Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is an extremely touching book. It takes place in the same time as the Holocaust, except this isn't Hitler, but somebody just as horrible. Stalin. Stalin not only targeted a single group of people, but the entire Baltic region. This book is definitely not for the weak of mind or stomach, as it is an extremely crude, completely honest recounting of one girl's journey through an unjustified cleansing of the people. There aren't happy endings; people don't miraculously turn out to be alive when they're supposed to be dead. Between Shades Of Gray tells of utter loss, artistic hope, shameful survival, and a man who just won't look at the bright side in any circumstance. It is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit (quote from book). A sentence near the beginning that gives you one of the first ideas as to the value of life is this one:
Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother's was worth a pocket watch.
That strikes a chord in me. Does it strike a chord in you?
