Between Shades of Gray
By Ruta Sepetys
I have a friend who's family fled Lithuania during the war and found refuge in Colombia. They were some of the lucky ones. I never knew much about Stalin's ethnic cleansing in the Baltic Sea region and although a work of fiction, much of this story is based on a collection of interviews the author did. It opened my eyes to more of the wide spread horror during the '40's.
It is a story of a young girl, Lina, who's family was deported from Lithuania to Siberia. Their struggle for survival - not only physically, but mentally as well - consumed all their time and efforts. Her mom had an understanding that as important as needing to live was, a need to live with a clear conscience was just as important.
Although difficult to process the facts at times, I found myself compelled to continue reading because the story unfolding was one of love. Not the romantic type, but a love much greater and unfathomable, love for ones enemies under the most horrific circumstances.
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