★★★★☆
4 out of 5 stars

Available at: BarnesandNoble.com
Staley Library Call Number: JUV. PZ7.S47957 Be 2012

“Between Shades of Gray,” came into my possession during my summer reading as a gift from a relative who took a shot in the dark on what I might like to read.. Although not normally on my list of works to read, I picked up the book—which until now had been sitting on my head board. The vague plot summary on the dust jacket slightly peaked my interest, but not enough. It wasn’t until I was broke and in need of a new book to read that I decided to give the book a chance.

This well written and eloquent book riveted me from the beginning. Being the type of reader who has to be captivated right from the beginning, I was surprised to find that the first chapter of Sepety’s work delivers; it will put you on the edge of your seat. By the time I finished chapter one, I was hooked and desperately turning pages in order to discover how the book ended.

“Between Shades of Gray” is historical fiction novel set in 1941. Lina, the story’s protagonist, is a young girl in Lithuania during Stalin’s repression. As Lina, her mother and her younger brother journey across the Arctic Circle to a work camp in Siberia, they find themselves separated from their father. Young Lina keeps track of the family’s journey by capturing their experiences in her artwork with hopes of somehow reaching her father through her artwork to let him know they are still alive.

This novel chronicles the journey of a young girl and her will to live to see her family reunited again. The characters may be fictional, but the events, the labor camps, the hard conditions, the will to live and the will to die, are honest and factual. People can often overlook numbers and personal accounts found in high school textbooks, but these facts are given life through the historical truth provided by Sepety’s story.
Sepety’s work delivers the perfect amount suspense, inspiration, love and hope. Through this work, Sepety is able to not only tell the story of fictional young Lina, but through meticulous research and accounts, she is able to share thousands of factual stories from those who were taken from their homes and families, and sent to labor camps in this time of repression.

Adorned with a cast of unforgettable characters “Between Shades of Gray” will keep you turning pages, and educated on the suffrage of the Lithuanian people. Be prepared to be engrossed, enlightened and inspired. Unlike many books that can be found out there, this book stays with you; it makes an impact. It does everything good historical fiction should do. Even if you’re not a fan of historical fiction, give this book a shot. You will be surprised by how much you are learning from a story that feels totally honest, and not like a textbook.