We assign a color and icon like this one to each theme, making it easy to track which themes apply to each quote below. The story takes place in chromatacia, an alternate version of the united kingdom wherein social class is determined by ones ability to perceive colour. Her novels between shades of gray, out of the easy, and salt to the sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. A moving and haunting novel for readers of the book thieffifteenyearold lina is a lithuanian girl living an ordinary lifeuntil soviet officers invade her home.
Between shades of gray study guide from litcharts the. Between shades of gray is a riveting novel that steals your breath, captures your heart, and reveals the miraculous nature of the human spirit. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that lina ultimately survives. Between shades of gray discussion questions between. Between shades of gray book report timeline timetoast. In my opinion, this wouldnt be the book for younger children, because it has a some abusing in it. Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important.
It follows the stalinist repressions of the mid20th century and follows the life of lina as she is deported from her native lithuania with her mother and younger brother, and the journey they take to a labor camp in lithuania. Everything you need to know about between shades of gray. Between shades of gray, a new york times best seller, is the debut novel of american novelist ruta sepetys. A lot of people probably bypassed this book due to the fact it coincidentally sounds very similar to 50 shades of grey, a notorious adultsonly book. Theres no shortage of books for young readers about nazism and the holocaustand thats as it should be. Ruta sepetyss between shades of gray is now the film ashes in the snow. The washington post from new york times and international bestseller and carnegie medal winner ruta sepetys, author of salt to the sea, comes a. Between shades of gray, ruta sepetys 9780399254123 youtube. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys is a deeply moving, compelling, heartwrenching, and a powerful read which is beautifully written that captured my heart from the very first chapter. Born and raised in michigan, ruta sepetys is the daughter of a lithuanian refugee. Richard peck, newbery awardwinning author of a year down yonder between shades of gray is a story of astonishing force. This was definitely another pageturner and extremely hard to put down.
On may 12, 2015, ruta sepetys visited nashville public library to discuss her book, between shades of gray, to close out nashville reads 2015. Lina is just like any other fifteenyearold lithuanian girl in 1941. Author ruta sepetys talks about the true history behind. Fifteenyearold lina, her mother, and her younger brother are dragged from their. In 1940, the ussr the soviet union annexed the baltic countries of estonia, latvia, and lithuania, and systematically deported citizens deemed enemies of the state. I feel grateful for a writer like ruta sepetys who bravely tells the hard story of what happens to the innocent when world leaders and their minions choose hate and. The suffering experienced by lina and her companions is shocking and often difficult to read. Shes the author of between shades of grey schaduwliefde, a book about lina, a lithuanian girl who. D were coming for her, they wanted her to paint a portrait of the commander. Families can talk about parallels between this story and accounts by holocaust survivors. The first reason is, the kids found there dad on a train that was going to siberia. A moving and haunting novel perfect for readers of the book thief.
Why is the story of the baltics so much less familiar to people in the west. Listen to between shades of gray audiobook by ruta sepetys. Between shades of gray is a story about family, suffering, survival, hope, evil, and friendship. Author ruta sepetys talks about the true history behind between. Interview with ruta sepetys between shades of grey. There is no real resolution or end to the story it just stops without allowing the reader to gain any sense of where the main character or anyone else is at the end. How do you feel after reading these stories anxious. Arvydas brings a bottle of vodka and chocolate they sing carols and talk about their family memories.
In 1941, fifteenyearold lina is preparing for art school, first dates, and all that summer has to offer. Between shades of gray chapters 12 through 24 summary. It is not just that she wants us to understand that love can conquer hate in many small ways. The nations of lithuania, latvia, and estonia disappeared from maps in 1941 and did not reappear until 1990. It may be reproduced in its entirety or excerpted for these purposes. Check out between shades of gray at the book depository. Reading between shades of gray reminded me, once again, the importance of reading books. Their educational value cannot be underestimated whether its fiction or nonfiction. When elena smashes her crystals before leaving jonas is in shock. The argument that using grey instead of gray is not a change in english variant is weak at best.
Listen to between shades of gray by ruta sepetys at. In the 1930s and 40s, josef stalins regime killed tens of millions of people, a number so large that the mind tends to shunt it off into the abstract space reserved for statistics. Book talk on between shades of gray by ruta sepetys youtube. Sepetys is very deliberate in her framing of love as a choice one makes. A tiny sliver of gold appeared between shades of gray on the horizon. One thing i didnt like about the book was, that lots of people died. My thoughts and opinions on between shades of gray 45 stars. But between shades of gray is also a profoundly moving and inspiring book, as lina discovers first her own capacity for courage, then her ability to use art to overcome challenges, and finally her desire for both love and survival. Theres a great deal of misery in between shades of gray and other stories of government oppression, such as the holocaust. Ruta seems like a cool person and very easy to talk to. Buy your books with free shipping worldwide from book depository via. Before reading this book, i was unaware of the mass deportations carried out in lithuania by. The train eventually arrives at the vilnius, lithuania station, which reminds lina of when her teacher invited her to apply for a prestigious art program, a summer study program with some of the most talented artists in northern europe 79.
Click here to visit our frequently asked questions about html5. Autoplay when autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Litcharts makes it easy to find quotes by chapter, character, and theme. She was taken, by the nkvd, from her house with her mother and brother and placed into exile. Ruta sepetys discusses her novel, between shades of gray. When you made this video i put the book on hold at my library. Fifteenyearold lina, her mother, and her younger brother are dragged from their home and packed into a train car in the opening pages of this harrowing novel that begins in lithuania on june 14, 1941.
Between shades of gray is set during world war ii, and concerns the genocide of the baltic people. Discussion questions for between shades of gray download pdf themes for book club discussions download pdf. For christmas lina gave andrius a drawing she made of him, and andrius gave her a book, dickens dombey and son andrius came running into the vilkas hut saying that the n. Whats the story set during wwii, 16yearold lina, her mother, and her younger brother are deported to a forcedlabor camp in siberia, where conditions are all too painfully similar to those of nazi concentration camps. Author the author of between shades of gray is ruta sepetys beginning middle they arrive. Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone.
For example, what would be different if it were set in world war i or ii. The late late show with james corden recommended for you. Until one night when soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life theyve known. Her mother answers and the officers rush in, placing the family under arrest but without any information why they are being targeted. Students will rewrite the basic plot of between shades of gray and set it in another century, explaining how the different setting changes the work. Main characters the main characters are lina, a 15 year old lithuanian, linas younger brother, jonas, elena vilkas, there mom, nikolia kretsey, a russian gaurd, and andrius, linas friend. This book follows the life of lenas family and other families when they were hauled away by the soviet secret police. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys, paperback barnes. Up next author ruta sepetys talks about the true history behind between shades of gray duration. She is arrested alongside her mother, elena, and tenyearold brother jonas. Between shades of gray by ruta sepetys book trailer. Between shades of gray is a novel that will steal your breath and capture your heart.
The road to high saffron 2012, simply titled shades of grey originally is a dystopian novel, the first in the shades of grey series by novelist jasper fforde. In june of 1941, fifteenyearold lina vilkas is arrested by the soviet secret police, the nkvd, from her home in kaunas, lithuania. This discussion guide has been provided by penguin young readers group for classroom, library, and book club use. Ruta sepetys goodreads author topics about this book topics that mention this book. This book gets a strong 3 for a variety of reasons. Between shades of gray discussion questions what did you think this book was going to be about before you started. This study guide consists of approximately 32 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of between shades of gray. Official book website for between shades of gray by ruta. Between shades of gray restarting september 28th 2018. Between shades of gray was adapted into the film ashes in the snow, and her other novels are currently in development for tv and film. Children, at a certain age, ought to begin learning about the ghastly events that.
Between shades of gray 2011 read online free books. While this book was hard to read, lina is an incredibly strong, likeable heroine and her mother, elena, was the voice of optimism, hope, and kindness. Critically acclaimed, international and new york times bestseller. Need help on symbols in ruta sepetyss between shades of gray. Buy a cheap copy of between shades of gray book by ruta sepetys. Your browser does not currently recognize any of the video formats available. The main theme of between shades of gray, and the biggest lesson lina must learn, is that even in the face of great suffering, brutality, and hate, love is the better choice.
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