Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

A beautifully written novel that I highly recommend. While the novel is fiction, it is based on true events. During WWII, an ocean liner carrying refugees and wartime personnel was sunk by a Soviet submarine. An estimated 9,000 passengers were killed, making it the greatest maritime disaster in history.

It’s a heartbreaking story and the author handles the re-telling with grace. Sepetys bounces from different POVs but not in a way that felt distracting. The characters made me feel humbled, disgusted and hopeful. It’s an emotional book that I couldn’t put down. I wouldn’t recommend this book as a vacation read but pick it up when you can. You won’t regret it.