I have always been of the opinion that historical fiction shelves are a bit over-saturated with WWII novels. While the time period is tragic and important to read about, there are some books that feel like they could be the same fictional story, even down to the cover. So I tend to be a bit picky when it comes to WWII novels. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is one of those books that stands out and sticks with you forever. It follows four different people at the end of World War II. There is Florian who is a young Prussian man fleeing the Nazis. He worked in art restoration under the command of Erich Koch until he found out the true intentions of the Nazis. While fleeing, he comes across a young girl about to be attacked by a Russian soldier. Her name is Emilia and she is Polish…and pregnant. She sees Florian as her white knight and sticks close to him. They come across another group of refugees, led by Joana Vilkas. She is fleeing Lithuania and holds guilt about the deaths in her family and works herself to the bone as a nurse caring for all those around her. The final point-of-view is by an obnoxious young Nazi recruit who is willing to do anything to rise in the ranks and be praised every step of the way. All these characters collide at the boarding of the ship, Wilhelm Gustloff.

The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is one of the most devastating tragedies, even surpassing the Titanic with 9,400 deaths-many being women and children. However, this tragedy is but a blip in history books. In fact, it is not well-known at all. Refugees were desperate, but so were the Nazis—even though they would never admit it. They were losing the war and Russia was advancing. For the refugees, the fear of the Nazis was still palpable but this book shows how little choice they had. It is also fascinating that the author intertwined the legend of the Amber Room. It was a room in Berlin that was extravagantly lined with amber and gold walls with priceless artwork, but it was taken apart at the end of the war and the remains have not been found. But there were rumors that pieces of it were loaded onto the Wilhelm Gustloff.

Trigger Warnings: War, death, violence, rape, racism, war crimes

While the characters in this story are fictional, their plight is very real and was the reality for many people during WWII. Emilia had created her own history to make her present more bearable. Many would see her as helpless but she was the most courageous out of them all and loved with every fiber of her being. Joana suffered so much loss and did whatever she could to prevent more loss. But she is also a natural leader in a time when women were looked down on. Florian kept his feelings to himself. He did not want to get close to anyone. But it was more because he knew danger followed him. Then there is Alfred. This delusional kid is a prime example of the brainwashing that went into the Hitler Youth.

This book is a quick read with a phenomenal cast of narrators. While it is a quick read, with brief chapters, it does not lack depth. I fell in love with most of the characters and wanted them to survive. Be prepared. There will be many, many tears. 5 out of 5 stars!