≫ [PDF] Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys 9780141347400 Books

Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys 9780141347400 Books

Download As PDF : Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys 9780141347400 Books

Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys 9780141347400 Books

If there is one book you read this year, read this one. Salt to the Sea is a book that will forever change you, and in a good way. It is one of the most powerful books I've read in some time. There's something to be said about an author who can bring history to life within the pages of their book, and do so with fictional characters who's outcomes you know may be grim, but you can't help rooting for till the end. I have long been a reader of historical fiction books that take place during WWII, but this is a book that stands out from the rest.

Salt to the Sea is a beautifully, written piece of heartbreaking history, and given an unforgettable voice in modern day. It's a harrowing, unforgettable read that follows four main characters who's lives all interconnect in the middle of World War II. Florian, Joana, Emilia and Alfred are all on different sides of the war. Each wear the scars and carry the burdens that WWII has brought with it. Each is a victim. It's the burdens, and scars that Florian, Joana and Emilia each carry that push them and others whom are with them, to continue on. To not lose hope. It's the false sense of security of drives Alfred in his quest to give his best service. Through all the adversity each character faces, they never give up. I can't imagine experiencing all they do.

Salt to the Sea has moved me in a way that no other book has. It's made me contemplate what I would have done if I had been in any of the characters shoes. Sepetys continues to prove why she's a powerful writer and story teller in the YA book world. She brings history to life like no one else can. Through her talent for writing historical fiction, Sepetys has given history a voice, and names, that I won't soon forget. Though I'm left wondering why it is, that I have to read a YA book to learn about the deadliest disaster in maritime history. I can't thank Sepetys enough for writing Florian, Joana, Emilia and Alfred's stories. I'm still thinking about them long after I've read them.

Each point of view progresses the story, and brings a different side of the war with it. Salt to the Sea is written in such a way that I felt it was respectful to what not only these fictional characters endured, but what others really experienced. Sepetys does a beautiful job at not shying away the horrors of what happened during WWII. As horrible as it may be, that is the part of the story that broke not only the characters, but me as a reader. I felt like I was reading pages out the journals of these characters. I loved the way Sepetys told each of the character's stories. By the end of the book, I felt like I really came to understand each of them, as individuals.

Through grief, loss, and unthinkable experiences, there's hope, love, and courage. There's the spirit of never forgetting, but of moving on, and taking all the horrors and glimpses of hope, with them. Though much of the story takes place during the war, I loved how Sepetys ends the story. It's a realistic, heart felt ending that was just right for this book. Salt to the Sea is a book what will forever remain with me, as are the characters, and history this book is based on. This is one book I would highly recommend picking up. It's one I'd recommend for upper middle grade, and high school reading. There's a lot of history lessons that can be taught from this book.

On a personal level, this book's history is personal to me. My great grandparents (including my grandmother), left Schneidemuhl, Germany, which is now in northern Poland, in the 1920's. My grandmother passed on stories from her father, who had been in the German services prior to her arrival. My Grandfather was a POW in Germany, during WWII. He openly shared his experiences from during that time, something I'm forever grateful to know about. Combing those with the experiences, and the journey I went on with the characters of Salt to the Sea, left me emotionally raw. Yet, at the time, I'm in awe over the courage they each had. Well I should say, all but one had. As tragic as the story of WWII is, I am forever grateful for those who share their stories, and those who research their stories to share. That through these stories we can be moved, and inspired to do better, and learn from the past, while never forgetting all the past holds.

If you only read one thought provoking book this year, let it be this one!


Tags : Salt to the Sea [Ruta Sepetys] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Salt to the Sea It's early 1945 and a group of people trek across Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. Four young people,Ruta Sepetys,Salt to the Sea,Penguin Books Ltd,0141347406

Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys 9780141347400 Books Reviews

I’ve studied World War II for years. I’ve read countless books, both nonfiction and fiction, and watched a lot of documentaries. My undergrad degree is even in history. But somehow, before SALT TO THE SEA, I’d only heard about the Wilhelm Gustloff once.

One mention of such an immense tragedy.

I’m thankful to Ruta Sepetys for writing SALT TO THE SEA. I always enjoy historical fiction that introduces me to something I didn’t know before, which she certainly does. But more than that, the author has such a deft, confident hand that I could sense the amount of research she did and the respect she has for the survivors and victims of the Wilhelm Gustloff. Sepetys doesn’t overwhelm you with her knowledge, but inserts it subtly, weaving it into the backstories, thoughts, and actions of the characters.

SALT TO THE SEA is told through the eyes of four characters. Joana is Lithuanian, a nurse who always wants to help people in need, even if helping them might place herself in danger. Florian is Prussian, a boy with a pack of secrets. Emilia is Polish, a girl on the run from unspeakable horrors. Alfred is German, a member of the Kriegsmarine, and loyal to Hitler’s every thought. By using characters of different nationalities and loyalties, the author is able to show the many sides of Operation Hannibal, when Germany evacuated soldiers and citizens ahead of the Red Army.

The “chapters” in the book are short, often 2-3 pages before hopping to another character. For the first few chapters, this bugged me a bit, as I couldn’t get to know anyone with such short chapters. Then I got used to it and liked the short chapters, because the sparseness was more impactful than overloading me with details would have been.

SALT TO THE SEA is one of those rare books that I’ll be thinking about for a while.
If there is one book you read this year, read this one. Salt to the Sea is a book that will forever change you, and in a good way. It is one of the most powerful books I've read in some time. There's something to be said about an author who can bring history to life within the pages of their book, and do so with fictional characters who's outcomes you know may be grim, but you can't help rooting for till the end. I have long been a reader of historical fiction books that take place during WWII, but this is a book that stands out from the rest.

Salt to the Sea is a beautifully, written piece of heartbreaking history, and given an unforgettable voice in modern day. It's a harrowing, unforgettable read that follows four main characters who's lives all interconnect in the middle of World War II. Florian, Joana, Emilia and Alfred are all on different sides of the war. Each wear the scars and carry the burdens that WWII has brought with it. Each is a victim. It's the burdens, and scars that Florian, Joana and Emilia each carry that push them and others whom are with them, to continue on. To not lose hope. It's the false sense of security of drives Alfred in his quest to give his best service. Through all the adversity each character faces, they never give up. I can't imagine experiencing all they do.

Salt to the Sea has moved me in a way that no other book has. It's made me contemplate what I would have done if I had been in any of the characters shoes. Sepetys continues to prove why she's a powerful writer and story teller in the YA book world. She brings history to life like no one else can. Through her talent for writing historical fiction, Sepetys has given history a voice, and names, that I won't soon forget. Though I'm left wondering why it is, that I have to read a YA book to learn about the deadliest disaster in maritime history. I can't thank Sepetys enough for writing Florian, Joana, Emilia and Alfred's stories. I'm still thinking about them long after I've read them.

Each point of view progresses the story, and brings a different side of the war with it. Salt to the Sea is written in such a way that I felt it was respectful to what not only these fictional characters endured, but what others really experienced. Sepetys does a beautiful job at not shying away the horrors of what happened during WWII. As horrible as it may be, that is the part of the story that broke not only the characters, but me as a reader. I felt like I was reading pages out the journals of these characters. I loved the way Sepetys told each of the character's stories. By the end of the book, I felt like I really came to understand each of them, as individuals.

Through grief, loss, and unthinkable experiences, there's hope, love, and courage. There's the spirit of never forgetting, but of moving on, and taking all the horrors and glimpses of hope, with them. Though much of the story takes place during the war, I loved how Sepetys ends the story. It's a realistic, heart felt ending that was just right for this book. Salt to the Sea is a book what will forever remain with me, as are the characters, and history this book is based on. This is one book I would highly recommend picking up. It's one I'd recommend for upper middle grade, and high school reading. There's a lot of history lessons that can be taught from this book.

On a personal level, this book's history is personal to me. My great grandparents (including my grandmother), left Schneidemuhl, Germany, which is now in northern Poland, in the 1920's. My grandmother passed on stories from her father, who had been in the German services prior to her arrival. My Grandfather was a POW in Germany, during WWII. He openly shared his experiences from during that time, something I'm forever grateful to know about. Combing those with the experiences, and the journey I went on with the characters of Salt to the Sea, left me emotionally raw. Yet, at the time, I'm in awe over the courage they each had. Well I should say, all but one had. As tragic as the story of WWII is, I am forever grateful for those who share their stories, and those who research their stories to share. That through these stories we can be moved, and inspired to do better, and learn from the past, while never forgetting all the past holds.

If you only read one thought provoking book this year, let it be this one!