Salt to the Sea

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By the end, Salt to the Sea met up to its gut-wrenching reputation. Readers bear witness to Hitler and Stalin both savagely tearing apart Poland. Not to mention, we watch the Soviets’ advanced reign of terror on the Baltic states. Emilia died, just like more than nine thousand real people who were on board the Gustloff. But Sepetys ends Salt to the Sea insisting that while war breaks families into irretrievable pieces, "those who are gone are not necessarily lost." Emilia is physically gone, but her memory lives on. Florian, Joana, Klaus, and Halinka continue to be inspired by Emilia’s bravery. And Clara and Niels, the couple who find Emilia’s body on the Danish shore, bury Emilia by a small creek near a beautiful bed of roses. Emilia loves nature and surely would have been happy in this setting. Clara insists that she thinks of Emilia often, and that Emilia is safe and loved. a b Nance, Kevin (4 February 2016). "Ruta Sepetys on 'Salt to the Sea,' sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff". Chicago Tribune. My heart ached for the girl. What had she seen? And deep down I knew the truth. Hitler was pushing out Polish girls like Emilia to make room for “Baltic Germans,” people with German heritage. Like me. My father was Lithuanian but my mother’s family had German roots. That’s why we were able to flee from Stalin into the barbed arms of Hitler.

Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys Plot Summary | LitCharts Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys Plot Summary | LitCharts

I had received the sign six years ago. It was Saint John’s Night, the longest day of the year. Mama loved Saint John’s celebration—a night of bonfires, singing, and dancing. The tradition called for girls to make wreaths of flowers and candles. At dark, they would light the candles and send their wreaths floating down the river. Legend said that the boy who retrieved your wreath downstream was the boy you would marry. The year Mama died, the older girls let me make a wreath of flowers and candles with them. I chose all of Mama’s favorites—hibiscus, roses, poppies, and dried herbs. Since the chapters are so short sometimes we get to witness same events form different POVs, i found that very satisfying. I didn't lose interest for a second. It might seem like i cry over every book, that's because the ones that don't make me feel anything aren't even worth mentioning.A young Lithuanian nurse, Joana flees from her home, leaving behind her family. She is brave, selfless, and a skilled, multilingual nurse. Empathy and compassion pour from her soul. Part of Joana’s story is a crossover with Between Shades of Grey, Sepetys other infamous YA Baltic novel. 2. Florian The talented narrators excel in capturing the tone of their characters…. [They] work together to create a vivid and well-rounded reading experience, [and] bring forth the truth of the wartime experience.”– Booklist, starred review Joana is a survivor. She survived while other members of her family and other passengers on the Wilhelm Gustloff died. All she wants to do is help those around her. Yet as the Gustloff sinks she helpless in the face of such a terrible tragedy. All she can do is watch thousands of people die around her. After her beautiful debut, Between Shades of Grey, Sepetys has written a more complex book, which is just as heart-breaking. This compelling read deserves a place on your bookshelf beside Elizabeth Wein and Monica Hesse. If you like survival stories, historical fiction, or WWII narratives, Salt to the Seawill intrigue and capture your heart. Although YA, this title will flood your soul.

Salt to the Sea Themes | LitCharts Salt to the Sea Themes | LitCharts

A friend of Emilia’s father, Martin Kleist owns a farm near Nemmersdorf, in East Prussia. The Kleist family takes Emilia in during the war and Martin promises Emilia’s father that they’ll take care of her. Erna Kleist Joana and Florian are eventually rescued by a boat that comes to save the drowning and freezing refugees, but Emilia and Alfred, although they manage to board a raft, remain adrift at sea. Alfred, who has been writing letters to his beloved Hannelore for much of the novel, reveals that Hannelore was Jewish, and that he turned her into the Nazis when she spurned him. Overcome by rage, delirium, and hypothermia, Alfred first confuses Emilia for Hannelore, and then lashes out when he realizes she is speaking Polish and therefore belongs to a group Hitler has deemed “undesirable.” As he advances on her, Alfred falls into the water and dies. Emilia also freezes to death on the raft, but the final chapter implies that she is reunited with her family and friends in the afterlife. Few authors truly capture the stark effects of war on youth–especially children who have no one to help them through it. You learn how fast the war forces teenagers to grow up. Why are you so nervous?” said Eva. “You know you’re getting on a boat. You told me you’ve got a letter.” Maybe I could put it down to recently reading a fast-paced, exciting (and horrifying) book set during the Second World War - Front Lines - but, to be honest, I just think the author's war stories are not for me. I'm an emotional reader, and this kind of narrative leaves me cold.I really cared for Joana and Florian, Ruta Sepetys has a special talent for powerful romances. I can’t stop thinking about them. Featured on NPR’s Morning Edition ♦”Superlative…masterfully crafted…[a] powerful work of historical fiction.”— The Wall Street Journal ♦“[Sepetys is] a master of YA fiction…she once again anchors a panoramic view of epic tragedy in perspectives that feel deeply textured and immediate.”— Entertainment Weekly ♦“Riveting…powerful…haunting.”— The Washington Post ♦“Compelling for both adult and teenage readers.”— New York Times Book Review ♦“Intimate, extraordinary, artfully crafted…brilliant.”— Shelf Awareness♦”Historical fiction at its very, very best.”— The Globe and Mail ♦“[H]aunting, heartbreaking, hopeful and altogether gorgeous…one of the best young-adult novels to appear in a very long time.”— Salt Lake Tribune ♦*“This haunting gem of a novel begs to be remembered.”— Booklist♦ *“Artfully told and sensitively crafted…will leave readers weeping.”— School Library Journal♦A PW and SLJ 2016 Book of the Year Thank you, sailor.” Her warm whisper lingered in my ear. She was quite pretty and smelled like fresh eggs, but there have been many grateful and pretty girls. Oh, do not be concerned. You and your red sweater are foremost in my thoughts. How fondly, how incessantly, I think of my Hannelore and red-sweater days. By sharing the stories of 4 teens from different areas surrounding the Baltic Sea, Sepetys asks readers to remember and honor these brave and innocent souls. Most importantly, Sepetys sheds light and gives voice to an overshadowed part of history that deserves so much more attention. Joana still had her mother. Reuniting with her mother was her motivation. She would slay dragons to get to her. Mother was anchor. Mother was comfort. Mother was home. ”