A Goodreads user

A Goodreads user asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi Ms Sepetys! I'm not sure if this was asked already but I wanted to know if Lina and Joana will ever meet again? I really enjoyed reading both ww 2 books, especially Between shades of gray. Elena is one of my favorite characters of all time! How did you feel writing her death scene? It was so sad and so vivid that it really affected me emotionally. Thank you for writing such beautiful stories!

Ruta Sepetys Hi Jessi! Thank you for your kind words! If Lina and Joana are to meet again in the future, it would happen in a sequel. One day I hope to write a story or sequel to show readers what's happens to the characters we have all grown to love! I am hard at work on several other novels, but I hope one day to be able to write that one. You may or may not be aware that Elena's character was inspired by my own mother. I am not sure I could articulate the emotions that went into writing her death scene. I feel so connected to each of these characters, like I know them, that I also am deeply affected by their struggles and losses. Thank you for asking!

More Answered Questions

Andrew

Andrew asked Ruta Sepetys:

What encourages you to search so deep for forgotten and obscure historical events? I loved Salt to the Sea, and it was a very surprising event, I had never even heard so much as a whisper about it. What inspires you to write these untold stories?

Yay*clap,clap*

Yay*clap,clap* asked Ruta Sepetys:

For our school reader, we had to read between shades of gray. I finished it because it was so intriguing. The vivid imagery was amazing! May I ask, why did you include a first-love romantic element in it? What inspired you to write it in? Thank you so much for your time and consideration.

Emily

Emily asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi, I love all your books, but I was wondering how you got inspiration for 'out of the easy' because the themes and settings which it is based on aren't very common for YA fiction. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much, as it gave me insight into a different aspect of the past and how people lived. Were there any particular reasons that made you so interested in it? Thanks, Emily

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