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Who would’ve thought I’d find myself reading historical fiction? It's 1941 and fifteen-year-old artist Lina Vilkas is on Stalin's extermination list. Deported to a prison camp in Siberia, Lina fights for her life, fearless,  risking everything to save her family. It's a long and harrowing journey and it is only their incredible strength, love, and hope that pull Lina and her family through each day. But will love be enough to keep them alive?- goodreads.com “Was it harder to die, or harder to be the one who survived?” I am not usually one to read historical fiction but I picked up Between Shades of Gray because I was such a big fan of Salt to the Sea . After finishing it, I didn’t enjoy Between Shades of Gray as much as Salt to the Sea (which was one of favorites of last year), but I still really liked it. I love Ruta Sepetys’s novels because they feel real. This seems obvious since they are historical fiction novels and based on true events, but I...

Wow… This book made me emotional… Winter, 1945. Four teenagers. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies…and war. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. Yet not all promises can be kept. Inspired by the single greatest tragedy in maritime history, bestselling and award-winning author Ruta Sepetys (Between Shades of Gray) lifts the veil on a shockingly little-known casualty of World War II. An illuminating and life-affirming tale of heart and hope. - goodreads.com summary    “Guilt is a hunter. Fate is a hunter. Shame is a hunter. Fear is a hunter.” “The Wilhelm Gustloff was pregnant with lost souls conceived of war. They would crowd into her belly and she would give birth to their freedom.”     While...