of the knight. In many ways, salt to the sea is a followup to her bestknown book, between shades of gray, which follows a lithuanian family as theyre shipped off to siberian death camps by the. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. A discussion of between shades of gray and writing historical novels.
Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray is now the film ashes in the snow. In june of 1941, fifteenyearold lina vilkas is arrested by the soviet secret police, the nkvd, from her home in kaunas, lithuania. One of the men tells lina why their family was deported. 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. She writes in the authors note that she was inspired by her own lithuania heritage and the members of her fathers family who were rounded up by the nkvd and, like linas family, imprisoned in labor camps. The male protagonists predilection towards bdsm practices forms the backdrop to the films narrative. The inspector brings last hopes to lina, he says what nkvd say isnt always real, that he has met many people that were dead. 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. Lina is just like any other fifteenyearold lithuanian. The series traces the deepening relationship between college graduate, anastasia steele, and young business man, christian grey. December 15 nashville, tn edmondson pike branch of the nashville library 6.
The people throw a surprise birthday paarty for lina. Along with receiving recognition in a merica she was awarded the cross of the knight from the president of lithuania for her contributions to education and culture. The total area is 65,300 square kilometers, which is a little bit bigger than west virginia. As sepetys recounted, some readers in lithuania did not like this depiction and accused her of a prorussian bias. The film contains occasional verbal references and depictions of such sexual practices. Any book that gives the reader an idea of life and culture in lithuania. Balta drobulewhite shroud, antanas skema, 1958 although not translated to english, balta drobule or white shroud is an important existentialist novel written in lithuanian by antanas skema, a.
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