Grace Clendening

Grace Clendening asked Ruta Sepetys:

I believe that some of your inspiration for the story came from a relative, besides the path of his journey, were there any other pieces of "Between Shades of Grey" that mirrored their life during the Holocaust? Also, Have you ever thought about Lina's, Andrius's, and the other character's future after the story ends? I'm not asking for a sequel, but what're your thoughts on what happens following the epilogue?

Ruta Sepetys Hi Grace,

I've always imagined that Lina and Andrius reunite and live a happy life together, despite the Soviet occupation. Their love transcends the difficulties.
My father's history inspired the character of the cousin, Joana, in the book. The idea for the character of Lina came from a woman I interviewed in Lithuania. She was a teenager in Siberia and her story was so powerful, her hope so strong. The Soviets had taken her family, her country, but she wouldn't let them take her spirit. She found a way to speak, even though her voice had been extinguished. She became a role model for me so I used her to create Lina.

Thanks so much!

More Answered Questions

Sherry Thompson

Sherry Thompson asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi, Ruta! I have read all three of your books, and I love Salt to the Sea. Could you tell me what you are or will be working on next? Thank you!

Katie

Katie asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hey Ruta! You visited my school (Tampa Prep) two years ago, and we spoke about how identity and family (or lack there of) play very important, but very different roles in both "Between Shades of Gray" and "Out of the Easy". I was wondering if the same themes are going to play as important of a role in your new book as they did in the first two. Also, how did the research processes differ between the three novels?

Emily

Emily asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi, I love all your books, but I was wondering how you got inspiration for 'out of the easy' because the themes and settings which it is based on aren't very common for YA fiction. That was one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much, as it gave me insight into a different aspect of the past and how people lived. Were there any particular reasons that made you so interested in it? Thanks, Emily

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