"Between Shades of Grey" book club essay

            In 1941 the Germans and the Soviets in Russia went to war. The book “Between Shades of Grey” by Ruta Sepetys shows the story of a girl in Lithuania named Lina who was taken along with hundreds of other people to various work camps in Europe by the Soviet’s. In the book Lina’s mother stays strong in tough situations for her children and has hope that one day their family will return home.

            Throughout book Lina’s mother tries not to seem worried that the NKVD are taking them away. For example when the NKVD come to their house the mother says to Lina, “It’s a misunderstanding. Lina, are you listening?” (Page 6) The mother doesn’t seem worried about what is going to happen. Or at least she is trying to keep her children from being worried. Another example is when the bald man says, “We’re all going to die” the mother says “Nonsense!” (Page 14). She is trying to make her children feel better about their situation and what they are experiencing. The mother doesn’t want them to think that they are going to die or that something bad will happen to them. The mother may also be reassuring herself that they are not going to die and that her children will be ok.

           In the book Lina’s mother always wishes and hopes to return home to their house. For instance when the NKVD come to take them away the mother smashes all of their beautiful dishes, “We found our mother in the dining room, smashing all of her best crystal and china on the floor… ‘Don’t cry, darling. We’ll get much nicer things.” The mother wants to come home and have nicer things than before. But she doesn’t want to leave her old stuff behind to get ruined by people. Another example is after the mother died Mrs. Rimas asks Lina if there is anything left in the mother’s suitcase that she brought with her “I pulled Mother’s suitcase from under the board she lay on. I was wrong. Inside were fresh, clean clothes. A light dress, silk stockings, shoes without scuffs, her tube of lipstick… Mrs. Rimas brought a hand to her mouth. ‘She really intended to return home’… She kept them, to return to Lithuania in a clean set of clothes.” (Page 320). The mother got really sick and she was freezing. She could have put the clothes that were in her suitcase on anytime, but she chose not to because she wanted to have clean clothes to return home in. This also shows how strong the mother was because she kept believing that she was going to go home after all this was over.

            Overall, throughout “Between Shades of Grey” by Ruta Sepetys Lina’s mother stays strong and keeps believing that they will return home. The mother keeps her emotions hidden so she doesn’t worry her children and gives them hope that they will all get out of this together. The mother also tries to give her children hope in that they will return home and be riunited with their father. She stays strong for her family and for herself.