Between Shades of Gray

by Ruta Sepetys

You stand for what is right, Lina, without the expectation of gratitude or reward.

“Mother, why are you breaking your beautiful things?” I asked.

She stopped and stared at the china cup in her hand. “Because I love them so much.”

I shut the bathroom door and caught sight of my face in the mirror. I had no idea how quickly it was to change, to fade. If I had, I would have stared at my reflection, memorizing it.

It was the last time I would look into a real mirror for more than a decade.

Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth? That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch.

Our mothers were in that car, along with a teacher, a librarian, elderly people, and a newborn baby—thieves and prostitutes.

planted a seed of hatred in my heart. I swore it would grow to be a massive tree whose roots would strangle them all.

Figurative language expressing her hatred.

“You won’t know as long as the envelope is sealed,”