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Between Shades Of Gray
Between Shades Of Gray
Dec 20, 2025 2:24 AM

Author:Ruta Sepetys

Between Shades Of Gray

The New York Times bestseller Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys is a harrowing story of a Lithuanian family who suffer unimaginable hardship and deportation during World War II, pitched perfectly for children and adults alike.

That morning, my brother's life was worth a pocket watch . . .

One night fifteen-year-old Lina, her mother and young brother are hauled from their home by Soviet guards, thrown into cattle cars and sent away. They are being deported to Siberia.

An unimaginable and harrowing journey has begun. Lina doesn't know if she'll ever see her father or her friends again. But she refuses to give up hope.

Lina hopes for her family.

For her country.

For her future.

For love - first love, with the boy she barely knows but knows she does not want to lose . . .

Will hope keep Lina alive?

Set in 1941, Between Shades of Gray is an extraordinary and haunting story based on first-hand family accounts and memories from survivors.

'This superlative first novel by Ruta Sepetys demonstrates the strength of its unembellished language. A hefty emotional punch' New York Times

'Her prose is restrained and powerful, as unadorned as the landscape in which her characters struggle to survive... Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both' The Washington Post

Born and raised in Michigan, Ruta Sepetys is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. Ruta lives with her family in Tennessee. Between Shades of Grey is her first novel.

http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/

Reviews

Rooney writes beautifully

—— John Harding , Daily Mail

A breathtaking, uplifting novel

—— Fiona Atherton , The Scotsman

It's a fine, funny, unfussy novel that pays overdue tribute to those magnificent women in their flying machines

—— Alfred Hickling , Guardian

A big-hearted paean to the adventure of discovering love ... Rooney's lightness of touch imbues her characters with poignancy and humour. Yet it's her ability to capture the ecstasy and fear of falling in love and rising to its expectations that makes this such a joy

—— Mickey Noonan , Metro

As effortlessly as Proust or Forster, she incorporates unexpected aperçus

—— Christopher Hawtree , The Independent

A fun read, the novel's charm lies in its quirky humour

—— Elizabeth Buchan , The Sunday Times

This is poignant, quirky and delightfully original

—— Woman & Home

Confirms that she's a writer to watch

—— Bella

A delightful tale

—— Good Housekeeping

This is an assured second novel - and wonderful company for that long-overdue summer trip

—— Press Assocation

Imaginative and transporting, but entirely unfussy and unsentimental, the novel is written with a glint in the eye that gives it that extra bit of wind beneath its wings

—— Nicola Barr , Guardian

Wilson has done his research impeccably and he writes superbly well

—— Literary Review
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