Gabrielle

Gabrielle asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi! I'm a freshman in highschool, and I read Between Shades of Gray about a year and a half ago. I absolutely loved it. I really want to know, how does writing such a deeply emotional book affect you? Even though it is historical, did it and your other books leave a lasting impression? Thanks! Gabi

Ruta Sepetys Hi Gabi,

Thanks for your kind words about "Between Shades of Gray" being an emotional book. It was definitely a challenging book to write.

When I'm writing a sad or violent scene I don't take a step back from it. I try to stay present within it. That way, I'm immersed in the emotional truth of the scene and can hopefully convey that emotion to the reader.

Yes, my books stay with me long after I'm done writing them. I hope they stay with the reader too!

Thanks again.

More Answered Questions

Joanna

Joanna asked Ruta Sepetys:

I recently read Out of the Easy after reading both Between Shades of Gray and Salt to the Sea and I loved all three books. You have such a way with historical fiction and making everything flow so smoothly. WW2 and New Orleans in the 50s are so extremely different, how did you come to write Out of the Easy? And are there other historical periods that interest you enough to possibly write about in the future?

Bailey

Bailey asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi Ruta! As someone who's family is still strongly connected to their Lithuanian heritage finding Between Shades of Grey was amazing because you don't see that country mentioned often. (My grandmother actually recommended it to me) All of your books seem to contain settings that we don't seem to hear a lot about, especially during the time frames you focus in on. What inspires you to select the settings you do?

Heather

Heather asked Ruta Sepetys:

Thank you for sharing the story of Salt to the Sea: both the historical parts and the characters' stories. In what ways do you support survivors of sexual assault-- the Amelias of our world-- and in what ways would you encourage us to do so? And are you familiar with the horrors of the "comfort women" of World War II?

All answers from Ruta Sepetys…

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