We often categorize things in extremes, but things aren’t always black or white. Sometimes the truth lies somewhere in the middle, between shades of gray. I met some survivors who told me that a Soviet guard had helped them in some way or showed them a small kindness that saved their life. Such a person was a hero to me, and I wanted to include that heroic element in the novel. So I created the character of Kretzsky, a young man who can’t see things in black and white as the Soviet system demands of him. He has reverence for human life and is deeply conflicted. Through Kretzsky, the deportees
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