Nnis the book between shades of gray a true story

An untold story of lithuanian survival in between shades of gray. Historical facts and fiction for between shades of gray prezi. According to an article from, people in the west did not know much about the soviet camps, or gulags, but people in the baltic countries would often have to stuggle daily for their lives against brutal treatment in soviet prison camps. Between shades of gray is a beautiful and sometimes heartwrenching book. The power of love the main theme of between shades of gray, and the biggest lesson lina must learn, is that even in the face of great suffering, brutality, and hate, love is the better choice. She begins to draw in the dirt on the floor to pass the time. Exposing the agonies endured by victims of josef stalins regime, between shades of gray. People speculate as to where the train might be heading. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys thanks in part to the large body of wellwritten, honest accounts both fictional and nonfictional about the holocaust, americans now grow up both knowing of, and being rightly horrified by, the atrocities committed by the nazis during world war ii.

Though lina and her family are fictional characters, according to timelines of history, on june 14th, 1941, the russian secret police nkvd took over 40,000 lithuanian men, women and children, packed them into cattle cars and transported them to the far. Based on the true stories of baltic citizens, between shades of gray is a. Sepetys reminds us of what could be if we turn our backs on the world and continue to focus only on our own individual lives. The washington post from new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys, author of salt to the sea, comes a. Recommended resources discussion guide between shades of gray. The next chapter takes place 15 years later, with travis younger sister, jesse, defacing a building with an. Baltic prisoners vs sovietsman vs man this conflict was something very prevalent in the minds of people during this time. One thing i didnt like about the book was, that lots of people died. Between shades of gray breaks the silence behind josef stalins atrocious. Jul 17, 2014 between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, 97801435889, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide.

Its the story of 15yearold lina, her younger brother, and their mother, whom the soviets deport from their lithuanian home to a siberian labor camp in 1941. The novel is inspired by the real experiences of real people, merging them into one story, which turned into a piece of fiction and therefore does not require a book. A story of hardship as well as human triumph, between shades of gray is an eye opening reimagination of a very real tragedy written with grace and heart. In what ways is he a catalyst for the choices made by lina and jonas. Morality, integrity, and sacrifice strength and identity. It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid 20th. They wore blue hats with a red border and a gold star. Between shades of gray was adapted into the film ashes in the snow, and her other novels are currently in development for tv and film. In my opinion, this wouldnt be the book for younger children, because it has a some abusing in it. D came and told lina, jonas and elna that they were being taken away, but not told were to. Rated t purely for the dirty jokes made by drunk men. As this is a story seldom told, ruta wanted to give a voice to the hundreds of thousands of people who lost their lives during stalins cleansing of the baltic region.

While this book was hard to read, lina is an incredibly strong, likeable heroine and her mother, elena, was the voice of optimism, hope, and kindness. He doesnt really know what love is as he has a huge amount of personal issues that he has carried from his childhood. Determine which chapters, themes and styles you already know and what you need to study for your upcoming essay, midterm, or final exam. The vilkas family originally lives in lithuania, a european country, near latvia and poland. Overall, the story of between shades of gray takes place in the european and asian continents.

Between shades of gray, a new york times best seller, is the debut novel of american novelist ruta sepetys. Until one night when soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life. Lina is just like any other fifteenyearold lithuanian girl in 1941. Everything lina experienced did actually happen to a person because the author traveled to lithuania to hear their stories and their real. March 2011 between shades of gray by ruta sepetys is a young adult book that deserves attention from readers. Over the last three years, much of what the guardian holds dear has been threatened democracy, civility, truth. Lina fights for her life, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by burying her complete story in. In 1940, josef stalin, the leader of the soviet union, annexed lithuania to make it part of the soviet union. My students cant get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof. Between shades of gray is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit.

Apr 07, 2011 between shades of gray is a story about family, suffering, survival, hope, evil, and friendship. As chapter 29 opens, the vilkas family is surveying the ten by twelve foot shack that is to be their home when the young blond guard comes to summon elena to meet with the commander. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, paperback barnes. Lina fights for her life, vowing that if she survives she will honor her family, and the thousands like hers, by burying her complete story in a jar on lithuanian soil. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in between shades of gray, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Though the picture, from, is faded, you can see the border and the star, matching to what sepetys described.

Between shades of gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your. It was nominated for the 2012 cilip carnegie medal and has been. The book opens with travis mclaurin, a 19yearold white man trying to protect alia susanto, a 16yearold hijabwearing indonesianamerican muslim, from the debris caused by the south towers destruction. Ruta sepetys has written a novel whose horrors are all too real. Between shades of gray by elizabeth anderson on prezi. Between shades of grey fanfiction archive with over 6 stories. Without spoiling a single thing, this book is i will not go into the details of the story, nor will i offer my opinion regarding the events described.

The opening sentence of this superlative first novel by ruta sepetys. In between shades of gray, the nkvd are described as the following. Its the story of a littlespokenabout series of events that occurred in lithuania, latvia and estonia, where stalin exiled people from those countries to siberia during world war ii. Andrius says his father is in the army, and that he has been gone for a while. The end historical fiction keeping dignity the guards looked at one another, dumbfounded. Historical facts and fiction for between shades of gray by. Conflict one of the major conflicts that happend was the head commander of nkvd wanted everyone to sign this paper that said anyone who signs this has to be with them for twentyfive years and. The main theme of between shades of gray, and the biggest lesson lina must learn, is that even in the face of great suffering, brutality, and hate, love is the better choice. The storyteller who wishes to bring such a past to life, make it real by fictionalising it, clearly shoulders an immense responsibility. Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important. Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray is now the film ashes in the snow.

Important, entertaining, and inspiring, this novel is a mustread. Get the entire between shades of gray litchart as a printable pdf. As soon as i saw this video, i knew i had to read this novel. Shades of gray is a young adolescent book set immediately after americas civil war. Conflict one of the major conflicts that happend was the head commander of nkvd wanted everyone to sign this paper that said anyone who signs this has to be with them for twentyfive years and if you do something bad your years go up. Learn more at about the author born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a lithuanian refugee. Minor characters are memorably and vividly drawn, and the first half of the book, in particular, roars along. She is arrested alongside her mother, elena, and tenyearold brother jonas.

The steamy novel fifty shades of grey and its sequels, fifty shades darker and fifty shades freed, became major pieces of pop culture around the time of their publication. With between shades of gray, it was hard to restrain myself from the very first chapters. Author ruta sepetys interviewed survivors, using their real. It is not just that she wants us to understand that love can conquer hate in many small ways. The main character, twelveyearold william page, finds himself an orphan after the war and is sent to live. Between shades of gray reading after midnight reading.

During world war 2, the soviet union red army and the germany nazis were battling over the baltic states for power. Mar 28, 2011 between shades of gray by ruta sepetys thanks in part to the large body of wellwritten, honest accounts both fictional and nonfictional about the holocaust, americans now grow up both knowing of, and being rightly horrified by, the atrocities committed by the nazis during world war ii. A little scene delving more into the background of the soviet officer nikolai kretzsky of the novel between shades of gray. Mar 22, 2011 the building, readers learn later, is the islam peace center, where jesse must do her community service for her crime. Between shades of gray original soundtrack based on the novel by ruta sepetys, an album by gavin mikhail. It tells the story of what it was like to be one of the deported from the point of view of a teenager living through it. A tiny silver of gold appeared between shades of gray on the horizon. The washington postfrom new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys, author of salt to the sea, comes a. A moving and haunting novel perfect for readers of the book thief.

In the story, it starts moments before the nkvd barge through linas door to deport her and her family on june 14th 1941, which is a fact. While reading the book i listened to the soundtrack, which is as amazing as the story itself and i recommend it with all my heart. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys reading guidebook. Richard peck, newbery awardwinning author of a year down yonder between shades of gray is a story of astonishing force. The war ended, but they stayed prisoners for 15 years. In june of 1941, fifteenyearold lina vilkas is arrested by the soviet secret police, the nkvd, from her home in kaunas, lithuania.

A first novel that is hard to read but hard to stop reading. It is a historical fiction novel set during world war ii and tells the story of a girl who along with her family is being deported to work in labor camps in siberia. Between these plot points, the author elegantly transitions between the gripping descriptions of alia and travis trying to survive and jesse almost falling into the abyss of generational hatred of islam. Take our free between shades of gray quiz below, with 25 multiple choice questions that help you test your knowledge. Parents need to know that between shades of gray is a story of horrific cruelty and violence for mature tweens and up. During the last ten chapters, it became unbearable. Sepetys is very deliberate in her framing of love as a choice one makes. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys overdrive rakuten. Between shades of gray is an amazingly haunting story. Learn more at about the author born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a. They want to stay together, so the children go with their mother. Her father kostas has been arrested earlier, and they dont know where he is the family is given very little time to pack before they are loaded onto a bus full of other arrested.

The first reason is, the kids found there dad on a train that was going to siberia. Tennis volleyball recreation game room trampolines outdoor games. This response to unfairness intensified my view of mankind. I feel grateful for a writer like ruta sepetys who bravely tells the hard story of what happens to the innocent when world leaders and their minions choose hate and. Her work has appeared regularly in the orlando sentinel. Between shades of gray is a story about family, suffering, survival, hope, evil, and friendship. Between shades of gray takes place in a lot of places. Lina and jonas begin to chat with a boy linas age named andrius arvydas while elena speaks to his mother.

The time period of the story begins in 1941, just before the ending of world war ii. Author interview ruta sepetys, author of between shades of gray. The book did not explain a lot about how lina and andrius reunite, so the purpose of this story is to fill up the 12 years of the pairs separation. If you are the publisher or author of this book and feel. Between shades of gray takes its title from the complex nuances of morality that lina, the teenage protagonist and narrator, experiences and must grapple with during her years of imprisonment in the harsh soviet labor camps of siberia during world war ii. Between shades of gray kindle edition by sepetys, ruta. Title of a book, article or other published item this will display to the public. It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid20th century and follows the life of lina as she is deported from her native lithuania with her mother and younger brother, and the journey they take to a labor camp in siberia. Thats when nkvd have been decided to take groups to set camp with at the next stop. Using the phrase, this is a story about supply five words to describe between shades of gray. Between shades of gray character analysis litcharts. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, 97801435889, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Aug 15, 2012 while many have read about the atrocities committed against jews during the holocaust, fewer books are read or written about those committed by stalin, especially in lithuania and the other baltic states. Author ruta sepetys talks about the true history behind between.

It first starts out in 1941 lithuania when lina and her family have been taken away from there home by the nkvd. Her novels between shades of gray, out of the easy, and salt to the sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Ruta sepetys wrote a tragic story to let us know the truth about the crimes of stalin. Lina counts fortysix people in the train car, and imagines it to be a rolling coffin. They battled back and forth soviet occupation1940 nazi occupation soviet. Until one night when soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life theyve known. Its interesting because this book opened my eyes to the horrors of history that we werent taught in school. Between shades of grey fanfiction archive fanfiction. It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid20th. They had 20mins to pack all the things that are valuable or mean something. Between shades of gray isnt the type of book id normally read, but im. In the novel between shades of gray, ruta sepetys documents.