Salt to the Sea

By: Ruta Sepetys

Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, Michael Crouch

Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins

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

Critic reviews

“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)

A Look into History

As the author stated in the author's note of this book, this is a nearly unknown event in WWII history. She creates well-drawn characters who are forced to rely on each other to get to the ship despite nationality, background, age, or personality.
The characters rely on each other, mistrust each other, depend on each other... and do the same for themselves. It's nuanced and suspenseful and generally well-read.
I'm a bit am bivolent about the narration. It was well-done, but having American narrators use American speech and only occasional German or Polish... it just sat a bit odd. I suppose it's better than putting on accents, but I'm sure native German/Lithuanian/Polish speakers could have performed this book and made it a truly terrific audiobook experience.
Well worth your time, money and/or credit.

Amazing and gut wrenching

A beautiful story that explores the kinship of victims of the war. Refugees forced from their country, fleeing from Stalin and Hitler, desperately trying to survive until the end of the war. This amazing story tells of adults and children alike, all from different nations, all facing the same struggles as they endure the hardships of war. Beautifully written with intense characters you will love. And one wacko character who is hilariously disturbed.

Couldn't stop listening!

This audio was awesome! I couldn't stop listening! What a great story line! Learned about some history too!

Excellent

Not to be missed historical fiction. Another avenue from WW2 that is beautifully written by Ruta Septys and perfectly produced.

What an incredible story

Any additional comments?

This was an incredible story - I was unaware of this event in WWII history. I was captivated by the characters and their determination in their quest for freedom. The narrator did a very good job at bringing these characters and their quest for freedom to life. often think about the number of souls that were lost I highly recommend this book.

Amazing!

I love historical fiction, especially concerning WWII. This was a great read because it was a different perspective than most of the books set during WWII. Definitely one of the books that left me speechless at the end!

Unbelievable

An absolute must read for anyone and everyone. Gutwrenching historical fiction that sheds light on an event that rarely sees light.

Favorite Audiobook so far!

Incredible story that is enriched through brilliant narration! The four points of view are depicted perfectly!

Heartbreaking and haunting

This book was beautifully written and narrated. It is a shame the tragedies in the Baltic Sea are not written or spoken about more in history. So many lives lost. So haunting and heartbreaking.

A poignant tale

This is a poignant World War II fiction. The author has used a brilliant, unique narrative style which is marked by clarity. We see the story through the eyes of four different characters belonging to different countries and with different emotions chasing them. Thoroughly enjoyavle.