Sepetys, Ruta. Salt to
the Sea. Philomel, 2016.
In
the winter of 1945 in Europe, World War II is nearly over, but many citizens of
the eastern Baltic States are fleeing the advance of the Russian army, led by
Joseph Stalin, to what they hope is freedom.
Travel conditions across Europe are brutal—sub-freezing temperatures,
snow, rocky terrain, and little or no food and shelter.
Many
refugees band together to make the trek to evacuation boats waiting at Gotenhafen
on the Baltic Sea in Poland. One such group
includes Joana, a young nurse from Poland, Emilia, a pregnant fifteen year-old
Lithuanian girl, and Florian, an artist from Prussia. Other members of the group include a small
boy, an elderly shoemaker, and a blind girl.
Amazingly, they all receive passage on the Wilhelm Gustloff, formerly a
cruise liner, now serving as a transport ship.
On
the ship they encounter Alfred, a teenaged German soldier, who is a delusional
coward, making up fantasies in his head and shirking his duties by hiding in
the bathroom.
The
ship, which is well over capacity, leaves the port, only to be hit hours later
with three torpedoes from a Russian submarine.
The ship’s inhabitants either spill out into the icy Baltic Sea or sink
with the ship. Sadly, only about
one-tenth of the occupants survive.
Ruta
Sepetys is known for her well-researched historical novels, and Salt to the Sea is no exception.
Although the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff resulted in far greater casualties
(more than 9400) than the Titanic, it is not often remembered, mainly because
it was overshadowed by all the other tragedies that occurred during World War
II. Ms. Sepetys has given voice to
thousands evacuees, many of them children, who perished in the largest maritime
disaster in history.
The
book is told in four alternating teen viewpoints, that of Joana, Emilia,
Florian, and Alfred. Readers are able to
see the horrors of war as the characters' backstories unfold in short chapters
written in beautiful prose.
Even
though Salt to the Sea is intended
for a young adult audience, it could easily be an adult crossover. It will make its debut tomorrow, February 2,
2016. I highly recommend it for high school and
public libraries and give it five out of five fleur de lis!
Reviewer’s
Note: The copy reviewed was an e-galley
from Edelweiss.
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