Heyna Suit asked Ruta Sepetys:

How do you do your historical research? When do you take liberties?

Ruta Sepetys Hi Heyna! Great questions. I try to get as close to the source as possible when I am researching a book. I will travel to the locations I am writing about and try to interview as many people as I can who either lived through the time I am writing about, or historians who have spent years researching the events. I then weave stories from many people together into one character, so that way I'm representing a larger human experience and not compromising any one person. It is important to me to try to tell the history as accurately as I can to honor those who were there but cannot tell the story themselves. Thank you for asking!

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