The Inkling Volume 2

Salt to the sea book review
By Lo rna Gil l i ngs
Salt to the Sea is a historical fiction book written by Ruta
Sepetys. It follows the journey of five young people who
have grown up surrounded by war - caught between the
Germans and the Russians. The horrors of war and the
effects it had on younger generations are all covered in
this book, along with the ill-fated voyage of the Wilhelm
Gustloff (which was part of Operation Hannibal). The
sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff isn’t very well-known, but
it is actually the biggest maritime disaster in history.
Sepetys definitely succeeds in making people aware of
what we have to learn from the past.
The book is written almost like a diary: each chapter is
from a different person’s perspective and focuses on the
more personal struggles of each individual. When she is
describing the sinking of the ship, the writer uses very
simple words to create a terribly vivid picture of death
and convey the pure horror of the scenes these very
young children had to witness. You can’t help but cry as
you read about these events that changed lives forever.
However, the novel also focuses on a more positive
aspect of life during the war, as it describes the hope
that emerged when people worked together in their time
of need, It shows how, even through all the death and
destruction, there will always be new lives beginning and
explains how we should strive to make a better world for
the innocent children of generations to come.