Between Shades of Gray

Its not every day you find a book either about Lithuania, or by a Lithuanian. This week I happen to come across the book "Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys, an American of Lithuanian decent. Ruta chose to write about the harrowing theme of the mass deportations that occured in the Baltic states in June 1941. The story is told through the eyes of 15 year of Lina, who with her younger brother and mother are deported to the remote Siberia. It tells of the hardships, sorrows and survival of people who were labelled criminals by the Soviet government. Thousands of Balts were given half an hour to pack belongings and transported in the still of the night to be placed on freight trains bound for work camps in remote regions. They were forced to work, usually on farms for little food and no contact with the outside world. Many did not survive.

The book, although graphic in its content is well researched and written. I would recomend this to anyone who would like to know more about this period in history.
http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/