Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. Joana said it was too cold and windy to take air on the top deck. She has both witnessed and experienced firsthand the hardships of war on the human body and psyche. I went into salt to the sea with high expectations based on the previous book and also others love for this book. As the hours passed, i felt increasingly nauseated. Joana is a young lithuanian nurse who was sent away by her family for her own protection. Estonians, ethnic germans, and residents of the east prussian and polish corridors all fl ed toward the sea. Salt to the sea study guide contains a biography of ruta sepetys, literature.
The book follows four central characters as they evacuate their home countries. She is one of the best female authors writing historical fiction books about second world war. After bouncing for months on the run, the sway of the sea soothed like a lullaby. Two years ago our neighbor sent a letter with a coded message saying that my uncle was tortured and died in a gulag. As the characters grapple with the obstacles in their past and present circumstances, the novel explores themes related to redefining family and overcoming the past by telling the. In 1945, world war ii is drawing to a close in east prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Salt to the sea study guide contains a biography of ruta sepetys, literature essays, quiz questions, major themes, characters, and a full summary and analysis. In the book salt to the sea, what did florian take from joana s suitcase. Told from four different perspectives, sepetys focused on young adults and how world war ii was affecting their. Four young narrators from different nations experience the terrors of war. My grandmother, her little brother, her widowed mother and aunt had to flee from silesia to escape the russians, which is similar to why the this book crushed me. Salt to the sea major character analysis supersummary.
A vocabulary list featuring salt to the sea by ruta sepetys, chapter 1 joanachapter 33 emilia. Of the two, joana is welcome in germany and considered germanizable. Salt to the sea by ruta sepetys is a historical fiction novel that is engaging, heartwrenching, and a powerful read with an extremely interesting plot that grabbed my attention from the very first chapter. What youll find when you read salt to the sea by ruta sepetys is a fast moving, harrowing narrative. Salt to the sea by ruta sepetys was an excellent book. Salt to the sea by ruta sepetys, chapter 34 joanachapter. Thousands of refugees try to evacuate as world war ii draws to a chaotic close. Instant downloads of all 1291 litchart pdfs including salt to the sea. Salt to the sea ruta sepetys character analysis studypool. Masterfully craftedthe wall street journal for readers of between shades of gray and all the light we cannot see, ruta sepetys returns to wwii in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the wars most devastatingyet unknowntragedies.
Salt to the sea character guide by jordan phillips on prezi. I also had a wave of despair and a feeling of intense longing when the book ended, coming to the unfortunate and fortunate realization that i would be experiencing a book hangover. As i mentioned about the story salt to the sea is about four teenagers. But he told me he had seen your papers, that youre a courier for koch, and that koch appointed me as y. Salt to the sea tells of four passengers on the illfated wilhelm gusloff, a luxury cruise liner turned into supply and medical ship, last voyage on the baltic sea in 1945. Ruta sepetys discusses her new novel, salt to the sea duration. As russian forces close in on their homes in east prussia, joana, emilia and. Jan 05, 2016 what youll find when you read salt to the sea by ruta sepetys is a fast moving, harrowing narrative. Pdf salt to the sea book by ruta sepetys free download 393.
Wait for my opi these little shoes symbolize klaus. Consider the individual actions of these characters. Joana is traveling with a group of refugees fleeing north through east prussia to the baltic sea. Mar 17, 2016 in alternating, fast paced chapters, salt to the sea follows four young protagonists at the end of world war ii. Its fastpaced, thoroughlyresearched, basically it encompasses all the best things about historical fiction. Salt to the sea is a coming of age story in which the four main protagonists both make and resist the journey to adulthood in a world characterized by war and trauma. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 393 pages and is available in hardcover format. Joanna is haunted by her conscience, which is largely what motivates her to help others. In the book salt to the sea, why does joana climb the net using her elbows. Salt to the sea, which includes meticulously detailed authors notes, maps, and research and sources, is an ideal blend of historical facts, riveting drama, compelling characters, and suspense. Learn key vocabulary from this engrossing historical novel based on. Joana tries to hold emilias baby near her and inspire some sense of motherly love.
This little hummingbird reminds me of klaus because of the physical size of the bird and the innocence and hope that a hummingbird seems to possess. This story alternates between four main characters. Feb 04, 2016 ruta sepetys new novel, salt to the sea, unearths a shockingly littleknown casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity can prevail, even in the darkest of hours. Told in alternating perspectives from four characters, joana, emilia, florian, and alfred, salt to the sea chronicles their convergence of. In salt to the sea the hard truths of her herculean research are tempered with effortless, intimate storytelling, as her warm and human characters breathe new life into one of the worlds most terrible and neglected tragedies. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one. She moved to nazi germany with her family in 1941 to escape capture from the soviet russian forces. Salt to the sea is told through the eyes of four characters. A note pg 171 in the book salt to the sea, why couldnt emilia speak when she was trying to get on the ship. Jul 28, 2016 salt to the sea by ruta sepetys published.
When he came out of the forest he told joana, my momma went to sleep and never woke up, meaning that his mother died in the forest. It tells the story of four individuals in world war ii who make their way to the illfated mv wilhelm gustloff. Amelia must give up a beautiful illusion to survive what she has suffered, and to save her child. This study guide consists of approximately 43 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of salt to the sea. She is from lithuania, but has earlier moved to germany. Salt to the sea is recommended to fans of historical fiction, or anyone who wants to know more about the tragedy of the wilhelm gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and. Ruta sepetys new novel, salt to the sea, unearths a shockingly littleknown casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity can prevail, even in the darkest of hours. I previously read between shades of gray and loved it and gave it 5 stars.
Salt to the sea by ruta sepetys a true story from the. Thousands of frightened refugees from the baltic regionare migrating to the port of gotenhafen, prussia currently gydnia, poland to escape the encroaching russians. Mar 30, 2020 throughout salt to the sea, many characters exhibit acts of bravery. Salt to the sea takes places in east prussia in january 1945. She was studying to become a doctor, and kind of becomes the mother of the group shes.
Read an exclusive excerpt from salt to the sea by ruta. A powerful and unforgettable read, if you read nothing else about the baltics or ww2 this year, id pick up salt to the sea. The main characters of this historical, historical fiction story are joana, alfred frick. She is shown to be fleeing not only the encroaching invasion. Two unrelated people florian and emilia meet by chance after he saves her from an attacker, and together they seek shelter in a barn, where they meet other refugees. Joana vilkas is one of the main characters in salt to the sea. Through the alternating perspectives of four fictional teens, bestselling author ruta sepetys dramatizes the experiences of refugees searching for a safe haven during world war ii. Pdf salt to the sea book by ruta sepetys free download.
The character of joana vilkas in salt to the sea from. Salt to the sea by ruta sepetys, chapter 1 joanachapter. Salt to the sea by ruta sepetys nurtured my body, it fed my soul, it made my heart soar. Salt to the sea also provides insight into what was once prussia and how poland fared during the war. New york times bestseller and winner of the carnegie medal. Joana vilkas guilt is a hunter a young lithuanian nurse fleeing from east prussia. Litcharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in salt to the sea, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work. Salt to the sea summary and study guide supersummary.
Willpower and fate, storytelling and fantasy, memory and survival, war. Who do you believe to be the most courageous, and why. Joana has been a deserter for four years, since fleeing her native lithuania in 1941. Joana is on her way to the harbor with a pass that allows her safe passage, because she has german heritage i believe. But i had no treatment for what plagued people most the most.
Dec 09, 2017 ruta sepetys on salt to the sea at the 2016 l. Joana joana is a pretty lithuanian refugee, and, at just twentyone, she has four years training as a surgical assistant in a german hospital. She does her very best to always help others, mainly with her skills in nursing. My father, like joanas mother, waited in refugee camps hoping to return to lithuania. Emilia and florian meet when florian saves emilia from a russian soldier. Salt to the sea, a young person unique established during world war ii, begins in january 1945, as the third reich is starting to collapse. Teach your students to analyze literature like litcharts does. Specifically it is about joana, emilia, florian, and alfred.
There ar four points of read telling the story of salt to the ocean, and every is distinctive, secretive, and profound. The character of joana vilkas in salt to the sea from litcharts the. As thousands of desperate refugees flock to the coast in the midst of a soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard. Salt to the sea is a 2016 historical fiction young adult novel by ruta sepetys book cover illustration and design by matt jones. On its final voyage, germanys wilhelm gustloff carried soldiers and thousands of civilians, many of them children.
Introduced to lithuanian culture and history, i know that while traveling in vilnius and kaunas, i thought of joana. This group includes ingrid, who is blind, and an old shoemaker whom she calls the shoe poet. Spoilers ahead joana is a lithuanian nurse in her early twenties. The salt to the sea quotes below are all either spoken by joana vilkas or refer to joana vilkas. Her novels between shades of gray, out of the easy, and salt to the sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Sepetys is considered a crossover novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Why you shouldnt skip ww2 novel, salt to the sea the. In the book salt to the sea, where was the shoe maker born. The wilhelm gustloff is a tragedy greater than the titanic. The following version of this book was used to create this study guide.
Salt to the sea is told in multiple firstperson narratives. One of four narrators, joana is a kind and highly skilled nurse. She feels guilty for leaving her family including her cousin lena, the main character of. Character profile for joana from salt to the sea page 1 goodreads. First person, from the perspective of four different characters. Joana is a 21yearold woman fleeing from her native country lithuania, who had repatriated to nazi germany with her family in 1941 to escape capture from the.
Mar 12, 2017 salt to the seas four main characters end up on this doomed boat as they flee from their past. Salt mines,abandoned factories, castle ruins, and the basements of museums pg 226. Emilia is polish, a girl on the run from unspeakable horrors. Evacuation orders have not technically been issued, and so the group would be branded deserters for fleeing. Taylor weinfurter is a library specialist at marathon. Joana has been a deserter for four years, since fleeing her native lithuania in. A vocabulary list featuring salt to the sea by ruta sepetys, chapter 34 joanachapter 64 alfred. Young adult author ruta sepetys revisits the ships 1945 sinking in salt to the sea. Salt to the sea npr coverage of salt to the sea by ruta sepetys. Because her mothers family has german roots, the nazis allowed her to repatriate to germany, and she went to work as a surgeons assistant in east prussia.
Baltic refugees waited half a century before they could return to their nation of. Joana is haunted by guilt, but her resulting dedication to healing others helps amelia and florian, and helps joana herself to heal. Mar 09, 2016 salt to the sea is recommended to fans of historical fiction, or anyone who wants to know more about the tragedy of the wilhelm gustloff. The russians are gaining ground in east prussia where operation hannibal, the biggest discharge by sea in history, is underway. Among them are joana, emilia, florian, and alfred, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation.
Salt to the sea, in particular touched me, because it mirrored, to a degree, what my grandmother and her family experienced. The first edition of the novel was published in february 2nd 2016, and was written by ruta sepetys. She fled her home country of lithuania with her family in 1941. Joana is lithuanian, a nurse who always wants to help people in need, even if helping them might place herself in danger. Among them are joana, emilia, and florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the wilhelm gustloff. Klaus wait, said the wandering boy, frantically searching the water. Check out our revolutionary sidebyside summary and analysis. As they travel toward the shore in hopes of a spot aboard the wilhelm gustloff, florian tells joana that emilia is without identity papers, and joana thinks to herself, emilia had no papers. Joanna is haunted by her conscience, which is largely what motivates her to help. Ruta sepetys salt to the sea audiobook free online.
Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on litcharts. Salt to the sea takes place in east prussia in 1945. A small orphan boy who wandered out of the forest one day and was taken in by joanas walking group. Her traveling companions include the poet, eva, and ingrid. She begins the novel with the words guilt is a hunter1 and later she. World war ii is drawing to a close in east prussia. Similar to when you watch titanic for the first time, you know the ship is doomed but not exactly how the fictional characters will fare within that.