Between Shades of Gray

Between Shades of Gray

Author	Ruta Sepetys
Country	United States
Language	English
Genre	Historical Fiction
Publisher	Penguin Group
Publication date	2011
Media type	Print paperback
Pages	338
ISBN	978-0-14-133588-9
OCLC	701021642
LC Class	PZ7.S47957 Be 2011

Between Shades of Gray, a New York Times Bestseller, is the debut novel of American novelist Ruta Sepetys. It follows the Stalinist repressions of the mid-20th century and follows the life of Lina as she is deported from her native Lithuania with her mother and younger brother and the journey they take to a labor-camp in Siberia. It was nominated for the 2012 CILIP Carnegie Medal and has been translated into more than 27 languages.

Between Shades of Gray was originally intended as a young adult novel, but there have been several adult publications. In an interview with ThirstforFiction, Ruta Sepetys said that the reason she intended Between Shades of Gray to be a young adult novel was because she met many survivors in Lithuania who were themselves teenagers during the deportations, and had a greater will to live than many of their adult counterparts at the time.

Inspiration and basis

Between Shades of Gray is partly based upon the stories she heard from survivors of the Genocide of Baltic people during a visit to her relatives in Lithuania.

Sepetys decided she needed to write a fiction novel rather than a non-fiction volume as a way of making it easier for survivors to talk to her. She interviewed dozens of people during her stay.

Lina Vilkas is introduced as a young artist living comfortably in her home in Kaunas, Lithuania, living with her loving family. But, on June 14th, 1941, Soviet officers (the NKVD) barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her younger brother, Jonas, slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions. She befriends many people and works hard alongside her mother and brother for food and survival. Upon arriving at the camp, Lina and her family are forced to live with Ulyushka, a cruel, seemingly heartless woman who initially dislikes the Vilkas' and constantly takes their food and other goods from them as a form of rent. Elena Vilkas, Lina's mother, is kind and generous to Ulyushka, though she and her brother Jonas cannot understand why. She befriends Andrius who later becomes her love interest, Alexandras Lukas (known as "The Man Who Wound His Watch") Mr. Stalas (the Bald Man), Mrs. Grybas, Mrs. Rimas. There is also one NKVD member who also sticks out to Lina as well; Nikolai Kretzsky. Though he doesn't at first come off as necessarily kind or helpful, he more or less befriends Lina and her mother. He can be seen as only being downright cruel to Lina only when around other NKVD members. He doesn't seem to want to hurt Lina unless he absolutely has to. He is described as young, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed, and can be assumed to be quite handsome. Their relationship grows and remains important throughout the book. Alexandras Lukas is gray-haired and was a lawyer. He is often seen winding his watch, and is the voice and soul of reason. The Bald Man is secretly Jewish and can add a touch of humor because of his terrible advice and short temper. Andrius Arvydas is handsome, golden-brown haired, and a source of comfort for Lina. At first, she disliked him, dismissing him as an "idiot" because he smoked her book, which was a present from her deceased grandmother. Their friendship blossoms, though becomes troubled when Lina accuses him and his mother for working for the NKVD. It turns out his mother was being unwillingly used as a prostitute because of her beauty, but only to protect her son and her friends. Andrius becomes Lina's more-or-less boyfriend, and gets Lina a new book. Lina is then transported, separated from Andrius to a different camp where they are forced to build their own houses to survive. But then Lina's mother dies. Just when she doubted survival a man shows up giving everyone blankets and food. He took them home after another long trip and Lina finds Andrius and they get married.

Characters

• Lina Vilkas: The 15-year-old protagonist of the story, taken in the beginning with her mother and brother to a labor camp.
• Jonas Vilkas: Lina's ten-year-old brother. He is a major character, beloved by all, including the sour Mr. Stalas. His sweet and innocent personality is evident throughout the book, although Lina is frightened by the emotional changes in him upon being forced to the camp.
• Elena Vilkas: Lina's mother. A loving woman, and generous with her kind gestures and food, perishes from grief and her attempts to save her children by giving them her rations.
• Kostas Vilkas: Lina's father, who is separated from his family and is shipped to a prison by the name of Krasnoyarsk. It is unknown whether he is dead or alive. Much of the book revolves around Lina's desperate attempts to locate and contact her father.
• Andrius Arvydas: A handsome 17-year-old boy, whom Lina meets in the train to the labor camps. He quickly falls in love with Lina in exile. He often sneaks food and supplies to the Vilkas family, and saves them a number of times with his knowledge on the happenings of the NKVD. He and Lina are said to be married in the epilogue.
• Mrs. Arvydas: Andrius' beautiful, and dainty, mother. She becomes a prostitute for the NKVD after they threaten to kill her son if she did not do so.
• Nikolai Kretzsky : A young NKVD officer who helps Lina and her mother. While Lina finds him cruel and ruthless throughout much of the novel, he actually struggles with his work due to its immorality. While he is described to hit and shove the prisoners, he is also the only member of the NKVD who turns as the women undress for their bath, saves Elena from his fellow officers when they assault her, and sends for a doctor to save the prisoners dying in the second camp.
• Mr. Stalas: A bitter elderly man, distraught with guilt. He often complains and advises everyone to kill themselves before the NKVD did. It is later discovered that he revealed the prisoners' identities and workplaces, resulting in their imprisonment. He is known to have a soft spot for the Vilkas family, despite his rudeness towards them, and he later helps in saving the sick prisoners.
• Janina: A young girl partial to Lina, whose doll she lost to an officer who grew angry and shot its head off.
• Joana: Lina's beloved cousin and friend, who flees to Germany with her family before Stalin begins the deportation. Her escape is the reason for the Vilkas family's imprisonment. She is consistently mentioned, but only appears in flashbacks. She is also one of the main characters in Sepetys' third novel, Salt to the Sea.
• Ivanov: An NKVD officer, perhaps the most despicable, allowing many prisoners to die, and finding great humor in the pain.
• Ona: A young girl, not believed to be twenty, who is forced on the train immediately after giving birth to her baby, neither given any medical attention. After losing her baby, Ona goes insane and is shot and killed by the NKVD.

Reception

Between Shades of Gray has received intensely positive reviews. The New York Times describes it as a "superlative first novel" whilst the LA Times called it a "story of hardship as well as human triumph". Publishers' Weekly praised Between Shades of Gray, calling it a "harrowing page-turner, made all the more so for its basis in historical fact".

The book was a finalist for the 2012 William C. Morris Award for a debut young adult novel and was shortlisted for the 2012 Carnegie Medal. The book won the 2012 Golden Kite Award. The book is a finalist for the 2012 Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award.

Film adaptation

Main article: Ashes in the Snow

Recognition

National awards

• A New York Times Bestseller
• An International Bestseller
• A Carnegie Medal Nominee
• A William C. Morris Finalist
• A New York Times Notable Book
• A Wall Street Journal Best Children’s Book
• Winner of The Golden Kite Award for Fiction
• An ALA Notable Book
• A Publishers Weekly Best Children’s Book of 2011
• YALSA’s Top 10 Best Fiction For Young Adults
• A School Library Journal Best Book of 2011
• A Booklist Best Book of 2011
• A Kirkus Best Book of 2011
• iTunes Best Teen Novel of 2011
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
• Notable Books For a Global Society Award
• An Indies Choice Book Awards Finalist
• IRA Children’s and Young Adult’s Book Award
• Amazon Top Ten Teen Books of 2011
• A CYBILS Finalist for 2011
• National Blue Ribbon Selection by Book of the Month Club
• A St. Louis Post Dispatch Best Book of 2011
• A Columbus Dispatch Best Book of 2011
• Winner of the SCBWI Work-in-Progress Grant
• Georgia Peach Honor Book (GA)

International awards

• Finalist for the Carnegie Medal in the UK
• Shortlisted for the Lewisham Book Award in the UK
• A Waterstones Children’s Book Prize Nominee in the UK
• Amazon UK Top Ten Books of 2011
• Finalist for Le Prix des Incorruptibles in France
• Winner of the Prix RTL Lire For Best Novel For Young People in France
• Winner of the Prix Livrentête in France
• Finalist for the Historia Prize in France
• Winner of the Peter Pan Silver Star in Sweden
• Winner of the Prix Farniente in Belgium
• Winner of the Flanders Young Adult Literature Jury Prize in Belgium
• Winner of the KJV-Award in Belgium
• Winner of the National Patriot Award in Lithuania
• Winner of the Global Lithuanian Leader Award in Lithuania
• A Golden List Nominee in the Netherlands
• A Magazyn Literacki KSIĄŻKI! Best Book in Poland
• Winner of the Prix des Libraries du Québec in Canada
• ‘Der Leserpreis’ Readers Choice Finalist in Germany
• A ‘Best Breakthrough Author’ Nominee for the Penguin Teen Australia Awards
• Finalist for the Sakura Medal in Japan

State awards

• Texas Lonestar Reading List Master List (TX)
• TAYSHAS Reading List Master List (TX)
• Capitol Choices Noteworthy Books for Children and Teens Master List (D.C.)
• Black-Eyed Susan Book Award Master List (MD)
• Pennsylvania School Librarians Association Award Master List (PA)
• The Flume: New Hampshire Readers’ Choice Award Master List (NH)
• Iowa Association of School Librarians Award Master List (IA)
• Kentucky Bluegrass Award Master List (KY)
• Nevada Young Readers Award Master List (NV)
• Rhode Island Teen Book Award Master List (RI)
• Maud Hart Lovelace Award (MN)
• Missouri Association of School Librarians Gateway Award Master List (MO)
• South Carolina Young Adult Book Award Master List (SC)
• Virginia Readers’ Choice Master List (VA)
• Eliot Rosewater Rosie Award Master List (IN)
• Nebraska Golden Sower Award (NE)
• Volunteer State Book Award (TN)
• Young Hoosier Book Award (IN)
• Sequoyah Book Award (OK)

Translations

• Czech: “V šedých tónech,” CooBoo, Albatros Media A.S.
• Chinese: "Between Shades of Gray", ChinaCITIC Press, ISBN 978-7-5086-3344-2
• Complex Chinese: "Between Shades of Gray", ISBN 978-957-10-4896-3
• Croatian: "Pomrčina srca", Znanje, ISBN 978-953-324-532-4
• Dutch: “Schaduwliefde,” Moon, 2011 ISBN 978-90-488-0901-1
• English (Australian Edition): "Between Shades of Gray" Penguin, ISBN 978-0-14-320541-8
• English (UK Young Adult Edition): "Between Shades of Gray" Puffin, ISBN 978-0-141-33588-9
• English (UK Adult Edition): "Between Shades of Gray" Viking, ISBN 978-0-670-92085-3
• Estonian: "Hallaaegade algus", Tammerraamat, ISBN 978-9-949-52618-5
• Finnish: "Harmaata valoa", Wsoy, ISBN 978-951-03723-9-5
• French: Ce qu'ils n'ont pas pu nous prendre, Gallimard Jeunesse, ISBN 978-2-07-063567-2
• German: Und in mir der unbesiegbare Sommer, Carlsen Verlag, Hamburg, ISBN 978-3-551-58254-6
• Greek: "Between Shades of Gray", Psichogios, ISBN 978-960-496-478-9
• Hebrew: "Between Shades of Gray", Miskal, ISBN 978-965-545-605-9
• Hungarian: "Arnyalatnyi remeny", Maxim Konyvkiado, ISBN 978-963-261-204-1
• Italian: Avevano spento anche la luna, Garzanti Libri, ISBN 978-88-11-67036-0
• Japanese: "Between Shades of Gray", Iwanami Shoten, ISBN 978-4-00-115651-5
• Latvian: "Starp pelekiem toniem", Zvaigzne ABC, ISBN 978-9934-0-2238-8
• Lithuanian: "Tarp pilkų debesų", Alma Littera, ISBN 978-9955-38-964-4
• Macedonian “Крадци и проститутки,” Sakam Knigi
• Persian: "Between Shades of Gray", Morvarid
• Polish: "szare sniegi syberii", Nasza Ksiegarnia, ISBN 978-83-10-11983-4
• Portuguese (Brazil): "a vida em tons de cinza", Arqueiro, ISBN 978-85-8041-016-7
• Portuguese (Portugal): "o longo inverno", Bertrand Editora/Contraponto, ISBN 978-989-666-085-7
• Romanian "Printre Tonuri Cenusii," Epica Publishing House
• Serbian: "Putovanje pod zvezdama", Alnari, ISBN 978-86-7710-729-1
• Slovakian: "Medzi odtieňmi sivej" Ikar, ISBN 978-80-551-2442-1
• Spanish: Entre tonos de gris, Ediciones Maeva, 2011 ISBN 978-84-15-12025-4
• Swedish: "Strimmor av hopp", B/Wahlstroms, ISBN 978-91-32-15958-9
• Turkish: "gri golgeler arasinda" Delidolu, ISBN 978-605-63326-7-8

External links

• Official Between Shades of Gray Website
• Ruta Sepety's official Website
• ThirstforFiction interview with Ruta Sepetys
• Review in English and Italian