Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I've read quite a few accounts of survival during deportation to Siberia, both non-fiction and novelizations, but this one added to my understanding with both details I've never heard and incredible depth of emotion. Lina is a wonderful character, both relatable and believable, her mother is determined and intelligent, and the fellow prisoners who create a community around them are a believable mix of strength, weakness, defiance and defeat. I was heartbroken when the story ended that I didn't get to witness Lina's eventual release and how she was reunited with those she loved. But in a way, the questions left by the novel mirror the questions left by the disappearance of so many people into the Soviet gulag system. For every story we hear, there are many many more that were never told, because so many people didn't survive. This is a great first novel, and handles a difficult topic with talent and grace.



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