Peggy
Peggy asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi, Ruta, I have enjoyed reading Salt and I have enjoyed sharing it with so many others. My daughter's comment was typical, "That book didn't even need a bookmark!" Clearly it takes a huge amount of strength to emigrate as a refugee. We are seeing huge refugee migrations now. Were you struck by the parallels as you researched and as you observed the present-day happenings? Thanks for writing books that need 2 B read.

Ruta Sepetys Hi Peggy!

First, thank you so much for reading "Salt to the Sea" and sharing it with your daughter. I'm always so touched when family members share a reading experience!

As for the refugee experience past and present, yes, I have been so saddened by the parallels. I think of the very young people and children, forced to leave everything they've ever known and loved, behind. And when I hear reports of trying to build fences to keep people out, it breaks my heart. I am the daughter of a refugee. I see the reports on television and wonder, "Who is that child standing behind the fence? What if that child that we are trying to keep out of our country is the exact intellectual capital we need to make our world a safer place?"

Sometimes the questions keep me up at night. :(
Ruta Sepetys
20,558 followers

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