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Salt to the Sea cover art

Salt to the Sea

Written by: Ruta Sepetys
Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, Michael Crouch
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Publisher's Summary

New York Times best seller! For fans of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, best-selling author Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating - yet unknown - tragedies.

World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all 10,000 people - adults and children alike - aboard must fight for the same thing: Survival.

Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff - the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity and love can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.

©2016 Ruta Sepetys (P)2016 Listening Library

What the critics say

“Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch perform mesmerizing narration worthy of Sepetys’s spectacular novel. Verdict Libraries with even the most limited audio budgets will want to invest.” (School Library Journal, starred review)

“The talented narrators excel in capturing the tone of their characters...[They] work together to create a vivid and well-rounded reading experience, [and] bring forth the truth of the wartime experience.” (Booklist, starred review)

“The four narrators (Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris and Michael Crouch) are superbly cast...The story’s plot and pacing translate beautifully to the audio medium.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)

What listeners say about Salt to the Sea

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Emotion

Unsettling story with deep descriptions Very thought provoking and emotional well written engaging and interesting

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  • ray
  • 2023-10-08

Historical fiction Salt to the Sea brings this tragic story to life

Salt to the Sea is a beautifully written and well narrated story of historical events set during WW2. The use of multiple narrators helps to envision the characters and differentiate dialogue very easily.
I really like the fact that Ruta S. continues the storyline years after the event to bring true closure to the story.
I loved the author’s notes at the end…

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My favorite book!

Salt To The Sea Is such a beautiful and devastating novel. I have never felt so emotionally connected to characters in a book before! I definitely recommend this book, it's incredible.

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    4 out of 5 stars
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young adult novel !

Good story and narration ( for a YA book) Simply written , fast moving story for young readers. HOWEVER I wish I knew it was a YA book before I spent a credit on it .

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Great read. the author is a great story teller.

My only complaint is the butchering of the Lithuanian language by the narrators. Even the author's name is pronounced horribly.

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Story is wonderful - audio keeps cutting out

I was loving this book. The story is captivating and beautifully written, and the performances are wonderful.

But About 1/4 of the way through the audio begins to cut out regularly with several words being missed per section. I double checked and I have it downloaded and I turned my Bluetooth off to ensure it wasn’t trying to connect with another device.

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Wow. Heart breaking and hope filled.

A story to be remembered. How is it the world doesn't know about the Wilhelm Gustloft?

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wow I had no idea. just wow

absolutely loved this story. heartbreaking and I'm just so shocked I never heard of any of this in history class. thank you for writing this story! one of my new favorites! will not forget it.

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