Book Review: Salt to the Sea

by Trinity Elliot

Staff Reporter

May 2022

Oftentimes historical fiction gets a bad reputation, however Ruta Sepetys makes historical fiction seem like you aren’t just reading the history but experiencing it. That you are truly along the ride with the characters, and the events portrayed in the book. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is an outstanding book, and so are her other books that I also recommend if you enjoy this review.

The plot was easy to follow. I enjoyed the different perspectives and the repetition of the same sentence later on in the book once the major plot point has happened. I also enjoyed the history, of course, and the amount of resources and sources she used to provide not only a history, but an accurate use of foreign language as well.

The plot follows four teenagers during World War II, each with their own respective role and part. We have Joana, who is a practicing nurse student who fled from Lithuania and is now on her way to Germany. Florian, a Prussian with a secret mission. Emilia, a Polish girl with an unfortunate past. And, Alfred, a current server of Hitler and Germany. Joana, Florian, and Emilia are together during the first parts of the book, eventually traveling as a group to achieve their individual goals.

They progress further into their relationships with each other. Joana finds out Florian’s name, Joana and the party they are traveling with find out about Emilia’s pregnancy and slight past, along with Florian finding out Joana’s secret that she later confesses fully to him. Once they have traveled along the ice to get to Gotenhafen where they board the Wilhelm Gustloff ship. The Wilhelm Gustloff ship will take them to Kiel, but they meet Alfred in Gotenhafen. Alfred until then has very few chapters, however he tells his own separate story of his relationship with a lady named Hannelore and his time serving too. An unfortunate historical event happens though and the results are for you the reader to find out. I loved how everyone had their own repetitive line that you see as their first introductory sentence and then right before the ship sinks. Joana’s is guilt, Florian’s is fate, Emilia’s is shame, and Alfred’s is fear.

Then there’s the sources in the back that just enlighten the reader with how much effort and dedication the author had to the book. It expands to six pages, two front to back and two separate. It shows how she didn’t just search up her translations and the locations. She actually traveled to where she wrote, and had people who spoke the language speak to her. She genuinely put effort into her sources and this book, which presents a wonderful author for who she is.

In conclusion, Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is an amazing book and the way she wrote this book was outstanding. The plot flowed easily, her characters are well represented and the individuals’ first sentences are a wonderful touch. This, along with her historical and foreign language accuracy make the book beautifully written and produced. I recommend this book to those who enjoyed the review, think it’s for them, and who enjoy historical fiction and or want to give it a try. This book is not for the faint of heart though. I do note that it’s a book based on World War II. Safe reading everyone!