Between Shades of Gray question

This is a story about a hidden side of World War 2 that is rarely spoken or heard. It is about a young girl with a passion for art and how her family is deported from Lithuania by the USSR. Her father is very high in the university and separated from her mother, brother, and her. They are forced to work in towns with very few resources and constant watch by the Soviets. Not to give anything away, but her mother is very strong and does many courageous acts for their family. She also makes friends with a boy who helps teach her brother to be a man and gives her the strength to keep going. It is a very sad and heart breaking story.

Personally, I believe if you love war stories such as Anne Frank and The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, then this is your book. I love war stories and learning of the struggles and lives of those before. I had never heard of the people of Lithuania during World War 2. This book is a treasure chest of surprises and facts you do not hear in a normal history class. Great book. Great story. I cried. This should be on your reading list.

A common theme is kindness and strength. The people who lived in these farming towns were always kind and looking over each other. Some mothers had to simply sell themselves in order to keep their children safe and they sacrificed everything. They were strong and proud as a people throughout their trials. I believe they had so much compassion and it took a lot of sacrifice to put others first when they had so little to give. While on trains, in camps, snowstorms, and holidays, the woman and town people continued to amaze me with their love and kindness. For instance, the main girl Lina, lived in a house with a grouchy old woman who would take most of their rations as payment for rent. And as they were leaving to be sent away, Lina's mother gave her a farewell gift and never complained on how they were treated. It is giving without wanting return and it is seem throughout the book.

In a post by Maggie Stiefvater, she perfectly explains how the story grabs your heart and stretches your brain. You could not thing of the terrible things that happened to the people in the Siberian towns, yet it is tender how they worked through it and persevered. She also says one of her favorite parts of the book is the mothers. I agree one hundred percent. The mothers are the power in the story. I just believe it is good to show the charity in hard times and I loved reading this book. Just read it. I can't give anything away. It was written very well and you will learn so much.