Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is this week’s book recommendation.

Genre: Historical Fiction

Why should you pick it up?

This is again a book set around the Second World War. The human tragedy or rather the bravery in the face of almost certain tragedy is something that draws me to this genre and this specific time period and calamity. I read this book during a time when every book I picked up was on the second world war. I must say not all were that great but this book, the stories moved me.

We all talk and know about Titanic but do you know what is the Wilhelm Gustloff or what happened to it? It is a maritime disaster which ended up killing more people than the Titanic. The stories in this book, tragic as they are, all converge into this German Ship. The lead up to it, the time on the ship, what happens to the ship and thereafter, is what makes the book special.

So many people died during the second world war in so many horrible ways. This one is certainly one of the worst among the worst.

I don’t know what can I say except read it for the stories have figments of reality in it, scary reality?

Blurb

In the cruel winter of 1945, four very different young people narrate their stories. Joana, Emilia, and Florian are part of desperate group of refugees trekking across Germany, bound together only by their desperation to reach the ship that can take them away from the war-ravaged land. Alfred is a German soldier stationed on that ship.

This hugely touching, inspirational novel is based on a true story. When the German ship the Wilhelm Gustloff was sunk in port in early 1945 it had over 9000 civilian refugees, including children, on board. It is the biggest maritime disaster in history, killing more people than the Titanic. Ruta Sepetys, the acclaimed author of Between Shades of Grey, has brilliantly brought this story to light and created a group of unforgettable characters with unmissable stories.

Link to purchase on Amazon:

The book is available in Paperback and as a Kindle edition. So, what are you waiting for?

Salt to the Sea

Link to Good Reads: Salt to the Sea

Look for more Books on Amazon

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This post is a series of weekly book recommendations on the blog. Have fun reading! Please note this is not a book review, just a book recommendation.

This post contains affiliate links but recommendations are based on my own reading experience. If you choose to purchase this book through the link shared above, I’ll get a commission at no extra cost to you.

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