A Goodreads user
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
Hi! My name is Allegra. I read "Salt to the Sea" and absolutely fell in love with your writing. It was beautiful and amazing! Now I need to read "Between Shades of Gray" and "Out of the Easy!" I've never been much of a fan of historical fiction, but after reading about the Wilhelm Gustloff, I definitely want to try more historical fiction. What first inspired you to write historical fiction? Thanks so much!
Ruta Sepetys
Hi Allegra! Thanks for your question! I am drawn to hidden history and stories of strength through struggle, so I look for topics that contain those elements. Writing historical fiction is like being a detective. I love discovering secrets and lost heroes. Sometimes history can be perceived as boring. But through characters and story, historical statistics become human and suddenly we care for people we've never met, we can find their country on a map, and then—the history matters. Through historical fiction we can give voice those who will never have a chance to tell their story. That inspires me!
More Answered Questions
Agnes
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
I really enjoyed reading Out of the Easy, like OMG! I was going to ask something, and then I happened to see you had already replied to a similar comment, and that you were positive about writing a sequel to it. I'm so glad you are considering it!(!!) (excuse my excitement, haha) Thank you, I would really like to read your other book as well. (I'm sorry this is not really a question?)
Adrienne
asked
Ruta Sepetys:
In Salt to the Sea, you have four different narrators; what was the writing process like to write four distinct voices? How did you stay true to the characters' voices and not mix up whose voice was whose? Also, you have three really lovable characters and one creepy one--was it harder to write Alfred than the other three? Thanks for writing such powerful, meaningful books.
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