Chapter 92: An Interview With Ruta Sepetys
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Ruta Sepetys explains that her own family history—her grandfather being a Lithuanian army officer and relatives who were deported to Siberia—prompted her to write the novel. She was shocked when she first learned of these family stories and wanted to expose the forgotten crimes of Stalin. To narrow the vast history, she chose to focus on the group of deportees sent to the Arctic and their struggle for survival. Sepetys discusses why the Baltic experience is less known: after World War II, speaking about Soviet atrocities was punishable, and the region remained under Soviet control until 1990. Her research involved interviewing survivors, which was emotionally painful for them and for her. She learned that kindness in cruel circumstances is true courage. Survivors have responded supportively, and three Baltic museums now preserve artifacts and drawings similar to Lina’s. The author hopes teachers and librarians will use the book to study Stalin’s crimes, and she views the story as a love story: survivors endured through love of country, family, or God. The title “Between Shades of Gray” reflects that truth often lies between extremes; she created the character Kretzsky to show a Soviet guard who helps prisoners, representing human kindness in a system that demands black-and-white thinking.
Key Events
- Sepetys reveals that her grandfather was an officer in the Lithuanian army, and her father fled the country; other relatives were deported to Siberia.
- She describes discovering these family stories when she visited Lithuania and met relatives for the first time.
- She explains the historical reason the Baltic genocide is obscure: Soviet occupation forbade speaking of the terror, and the region was not free until 1990.
- She discusses her research method: interviewing survivors, which was difficult for them and for her.
- Sepetys shares that several characters’ experiences in the novel are directly based on survivor testimony.
- She lists three museums in the Baltics that hold artifacts and drawings: Museum of Genocide Victims (Vilnius), Museum of the Occupation of Latvia (Riga), and Museum of Occupations (Tallinn).
- The author defines her hope for the book: to encourage examination of Stalin’s crimes and to teach about love and freedom through peaceful endurance.
- She explains the title’s origin: moral gray areas, and introduces the character Kretzsky, a conflicted Soviet guard who shows kindness.
Character Development
- Lina: Though not physically present in the interview, Sepetys describes her as a fifteen-year-old fighting for survival and retaining faith in mankind, reflecting the resilience of real survivors.
- Kretzsky: The author created him to embody the moral ambiguity of the title. He cannot see things in black and white as the Soviet system demands, and his small acts of kindness help save deportees. He represents a heroic element based on real stories where a guard assisted prisoners.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Love as survival: Sepetys states that all survivors she met had one thing in common—love (for country, family, or God). This love kept them alive and is the core message of the book.
- Shades of gray: The title itself is a theme. People and situations are not simply good or evil; the truth often lies in between. Kretzsky’s character illustrates this moral complexity.
- Silent endurance: The Baltic people’s peaceful resistance for over fifty years is presented as a powerful lesson about freedom.
- Art and memory: The author notes that real deportees made drawings similar to Lina’s, and museums now preserve these works, symbolizing the importance of remembering history.
Why This Chapter Matters
This interview provides the essential historical and personal context that readers need to fully understand Between Shades of Gray. It reveals the author’s motivation, the real-life survivors whose stories shaped the novel, and the political suppression that kept these events hidden for decades. The explanation of the title deepens the reader’s appreciation of the moral dilemmas faced by characters like Kretzsky. For students and teachers, this chapter is a valuable resource for connecting fiction to history and for discussing themes of courage, love, and justice.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What personal experience motivated Ruta Sepetys to write Between Shades of Gray?
She learned that her grandfather, a Lithuanian army officer, had been targeted by Stalin, and that members of his family were deported to Siberia. Discovering these family stories during her first visit to Lithuania shocked her and inspired her to write about the Baltic deportations.
2. Why does the author say the Baltic genocide is less known than the Jewish Holocaust?
After World War II, the Baltic states remained under Soviet occupation. Anyone who spoke about Soviet atrocities was considered anti-Soviet and could be arrested or imprisoned. For over fifty years, survivors were forced to keep silent, and the history remained hidden.
3. What does the title “Between Shades of Gray” mean, and how does it apply to the character Kretzsky?
The title reflects the idea that truth and morality are not always black and white. Kretzsky, a Soviet guard, cannot accept the system’s strict divisions. He shows reverence for human life and helps prisoners, demonstrating that kindness can appear even in a cruel environment, existing “between shades of gray.”
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