Book Review // Salt to the Sea

Rating: 5/5

Review: 

After reading The Fountains of Silence (which I LOVED), I realized that a YA historical fiction can be just as deep and complex as an adult historical fiction book. The writing style is different and quicker paced and might not give every single detail, but the emotion and heartbreak in the tragedy is still there.⁣
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Salt to the Sea gave us a closer look at what the refuge situation was like after WWII. Millions of people were found displaced after the war and left to find safety. Cities were destroyed in air raids and the Russians were invading towns killing anyone getting in their way. There were so many running for their lives and trying to go where they could be safe. I’m kind of shocked this was my first book regarding this topic. Obviously, when there is war, there are refugees. The two go hand in hand.⁣
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Ruta gave us accounts of 4 people who met up along the way trying to get to the Baltic Sea. The Germans were transporting refugees across the Sea to get to safety, all amidst air raids, freezing cold waters, and overcrowded ships. The ships were holding 10x their capacity, and still had to leave thousands upon thousands still on the shore. Each individual story was so tragic to read, but Ruta was able to intertwine each detail and somehow still give us hope.⁣
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I love her writing style. She is a master storyteller and you can tell while reading how much detail and research she did in order for this story to come together. I had no clue to the extent of what happened on the Baltic Sea. How did this happen and how do so many of us not know anything about it?

Synopsis:
"Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . ." (Amazon.com)