4/19/2018 4 Comments Historical Connections The book I am reading is titled "Between Shades of Gray" which is set in WW2. In 1941 the Soviet Union had invaded Lithuania and had taken people out of homes to deport them to camps in different areas during WW2. In the book Between Shades of Gray Lina and her family were taken from their home along with several other families on June 14th 1941 and got sent to a camp in Siberia. This also took place in real world where more than 130,000 Lithuanians were deported from June 14 to June 18, 1941. 70% being women and children. Another point in history when people were being deported was the Mexican Repatriation where Mexicans were forced out of there homes in the U.S which was a cruel time for them. Another comparison was when Lina and her family were put to work in the Altai camp in beet fields. This compares to the labor camps that were placed for prisoners to do things that were hard and tiring like working in fields with little to no food each day.
Lithuanian citizens that were caught up in the war often thought it was cruel, the torturing/killing and separation from their families. It was also very confusing and upsetting when they were taken out of their homes not knowing why. In the beginning of the book the NKVD had come in to Lina’s house and told them they had 20 minutes to pack or they would be killed. “I had no idea what was going on. Were we being arrested? We didn't do anything wrong this must be a misunderstanding” Lina was very confused and frantic like many others on why families were being arrested, not knowing what cruel things will come which they later face profusely throughout the book. Some things that are in the book and in real world that are similar is when Lina watches as families get split apart and when her family is split from her father. This was common during the deportation, men were mostly taken separately from their families. Another comparison was when someone disobeyed the NKVD or got out of the car when being deported they were beaten and sometimes killed. “We all cringed with each gunshot or scream. No one dared leave the car again.” This compares to the mass murders/massacres and uncalled torture of their people during the war.
4 Comments
Lisey Pillay
4/22/2018 08:13:13 am
Oh my goodness. Now I know why you were so sad during math/lunch. I had no idea about the Lithuanians during World War 2. Dang. We really should be learning more about this.
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Gia Agrawal
4/22/2018 10:11:34 am
This is just wrong. She does not deserve to be taken away from her home like that. I think we all need to understand how lucky we are today.
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lawson cain
4/22/2018 04:19:38 pm
I have read this book twice and every time it makes me so sad. I am reading "salt to the Sea" which is also by Ruta Sepety and it is also super duper sad but it talks about what really happened back then.
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gigi hext
4/23/2018 04:43:17 am
this looks like a great book and i might read it. this is extremely sad and breaks my heart. it is also very real though and i think people should hear it.
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