Salt to the Sea

Sepetys. Ruta. SALT TO THE SEA. 2016. New York: Philomel Books ISBN 9780399160301

Plot Summary

This is a story about four people who leave their homes and countries during World War II. Joana, Florian, Emilia and Alfred meet each other as they are fleeing their countries for various reasons. Joana is a refugee from Lithuania and she has resettled in Germany. Emilia is 15 years old and pregnant as a result of being assaulted by German soldiers. Florian is an artist on the run because he stole from the German soldiers as an act of revenge. Florian works on the ship that Joana, Emilia, and Florian find themselves on.   Although, World War II is coming to an end, the protagnists of the story find themselves in a dangerous situation. This is a story told from four different perspectives and in the end they all have a few things in common. 

Critical Analysis

In Salt to the Sea, Ruta Sepetys, writes with great detail and care a story set in Eastern Europe during World War II. She has written a story that is told by four different people of various ages and from different backgrounds. It can be difficult write a story with multiple narrators and keep the plot strong but Ms. Sepetys does an excellent job in her writing. She seems to have done extensive research about the event which she writes about: the sinking of a large ship that was meant to transport people to safety and freedom. One detail that Ms. Sepetys chooses to write into her story is that of teenage pregnancy. The character of Emilia is pregnant because of an encounter with a German soldier.  Including a pregnant teenager in the story may seem out of character because this is set during World War II but Ms. Septys chose to write about a time in history where information has been lost and/or left untouched. Teenage pregnancy has been a part of humanity for years and although today many would consider this taboo; society has been dealing with this matter for centuries.  When it comes to the depictions of the atrocities and horrors that many Europeans experienced at the hands of the Germans, Ms. Septys captures those details quite well.  I will say that I prefer to read historical fiction that is somewhat light on the dark moments in history; and I do struggle with stories told from multiple points of view but Salt to the Sea is a decent read.

Review Excerpt(s)

Booklist-“An impeccably researched story of hardship and survival in Eastern Europe. In many ways, the greatest punishment—and the greatest of all tragedies—is to be forgotten. This haunting gem of a novel begs to be remembered, and in turn, it tries to remember the thousands of real people its fictional characters represent.”

School Library Journal-“Observations of war and loss, human cruelty, and hatred are unflinching. But through the horror and heartbreak shine rays of hope: love, kindness, courage, and sacrifice. Artfully told and sensitively crafted, Sepetys’s exploration of this little-known piece of history will leave readers weeping.”

Connections

Display a map of Eastern Europe and highlight the countries of Poland, Lithuania, Prussia, and Germany. Briefly talk about how World War II affected these countries and its citizens.

Create a character map or Venn diagrams: comparing and contrasting the characters.

Have students partner up or form groups of four and research the MV Wilhelm Gustloff (ship). 

Discuss with students if there are moments found in the story that mirror other historical events. (i.e., discrimination based on sex and/or race, assault, friendships)

The words found in this review are my own and are part of a graduate studies class at Sam Houston State University.