From the Bookshelf of 2025 Reading Challenge…

Between Shades of Gray

Ruta Sepetys

Start date: December 1, 2014

Finish date: December 31, 2014

Discussion leader: Londa

Why we're reading this: December Group Read
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What Members Thought

Jul 21, 2019 Eileen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: 2019, historical-fiction, audiobook, teen-young-adult, 2019genrechallenge, russia, world-war-ii-world-war-i

An easy 5 stars for me. This is my first book by this author and I loved it. This book covers a subject I had know prior knowledge of. I had certainly heard of Stalin's reign of terror, but I knew nothing about this part of history. I thought the author did an amazing job of researching this time period and sharing about brutal and tragic events, and yet share some of the hope (gold between shades of gray) and acts of compassion and love that were threaded through this brutal time. The character ...more

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Mar 22, 2015 Michelle rated it liked it

I haven't ready much about the Russian takeover of the Baltic states during WWII, so this was definitely educational. The Russians went after Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians and herded them off to working / prison camps in Siberia. Many, if they survived, remained there for 10-15 years! And if they were lucky to return, the could never speak of their tortured experiences and were watched by the KGB. The author's note states that Russia denies these claims even till this day!

This period in h ...more

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Apr 04, 2013 Carrie rated it it was amazing

Shelves: mia

This book introduced me to a time in modern world history I didn't know much about. I am once again amazed at the ability the human spirit has for survival. Also amazed at the cruelty humans can exhibit. Fascinating subject, great read. ...more

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