A tough but necessary YA book about victims of Stalin's reign of terror. There is a current obsession with dystopian lit, but nothing can truly compare to the fear and hopelessness experienced daily by these innocent people whose "crime" may simply have been being related to someone who objected to a Soviet policy. This story is told by a 15 year old girl whose family is taken away in the dead of night, and who can only survive by luck and kindness of others. Her mother was the family's backbone and I was incredibly moved by the unrelenting kindness she offered to others, many of whom did not offer any in return. It is these civilities that keep us moored to our humanity. This book must have been difficult to research since people could not speak of the crimes against them by the USSR, and the generations who suffered did not want to relive the horror. When I lived in Hungary in the 90's, the older generations never wanted to speak of the people who "disappeared" in the backs of the black cars that drove up. Yet it is so very important for people to understand how pervasive and grotesquely "normal" such institutional cruelty can be when there is nobody there to call it out. Between Shades of Gray is about a young girl named Lina who is trying to survive a typical teenager life. One day, the police show up to her house unexpectedly and deport her, her mother and brother to the deep cold Siberia while her father is taken to a concentration camp. Her passion in life is her art which she uses throughout the book to send to her father to let him know that they are alive. Lina suffers from rape, starvation, and abuse when she is in the concentration camp but she continues to keep her head up and move forward. I would use this book in class for an older group of kids because it teaches them about history and has an interesting story to go with it. This book is engaging and constantly keeps you wondering about what is going to happen next. Sepetys, R. (2011). Between Shades of Gray. New York: Philomel Books
What do You think about V šedých Tónech (2013)?
Of course the events depicted in the book were horrific, I knew that going in. It is also a part of history that I was completely unaware of until now. But I just didn't feel a connection with the characters and reading the book was not enjoyable and didn't feel compelling...it was grueling. The first real complexity I felt was near the end of the book when Lina felt compassion and empathy for the soldier who was her greatest enemy. I would also have liked to know more about the other characters in the book. They didn't seem to have much of a history before the day they appeared at the train in Lithuania. It felt like Lina was interacting with mannequins...this one was a teacher, this one is grouchy, this one was always winding his watch.
—chantal
Between Shades of Gray is a historical fiction young adult novel based on Joseph Stalin’s annexation of Lithuania. The story centers on a 15-year-old girl named Lina, who, along with her mother and younger brother, are taken from their home in Lithuania by Russian soldiers and shipped to Siberia to work at labor camps. The conditions in which Lina and her family are exposed to during their journey are appalling and at times hard to read about. Lina’s mother shines a light on hope in the novel and acts as a heroine throughout the story. The story is very depressing at times but terrifically balances that mood with optimism. I would absolutely recommend this to a friend, especially one interested in history.
—Shashi65
