Salt to the Sea in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jun 02, 2017 Krissy rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobook, pgs-400-499, cover-color-blue

Hmm... Whelp looks like I'm going to be in that very small group of people that didn't really like this book. I loved the setting and the concept. I was really looking forward to reading this. I even watched a documentary about the Wilhelm Gustloff to prepare myself. But unfortunately I was thrown off balance from the jump because the audiobook was narrated by narrators with American accents. I'm a little bit of a narrator snob when it comes to accents. I don't care how great the narrator is if ...more

13 likes · Like · see review

Jan 16, 2017 Lacey Louwagie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, youngadult, book-club

This is not your typical WWII novel because it focuses on a lesser-explored aspect of the war -- namely the voyage of thousands of refugees, many of them of German descent, who fled the country in the wake of a Russian invasion. The story follows four narrators: a kind-hearted Lithuanian nurse, a Polish teen attempting to hide her ethnicity, a German artist who has defected, and a German soldier.

The writing is beautiful and at times heart-rending, from the protagonists' grueling winter journey t ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 29, 2017 Beth Given rated it really liked it

Refugees from many nationalities, displaced by war between Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia, fled to the coast to be transported to safety. The journey there would have been enough of a tragedy -- but then the boats were torpedoed. An overloaded ship, the Wilhem Gustloff, sank, and 9,000 people died. There were other boats that sank, as well.

I can't believe I had never heard of this before. (I think the author thought so, too; part of her message in writing this book is to educate people about thi ...more

Like · see review

Jan 27, 2016 Celeste rated it it was amazing

I like Ruta Sepetys historical fiction writing because she finds a less known story and brings it to life. I loved the characters in this book and I enjoyed following their journey. The audiobook readers are fantastic and brought the book from a 4 star to a 5 star-loved it.

Like · see review

Apr 22, 2017 Jen Ifer's Inklings rated it it was amazing

Shelves: library, popsugar-2017-reading-challenge, read-in-2017, 5-star-reads

This is a haunting story about the refugees created by both Stalin and Hitler. It's the little known history of those fleeing from both sides, the children left orphaned by war, the horrific things they had to see and endure. ...more

Like · see review