Review; ‘Salt to the Sea’

‘Salt to the Sea” tells the story of a little known World War II maritime disaster involving the Wilhelm Gustloff. Expertly told from give different points of view, Ruta Septeys gives each character a unique voice and a unique story. For four of the five stories, their escape from the war may mean life and freedom. The fifth character, told from a Nazi soldier's point of view, chilled me to the bone.

'Salt to the Sea” shines as each character shares their back story and their observations about the other narrators. Their short journey binds them together in an unexpected way and while the characters presented are fiction, their journeys provide a wonderful lesson about caring for others and helping those who are in need even when you are in need.

Audiobook readers will be pleased to know that each character has his or her own narrator. This adds to the intimacy of the story being told. It feels like each character is sitting next to you sharing some of their deepest darkest secrets. This intimacy carries through to the most pivotal point in the novel, but because of the connection readers feels with the characters, you hold out hope until the bitter end.

Finding unique, untold stories from World War II is always a treat and 'Salt to the Sea” fits the bill. It turns out that sometimes the best stories are found on the losing side of a battle and 'Salt to the Sea” tells part of that story in a way that allows the reader to connect with an otherwise silent part of history.