Salt to the Sea

New York Times Bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal! "Masterfully crafted"--The Wall Street Journal

For readers of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating--yet unknown--tragedies.

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. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety.

Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people--adults and children alike--aboard must fight for the same thing: survival.

Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff--the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in 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 for Salt to the Sea
Featured on NPR's Morning Edition ♦ "Superlative...masterfully crafted...[a] powerful work of historical fiction."--The Wall Street Journal ♦ "[Sepetys is] a master of YA fiction...she once again anchors a panoramic view of epic tragedy in perspectives that feel deeply textured and immediate."--Entertainment Weekly ♦ "Riveting...powerful...haunting."--The Washington Post ♦ "Compelling for both adult and teenage readers."--New York Times Book Review ♦ "Intimate, extraordinary, artfully crafted...brilliant."--Shelf Awareness ♦ "Historical fiction at its very, very best."--The Globe and Mail ♦ "[H]aunting, heartbreaking, hopeful and altogether gorgeous...one of the best young-adult novels to appear in a very long time."--Salt Lake Tribune ♦ *"This haunting gem of a novel begs to be remembered."--Booklist ♦ *"Artfully told and sensitively crafted...will leave readers weeping."--School Library Journal ♦ A PW and SLJ 2016 Book of the Year

Praise for Between Shades of Gray
A New York Times Notable Book ♦ A Wall Street Journal Best Children's Book ♦ A PW, SLJ, Booklist, and Kirkus Best Book ♦ iTunes 2011 Rewind Best Teen Novel ♦ A Carnegie Medal and William C. Morris Finalist ♦ A New York Times and International Bestseller ♦ "Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both."--The Washington Post ♦ *"[A]n important book that deserves the widest possible readership."--Booklist

Author: Ruta Sepetys
Publisher: Philomel Books
Published: 02/02/2016
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.10lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.50w x 1.50d
ISBN: 9780399160301
Audience: Young Adult

Accelerated Reader:
Reading Level: 4.5
Point Value: 10
Interest Level: Upper Grade
Quiz #/Name: 179545 / Salt to the Sea


Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 11/15/2015
Publishers Weekly 11/09/2015
Booklist 12/01/2015 pg. 52
School Library Journal 12/01/2015 pg. 128
Library Journal 12/01/2015 pg. 97
Voice of Youth Advocates 12/01/2015 - Recommended - Better Than Most
Horn Book Magazine 01/01/2016 pg. 102
Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 02/01/2016
Shelf Awareness 02/05/2016
Entertainment Weekly 02/12/2016 pg. 73
New York Times Book Review 02/14/2016 pg. 22
New York Times Book Review 02/21/2016 pg. 26
School Library Journal 12/01/2016 pg. 38
Shelf Awareness 12/13/2016

About the Author

Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. 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. 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. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter @RutaSepetys and Instagram @RutaSepetysAuthor.