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Salt to the Sea
- Narrated by: Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, Michael Crouch
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
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Salt to the Sea
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Summary
New York Times best seller! For fans of Between Shades of Gray and All the Light We Cannot See, best-selling author Ruta Sepetys returns to WWII in this epic novel that shines a light on one of the war's most devastating - yet unknown - tragedies.
World War II is drawing to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, many with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer to safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all 10,000 people - adults and children alike - aboard must fight for the same thing: Survival.
Told in alternating points of view and perfect for fans of Anthony Doerr's Pulitzer Prize-winning All the Light We Cannot See, Erik Larson's Dead Wake, and Elizabeth Wein's Printz Honor Book Code Name Verity, this masterful work of historical fiction is inspired by the real-life tragedy that was the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff - the greatest maritime disaster in history. As she did in Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys unearths a shockingly little-known casualty of a gruesome war, and proves that humanity and love can prevail, even in the darkest of hours.
Critic reviews
“Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris, and Michael Crouch perform mesmerizing narration worthy of Sepetys’s spectacular novel. Verdict Libraries with even the most limited audio budgets will want to invest.” (School Library Journal, starred review)
“The talented narrators excel in capturing the tone of their characters...[They] work together to create a vivid and well-rounded reading experience, [and] bring forth the truth of the wartime experience.” (Booklist, starred review)
“The four narrators (Jorjeana Marie, Will Damron, Cassandra Morris and Michael Crouch) are superbly cast...The story’s plot and pacing translate beautifully to the audio medium.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
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What listeners say about Salt to the Sea
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Toni Sinclair
- 16-04-18
Incredible tale of humanity at it's best and worst
If you could sum up Salt to the Sea in three words, what would they be?
Wonderful, heartbreaking and honest.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The final scenes are heartbreaking but justified. It never felt like the author was writing a story, rather she was narrating someone else's.
1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jordan Louise Scott
- 25-01-23
absolutely stunning writing
such depth and raw emotion is portrayed throughout this. Beautifully written! Author handled the story delicately whilst providing realism. Great choice with narrators!
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Brian Young
- 06-10-22
Good Listen
Using Actors with American accents was the wrong decision but apart from that it's a good listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Henry’s Glam-ma
- 10-02-22
Sad but necessary listen. Great story.
A very interesting account of having to flee in WW2. It’s always the civilians who get caught up in the tragedies and this is very youth based. Very well written, telling the story through different eyes.
A great listen, compelling and sad in places but so so necessary to know.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- kieran
- 24-03-21
Beautiful but heartbreaking
Brilliantly composed story from a multitude of view points. Story, characters and performance all felt incredibly authentic. Harrowing insight into a part of WW2 I know very little about.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mrs Rice
- 14-05-20
Breathtaking!
Equally heartbreaking and heartwarming, this is a story everyone should read to think more deeply about what war means, what humanity means. Dickensian genius for scope and character portrayal. Both wonderfully written and expertly performed. Can’t wait to discover the next inspiring gem from the Audible treasure hoard. Bravo!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Helen Ordish
- 26-01-19
Beautiful Book
I loved this book it was narated very well. To me the book has no down side. It made me cry and smile. I can honetly say this is my favoret book. But if you dont like to cry or be emotional its not the book for you. It still haunts me how this was never talked about and more need to reads the bookso they can now about this tradegy.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Gaile
- 18-11-18
Loved it. Even teared-up at times.
Loved it. Effective story that can bring a tear to your eye. It did to mine. I enjoyed the style of writing. Bringing the introduction back into the conclusion to connect it all nicely. Overall listening to it kind of makes me want to read it too. Narration was great with different readers and truly good annotations. Yet being such an emotional piece I would love to read some parts and sit and stir with the thoughts they gave me. I know I could have paused the audio to do so, this was my first audiobook and suppose I will just have to get used to the story moving on when I'm not ready to move with it. It was still a great listen but for the type of reader I am I would probably pick up the actual book as well.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anon
- 07-11-18
Excellent!
I loved this book so much such a brilliant story so well described and written❤️
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 22-06-18
remember
interesting to hear from different viewpoints. we should remember so we don't have to re-live.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- FanB14
- 19-02-16
Haunting Historical YA Fiction
A Polish girl, German soldier, & Lithuanian nurse are the heart of a group desperate to flee at the end of WWII. Alternating POVs portray backgrounds steeped in sadness and despair as they board their "savior" ship.
The story is artfully crafted with rich details, loosely based on facts. She is not just a good writer, but an excellent storyteller, bringing to light the worst maritime disaster in history. Ever heard of it? Most hadn't until now. The true details from the epilogue highlight how well she wove in the fact with fiction. Don't read other reviews giving away the rich details, just enjoy. If you like this one, "Between Shades of Gray" is even better.
35 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- ernest drown
- 20-02-16
Beautiful heartbreaker
This is an absolutely beautiful performance of a powerful, haunting story. Right up there with The Book of Aron and The War that Saved My Life and Echo....a quartet of life changing books about WW II, all recent. You'll carry these characters in your heart for a loooong time.
18 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Mariechen
- 16-02-16
An unique WW2 story
Where does Salt to the Sea rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?
I haven't read that many, but this is somewhere at the top.
What was one of the most memorable moments of Salt to the Sea?
Oh, the whole book is memorable; but the horrid and sad moments really stick in your mind. I expect I'll dream of them tonight.
Which character – as performed by the narrators – was your favorite?
Johanna - maybe because she is a healthcare worker too, or maybe just because she gave the group so much direction.
Any additional comments?
The characters are so well-written. I think Sepetys is a master of observation. Ingrid, the blind girl, is so well-illustrated - I have many blind family members, and Sepetys very accurately described her body-language and movements. Alfred is such a horrid character, but again, so accurately depicted.
8 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jackie
- 11-02-16
Magnificent!
Another magnificent read by Ruta! A detailed depiction of the tragedy of war as seen through the eyes of four young adults.
6 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kay
- 30-04-16
Very well writen and narrated!
Would you listen to Salt to the Sea again? Why?
Yes. The story, although ultimately filled with sadness, it is captivating. Each character, from Joana to the wandering boy, is well developed.
What did you like best about this story?
WWII was filled with tragedy and Sepetys dealt with it honestly. And yet she also included hope and redemption.
Any additional comments?
This is a well written fictional story about a true event. The author's note at the end says it all "..when the survivors are gone we must not let the truth disappear with them. Please give them a voice."
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- K. Sowa
- 14-04-16
Stunning!
I can relate pretty much everything I interact with to a Hamilton lyric, and when I was listening to Salt to the Sea, I kept thinking of this line: you have no control – who lives, who dies, who tells your story. Ruta Sepetys has established herself as a teller of hidden stories, writing about real events you might never have heard of from the perspective of fictional teens. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff was a catastrophic maritime disaster, dwarfing the Titanic and Lusitania, but I had never heard of it. In Salt To The Sea, we are taken on a heartbreaking, stressful, and amazing journey of a group of refugees who are simply trying to escape the horrors of war. Salt To The Sea takes a microcosm of civilians who are really just that; people who happen to live in Germany and are trying to leave for safety. Through four different narrators, the story unfolds and as each reveals their story, each has utter heartbreak in their past and desperate hope for their future. One voice, that of an overzealous, sociopath, low-level Nazi soldier, was the chilling voice that I think we associate with this era. His blind devotion to the Reich made him dangerous and his part of the story, and the way he viewed himself versus the way others viewed him, was fascinating. I also loved the way the author wove the mystery of The Amber Room into the book, as well. Make no mistake, this book can be tough to listen to. Ruta Sepetys does not flinch away from the cruelty of the situation, including sexual assault and the death of children. It is not lost me how timely this story is, with the issues of refugees in the forefront of the news, recently. As the author said in her notes, suffering emerged the victor. However, and I know this sounds odd, this story was also uplifting. It showed the power of hope and sacrifice, and while it made me cry, I can’t say that this story was entirely sad.
There were four different narrators in this story, which I liked. I always enjoy it when they are able to bring in different voices for the points of view because it makes it seem more real. I will make the comment that their German pronunciation was terrible. That annoyed me a bit because I feel that it wouldn’t have been that hard to find someone to help with that as they were recording it, but I’m not sure that will annoy you unless you speak German. If not, you have no worries. Overall, the narration was good and I found this audiobook to be very engaging in its performance. While it was a heartbreaking and emotional story, I am so glad I listened so that the Wilhelm Gustloff won’t be hidden history, anymore.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ele Ward
- 17-03-16
Powerful and Heartbreaking
I am a huge fan of history. I love to learn the hidden history. until I came across this book I had never heard of the sinking of this ship. I was brought to tears. I highly recommend this book.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Audrey Donner
- 25-02-16
Beautifully written tragic tale
The voices were wonderful, the narrative unforgettable. This easily ranks as a favorite historical fiction.
5 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Daryl
- 27-06-16
A Look into History
As the author stated in the author's note of this book, this is a nearly unknown event in WWII history. She creates well-drawn characters who are forced to rely on each other to get to the ship despite nationality, background, age, or personality.
The characters rely on each other, mistrust each other, depend on each other... and do the same for themselves. It's nuanced and suspenseful and generally well-read.
I'm a bit am bivolent about the narration. It was well-done, but having American narrators use American speech and only occasional German or Polish... it just sat a bit odd. I suppose it's better than putting on accents, but I'm sure native German/Lithuanian/Polish speakers could have performed this book and made it a truly terrific audiobook experience.
Well worth your time, money and/or credit.
4 people found this helpful
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Overall2 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Michelle Gorka
- 09-09-17
Meh
Any author that frequently uses the word "suddenly" is a no go for me. Definitely intended for a younger audience. Narrators were a bit over the top with their dramatics. So much that it got annoying to listen to. Wouldn't recommend.
3 people found this helpful