Back in 2012 I read Ruta's book Between Shades of Gray and was very moved by it. I got another moving experience this time around.
Salt to the Sea is another moving read. Something done well here is telling a story in different voices and from different points of view and not muddying the voices. Each voice stays consistent and strong.
We get a brief glimpse of what it was like for those fleeing the Russians but not wanting to get caught by Nazis either. We follow Joana, Florian, Emilia, and Alfred and in their stories we learn about them as they learn about each other as well as Eva, the Poet, and the Wandering boy.
As the characters (except Alfred who is already there) move towards the port hoping to get on a ship and taken to safety the ship Wilhelm Gustloff becomes almost a character in the tale of the people you start to feel for. It is a heartbreaking tale about a piece of WWII lore that comes to life through these very human and hurting people.
(Finished May 8, 2016)
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