Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

Reviewed by Lori
Between Shades Of Gray
Title: Between Shades of Gray

Author: Ruta Sepetys

Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 49070

Description: In 1941, fifteen-year-old Lina and her family are sent to Siberia, where her father is sentenced to death in a prison camp, and she vows to honor her family and others by burying her story in a jar on Lithuanian soil.

Rubric Rating: Level 4 - Love It

Why I Read It: A debut novel by this author.

Lori's Notes: This is Ruta Sepetys' debut novel and it is amazing.  The story is based on the Russian occupation and Stalin's deportation of groups of Lithuanians, Estonians, and Latvians to Siberia during WWII.  Lina's life in Lithuania is suddenly thrown into chaos when the Russian NKVD (the precursor to the KGB) arrives at their home telling them they have 20 minutes to pack.  Lina's 10-year-old brother Jonas and their mother Elena hastily pack up some of their belongings and are immediately taken to the train station and loaded into cattle cars.  Their journey takes them to a remote communal farm in Russia where Lina and her family struggle to survive in a harsh climate and environment not knowing whom to trust.  Lina discovers that her father has been arrested and using her artwork tries to "pass-along" messages to him in a far away Russian prison.  Lina meets Andrius on the trains and their relationship blooms on the communal farm. However, Lina and her family are once again relocated and they end up in a remote Siberian settlement where once again they struggle to survive.  Shelters are sparse, illness and lice prevalent, and death could arrive at any moment.  Lina uses her artwork to portray the conditions that she sees around her and as a testament to the atrocities that she has witnessed. The majority of her artwork is produced in shades of gray - with pencils, charcoal, or ash paint.  Moreover, the title also suggests the "gray" of the characters in the novel.  No one is black or white - all good or all bad.  Lina and her family, Andrius and his mother, the bald man, the NKVD agent Nicholai Kretzky, each person's story reveals more about their character.  The novel is surprisingly fast paced with short chapters and language that is sparse and to the point.  Not even the words in this book are wasted.  I would have liked if the novel included sketches of Lina's artwork, or reproductions of artwork from the museums mentioned at the end of the novel.  Overall a compelling read.

Recommended Readers: Recommended for any high school History and English curriculum.  An excellent companion novel to "The Diary of Anne Frank" or "The Endless Steppe."  Grade 9 and Up.

Themes: WWII, Lithuania, Russia/Siberia, Deportation, Genocide, Survival, Family Relationships, Parental Sacrifice, Friendship, Guilt, Testaments.

Cross-Genre Links: 
Websearch: Lithuanian Genocide
Websearch: NKVD
Image Search: Lithuanian Deportation to Siberia
Discussion Guide: Between Shades of Gray Discussion Guide

Post Reading Discussion Questions and Activities: 

  • What would you pack if you only had 20 minutes?
  • Lina's artwork becomes a testament to her experience.  Create a piece of art using charcoal and shades of gray as the basis.
  • What is the difference between living and surviving?
  • How does the bald man eventually figure into Lina's Story.  Do you have empathy for his character?
  • What do the mothers in this novel sacrifice for their children?
  • Does this story remind you of the German persecution of the Jews?  How is it the same and how is it different?
  • Discuss the title "Between Shades of Gray"  How is this title evocative of the setting, characters, and themes of this novel.  Who or what is between shades of gray?

Other Titles By Ruta Sepetys:


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