New York Times Bestseller!ย "Masterly crafted"โThe Wall Street Journal
For readers ofย Between Shades of Grayย and All the Light We Cannot See, bestselling author Ruta Sepetysย returns to WWII in this epic novel thatย shines a light on one of the war's most devastatingโyet unknownโtragedies.
World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide.ย Among them areย Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to theย ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other testedย with each step closer to safety.
Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Notย country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand peopleโadults and children alikeโaboard must fight for the same thing: survival.
Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winningย All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson'sย Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Bookย Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of theย Wilhelm Gustloffโthe greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did inย Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity and love can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.
Praise forย Salt to the Sea:
โJorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch perform mesmerizing narration worthy of Sepetysโs spectacular novel. VERDICT Libraries with even the most limited audio budgets will want to invest.โ โSchool Library Journal, starred review
โThe talented narrators excel in capturing the tone of their charactersโฆ. [They] work together to create a vivid and well-rounded reading experience, [and] bring forth the truth of the wartime experience.โ โBooklist, starred review
โThe four narrators (Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris and Michael Crouch) are superbly cast...The storyโs plot and pacing translate beautifully to the audio medium.โ โย Publishers Weekly, starred review
Featured on NPR's Morning Edition ย โฆ ย โSuperlativeโฆmasterfully craftedโฆ[a] powerful work of historical fiction.โโThe Wall Street Journal ย โฆ ย โ[Sepetys is] a master of YA fictionโฆshe once again anchors a panoramic view of epic tragedy in perspectives that feel deeply textured and immediate.โโEntertainment Weekly ย โฆ ย "Riveting...powerful...haunting."โThe Washington Post ย โฆย โCompelling for both adult and teenage readers.โโNew York Times Book Review ย โฆย โIntimate, extraordinary, artfully craftedโฆbrilliant.โโShelf Awarenessย โฆ ย "Historical fiction at its very, very best."โThe Globe and Mailย ย โฆย ย โ[H]aunting, heartbreaking, hopeful and altogether gorgeousโฆone of the best young-adult novels to appear in a very long time.โโSalt Lake Tribune