Salt to the Sea

On January 30, 1945 three torpedoes from a Russian submarine tore through the refuge ship, Wilhelm Gustloff, sinking her within sixty minutes. The ship was tremendously over-crowded and of the fifteen thousand on board, at least nine thousand perished. This is the deadliest marine disaster in history, and yet, many of us have never heard of it. In Salt to the Sea, author Ruta Sepetys tells the story of the sinking and of some of the refugees who were aboard her.

The story is haunting, gripping and heart-wrenching as we are introduced to a small group of refugees who are fleeing the oncoming Russians. This is a mixed group of people, young and old, from various countries, all trying to stay ahead of the invading army. One member of the show more group, Joana is a Lithuanian nurse and her nursing skills are in demand which allows her to bring her friends on board as well. Also travelling with them is Florian, a Prussian who had been working for the Nazis restoring art, but he deserted once he realized that most of the officers were lining their pockets with the artwork, not keeping it safe for posterity.

The story unfolds through four different narrative voices, yet it is concise, clear and emotionally involving. Although this is considered a YA story, it is so well told and written that it appeals to all ages. The author is able to place us among these people and have us caring about them and wanting to see them make it to a place of safety. Salt to the Sea is both a beautiful and tragic read that sheds a light on a little known event in history. show less

Florian, Joana, and Emilia are refugees from East Prussia, Lithuania, and Poland, respectively, struggling to make their way to the Baltic port of Gotenhafen in hopes of securing passage to safety on the ship, Wilhelm Gustloff. The novel's context is Operation Hannibal, a huge sea evacuation effort to take refugees to safety as the Russians advanced westward during the waning months of World War II. The stories of these three characters and the friends they make along the way provide the deeply human element of a WWII chapter that has largely fallen into obscurity. Their longing for home, for safety, and their ability to love and laugh even in the midst of numbingly cold weather, pervasive terror, and desperate hunger brings home the show more indomitable human spirit.

The novel is told from several first-person points of view. Florian is a disillusioned art restorer with a strong need to redeem himself. Joana is a nurse, driven to help any injured person whenever possible. Emilia is pregnant and alone, terrified that her Polish identity will ultimately lead to her destruction. Each of them carries a secret. And each of them illuminates an aspect of human compassion and hope. In contrast, Alfred is a German sailor whose unflinching loyalty to Hitler is buoyed by his deep longing to be seen and appreciated. With a history of being ridiculed and ostracized, he tells his story through a series of letters to a sweetheart back home, letters we learn early on are never written much less mailed. But his internal dialogue with the girl he loved provides an interesting variation on the first-person narrative.

There are a few harrowing scenes in this story; Operation Hannibal was not an unmitigated success. But the stories of our little band of refugees are compelling and engaging. I stayed up quite late on the last night of May to finish reading it. This was a delightful way to learn about this small slice of WWII history. show less

One of my father’s cousins said, "Ruta, you love hidden history. You love historical secrets. I have a story for you." And she said those two words: "Wilhelm Gustloff… I had passage on that ship."

The day of the voyage, fate intervened and my father’s cousin did not get on that Wilhelm Gustloff. And as a result, she survived. Ruta Sepetys, author. Interview with mashable.com on January 24, 2016.
Salt to the Sea brings to life a virtually unknown true maritime tragedy in Eastern Prussia in 1945 during the waning years of World War II. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff still is the world's deadliest maritime disaster exceeding the loss of life on the better known Titanic and Lusitania combined.

The deaths of these 10,000 passengers show more is made even more gut-wrenching as we learn through Sepetys' fictionalized account that the majority of those on board were political refugees seeking refuge and hope for a better life. Over 5000 were children.

Sepetys, a daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, compelled by her own heritage, has crafted this poignant story of four teenagers caught up in the horrors of this war. Joana, one of hordes of fleeing Lithuanians, lives in fear of discovery by the Germans and shot as a deserter. Florian, enigmatic and discreet, hides from both the Soviets and Germans. Emilia, harboring a deep secret, is a young Polish girl squeezed between the invading Soviets and the unraveling Germans. Alfred, a Nazi seaman, is a social misfit with delusions of grandeur serving aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff.

Through these four disparate voices we experience what life must have been like as the war headed toward its inevitable conclusion. Through these young voices your own senses are assaulted by the inhumanity and the overwhelming helplessness. Yet in the depths of the deepest despair we are shown that the embers of hope, love and family cannot be extinguished.

This is not an easy read but a necessary read. With the notoriety of the horrific gas chambers and the beaches and towns of Western Europe, this book puts the lens on Eastern Europe. Written for a young adult audience, this book will appeal to adults as well. show less

In January 1945, tens of thousands of refugees from the Baltics, Eastern Europe, and Prussia flooded the port cities on the Baltic Sea hoping for boat passage to escape the Red Army, whose soldiers were leaving a swath of destruction behind them. Germany organized Operation Hannibal in an attempt to evacuate military personnel, Nazi officials and their families, wounded soldiers, and civilians to Germany. On January 30, the vastly overloaded Wilhelm Gustloff, a former cruise ship, left Gotenhafen with an estimated 10,500 people on board. She was struck by three torpedoes fired from a Soviet submarine and sank within an hour. An estimated 9,500 people died, making it by far the largest loss of life in maritime history from the sinking of show more a single vessel.

Ruth Sepetys did an amazing amount of research for her novel, including travelling the world to speak to survivors and their families. She decided to write the novel from the perspective of four teenagers in order to give voice to the child victims both of the war and the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff. In alternating chapters, the Lithuanian nurse Joana, the Polish girl Emilia, the wounded Prussian Florian, and the German sailor Alfred tell their stories. The result is an amazing piece of historical fiction that I found incredibly gripping and moving. Although billed as young adult, due to the age of the protagonists, I would recommend this for anyone interested in WWII historical fiction. show less

This book was completely captivating and beautifully written. You find yourself immediately drawn into the stories of four teenagers all battling with a secret and each must fight to survive the war after already enduring unimaginable heartache.
Through heartbreak and a seemingly endless journey, there is always hope that drives them forward. The strangers Joana, Emilia and Florian meet on their journey become their family....the shoe poet, the wandering boy...all reasons to not give up and continue the march.

"What a group we were. A pregnant girl in love, a kindly shoemaker, an orphan boy, a blind girl, and a giantess who complained that everyone was in her way when she herself took up the most room. And me, a lonely girl who missed show more her family and begged for a second chance."

The fictional stories of these teenagers were thoughtfully interwoven into the true story of the greatest tragedy in maritime history. I am very glad this book was written, stories like this are so important....they shed light on history that needs to remembered.
Definitely a page turner and highly recommended. show less

Well this was FANTASTIC. Not at all what I was expecting, but amazing all the same. Highly, HIGHLY recommend.

This book follows four perspectives, four stories, and probably three-dozen secrets between them all.

Both main and side characters are beautifully fleshed out. Even the ones you dislike are fun to hate. @rutasepetysauthor writes all the good characters in a way that makes you care deeply for them, and leaves you broken if/when they’re hurt. And she writes the bad characters in a way that makes you wish they’d get a good, front-handed slap across the face. Along with that comes the reality, however, that this book was not entirely about the tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff itself, but rather, the people who were on it, and the show more journey it took, mentally, emotionally, and physically, to get to and through it.

Because of the deep fleshing-out of characters, there are also some incredibly precious relationships of all kinds that are explored here. (I won’t say which ones I liked best here, because going into any kind of detail with this book would mean spoilers, but they’re precious. Just trust me.)

However, at the risk of revealing some ✨MINOR SPOILERS✨, I will say that the way Sepetys writes trauma, especially in the case of Emilia, is heartbreaking. It’s done so well, both in the way Emilia’s voice is so young for her age and the way she latches onto the little good things and people she comes across in an idolizing, child-like way.

I can’t say much else without extreme spoilers. So while I would love to do a long-winded review, discussing each of the characters, I think I’ll leave it at this.

Just trust me: as long as you push through the slow pacing (which is difficult to get through first but so, so beneficial in the end), you’ll be left awe-struck by this book.

—Elliana Maselli
1/28/2021
7:30PM show less

No one writes teen historical fiction like Ruta Sepetys. She's phenomenal. This book was gripping from the start in its character building, intrigue, and adventure. Like one of her prior novels, this was a historical event of which I was largely unaware. Everyone knows what happened to the Titanic, but how many could tell you about the Wihelm Gustloff? It is the largest disaster in maritime history and occurred towards the end of World War II. Salt to the Sea tells of four refugees fleeing their homelands in the winter of 1945 as the Russians approach and the Germans retreat. They are all desperate to reach port and get on one of the ships that will take them to safety. They'll do anything to get out of their broken war torn countries show more filled with decaying bodies, starvation, cold, and soon to be Russian pillagers. Each of the refugees carries secrets and as they flock to the sea, their secrets threaten to reveal themselves. Masterfully written! show less