The Sunday Section: Book Review - 'Between Shades of Gray'

"Have you ever wondered what a human life is worth?  That morning, my brother’s was worth a pocket watch."

I read this book, Ruta Sepetys’ first novel, a couple of years ago, after which, I’d made some notes for a possible review, which I never got around to writing.  I thought about this book, and read it again, after reading an article in the ‘History’ magazine about the deportation of the Polish by the Soviet Union.  That, in itself, was eye-opening – accustomed to reading about Nazi destruction in occupied Poland, I'd almost forgotten, embarrassingly, that Stalin launched his invasion of Poland from the east, also in 1939, days after Hitler had launched his; Stalin and Hitler being collaborators in the early part of the war.

It is estimated that Josef Stalin killed more than 20 million people during his reign of terror – how do you comprehend such a figure?  With nothing to back it up, no stories, no memoirs, it becomes little more than a statistic.  ‘Between Shades of Gray’ is one of too-few books that sheds light on a barely known chapter in history.

This from the author’s note – “In 1939, the Soviet Union occupied the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia. Shortly thereafter, the Kremlin drafted lists of people considered anti-Soviet who would be murdered, sent to prison, or deported into slavery in Siberia. Doctors, lawyers, teachers, military servicemen, writers, business owners, musicians, artists, and even librarians were all considered anti-Soviet and were added to the growing list slated for wholesale extermination. The first deportations took place on June 14, 1941 … Caught between the Soviet and Nazi empires and forgotten by the world, the Baltic states simply disappeared from maps.”

Even though this is a Young Adult novel, the horrors these people suffered haven’t been glossed over.  The story, related in first person, is told from the perspective of 15-year-old Lina, from the moment the NKVD (Soviet secret police) forcibly enter her home and take her, her brother and mother away for deportation.  The family later learn that Lina’s father has been taken separately.  Piled into cattle trucks with others, including a woman who has just given birth and her newborn, they are taken to Siberia.

The narrative is peppered with Lina’s memories from the past, happier times made all the more poignant against the awfulness of Lina’s present.  Through her eyes, we see how people reacted to their appalling circumstances – some gave up hope, others literally lost their minds, while others were determined to survive, no matter what they had to endure, or were subjected to by the Soviets.  They were regarded as sub-human, and treated as such.

Lina herself is a believable protagonist, far from perfect … yes, she can be kind, but, like any teenager, is prone to acts of selfishness, loses her temper and shouts, and doesn’t always do the right thing.  And, refreshingly, for a YA novel, isn’t obsessed about her looks or anyone else’s for that matter.  Her talent as an artist helps her survive as she focuses her fear and anger into her drawings, despite the fact that discovery would mean severe punishment.

Much as I liked Lina, my favourite character was her mother, Elena, a truly brave, selfless woman.  From the moment the NKVD entered her home, she behaved with dignity, yet still showed her hidden strength.  When her children found her ‘smashing all of her best crystal and china on the floor’, they cried to her to stop.  Lina asked her why she was breaking her beautiful things.  Elena ‘stopped and stared at the china cup in her hand. “Because I love them so much.”  That, for me, spoke volumes about the woman’s character.  One of the other characters described Elena as ‘beautiful, but with strength.’

It is a grim story; through her uncomplicated style, and without needing to elaborate, Ms Sepetys lets the facts speak for themselves, building a picture of the deportees’ harsh treatment, and what they had to do to survive.  And yet, despite the bleakness, there are rays of hope that light up the narrative … unexpected acts of kindness; brave souls refusing to turn their backs on others; those who still insist on conducting themselves with dignity …

The title – ‘Between Shades of Gray’ – is most apt as we read of the different moral choices that are made in the story.  Faced with the exact same set of circumstances, the individuals in the group react differently, their choices coloured by their own, personal situation.  You begin to realise that there is no right or wrong, that it isn’t possible to judge the choices these people made … reading, safely ensconced in your home, you wonder how you would act in the exact same situation.

In my opinion, this novel isn’t only important because it highlights Stalin’s deportations, but also because Ms Sepetys has based events in her fictional story from stories of actual survivors.  She “met with family members, survivors of the deportations, survivors of the gulags, psychologists, historians, and government officials.  Many of the events and situations I describe in the novel are experiences related to me by survivors and their families, experiences they said were shared by many deportees across Siberia.”  

The survivors remained in Siberia for another 10 to 15 years before being allowed to return, only to find their homes occupied by the Soviets, while they themselves were treated like criminals.  Under constant surveillance, they could not speak of what they’d endured, for that would mean imprisonment or deportation back to Siberia.  And so their terrible experiences became a secret, an ugly secret shared by millions, a secret that the world remained unaware of.  One that, hopefully, will emerge fully into the light, thanks to books like this one.

“... evil will rule until good men or women choose to act.”