Pop quiz: What was the greatest (i.e. worst) shipwreck in terms of the number of people killed? The Titanic? No. The Lusitania? Nope. It was the Wilhelm Gustloff-- by a huge margin. In Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys takes us on board the ill-fated cruise ship in the days surrounding the disaster. During the waning days of World War II the ship, designed to carry about 1,500 passengers is stripped down to carry 10,000 German and Eastern European refugees fleeing the advance of the Soviet Army as the Third Reich crumbles. Four teens, each with something to hide, are brought together on the ship. They must fight to survive this unimaginable and little known tragedy.
We have several copies in the library. This book is not to be missed.
“Observations of war and loss, human cruelty, and hatred are unflinching.
But through the horror and heartbreak shine rays of hope: love, kindness, courage,
and sacrifice. Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys’s exploration of this
little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping.”
-School Library Journal (starred review)
#salttothesea #RutaSepetys #historicalfiction
No comments:
Post a Comment