Salt To The Sea
Publication Date: Febuary 2, 2016
Publisher: Penguin Books
Pages: 391
Summary:
Frosty nights and chilly winter air become trifling agitations for six European refugees seeking safe passage across the salt-laden Baltic Sea. As 1945 draws World War II to a close, this make-shift family must rely on trust, faith, and each other to escape Nazi territory in East Prussia; desperately hoping that the chaos of war doesn't strangle them first. Sepetys winds a tale of love, loss, and guilt by bringing four survivor tales together, and proves that the darkness of war can bring out the best, and worst, in human beings.
Review:
Readers embark on a multitude of adventures daily. Some are better than others; certain stories are easier to forget. But one day, a reader may be blessed enough to read a story that haunts them decades after that final page is turned. Ruta Sepetys delivers more than just a story in Salt To The Sea; she delivers an honest truth. Every printed word pierces the reader's heart with the knowledge of what really roamed the streets on those cold winter nights in East Prussia many years ago, and the horror that ensued. From it's gripping start to it's devastating conclusion, Sepetys exhibits one of history's most overlooked tragedies in a dangerous journey where no one is destined to survive.
Plot:
A novel's plot is truly the heart to every story. It drives the reader to tear into every page until their eyes graze over that final word, or abandon the book entirely in search of a better one. While reading Salt To The Sea, my heart never wanted to abandon the characters in the midst of their story. It aways yearned to know the outcome of their fate, even though a foreboding sense foreshadowed that the grisly effects of war would have a dire impact on the characters. Truth be told, I never wanted to stop reading this book. I found the plot engaging and easy to get into, and the story itself never fails to bore the reader with its many twists and turns.
Characters:
Writing through the perspective of multiple characters can make any reader's head spin with confusion. It can be hard to follow along with each individual story when each one is blended so profusely. But that is not the case with Salt To The Sea. Sepetys' inclusion of short chapters makes each individual story easy to comprehend and follow along with, especially when the characters lives are interwoven throughout the story. Furthermore, the details of our main characters backstories are slowly revealed as the novel progresses, making it easy to appreaciate every struggle and trial the characters have had to overcome. All facts taken into account, it is impossible to not sympathize with each character and fear for the unsteady road that lies ahead for them.
Setting:
Every road a character travels upon holds weight in a story's overarching evaluation. Accuracy and interest play important roles in a novel's background, and makes the story more engaging as a whole. Unsurprisingly, Sepetys portrays the desperate air of war beautifully as the Nazi Reign threatens to collapse around the lives of our beloved refugees. The geography depicted in Salt To The Sea is factually pleasing without being overly pedantic and truly delivers a believable account of survival in the devastation of war.
Writing Style:
Every author has a voice. A voice that is their own. It sounds different than any other writer; it marks each story as its own. But Sepetys' voice truly stands out from the mass of fiction this world possess. Salt To The Sea never refrains from being brutally honest. Not one chapter is sugarcoated or abridged; ensuring that the true calamity of war is spoken for in all its entirety. Sepetys' gift of delivering such painful honesty is a key element in distinguishing her voice apart from the mass of writers whose tones all sound the same.
Conclusion:
I enjoy reading historical accounts of a time before my own. But Salt To The Sea reminded me of what a truly memorable piece of historical fiction looks like. Sepetys' masterpiece truly is a wonderful story that any and all readers would be delighted to embark on. Therefore, it gives me pleasure to give Salt To The Sea a truly deserved five out of five stars.
*For further historical fiction recommendations, you may want to check out Sepetys' other works, which include Between Shades of Grey and Out of the Easy. Thanks for reading.
