This is an incredible story told in such a powerful way. You must read it!
This is a well written, well researched, book about four people's experiences during WWII. The story is told from each character's viewpoint with alternating chapters. (Not always my favorite format, but easy enough to follow.) Most of the story is about each character's struggle to survive while interacting with other humans who are in the same struggle.
It is one of those stories that had me wondering what was happening to my friends in the story, each time I had to put the book down. I kept hoping that each of them would survive.
One highlight of the story is when so many people attempt to board the ship, The Wilhelm Gustloff. This ship was sent by the Germans to get people out of the region because the Germans were about to lose the war. The ship was built to carry 1,000 people. All furnishings and everything that could be removed was taken out. They even drained the water from the pool in an effort to be able to carry more people. They took 10,000 passengers, 5,000 of them children, boarded the ship in hopes of freedom and survival. Some people were so disappointed to have missed this ship. They had to wait for the next ship, that might not come.
The author, who herself is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, did extensive research. She talked with members of her Lithuanian family and survivors. She actually went to some of the main locations to better understand what it was like at that time. She discovered that many victims put a paper with their story into a glass bottle and threw it into the water in hopes that someone would one day learn their story and share it with others. Ruta granted this requests.
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