I Must Betray You

by Ruta Sepetys

Scott County Library hardcover 310 pages with author note

Published: 2022

Genre: Historical Fiction

Sepetys is one of my favorite authors! She is simply amazing every time. Here are my personal rankings of her books:

Fountains of Silence

Out of the Easy

Between Shades of Gray

I Must Betray You

Salt to the Sea

Putting this title in fourth place is *not* indicative of a less fantastic novel, though. Quite the contrary! Her writing is so extraordinary that they are ALL amazing books! And I learn something with each one I read.

Betray is set in 1980s Romania. Right away, I thought about what I was doing in that time period and if I had any awareness of the geopolitical issues at that time. I was pretty wrapped up in myself, getting married, having my first baby, graduating from college . . . Inconceivable what my contemporaries in Romania were enduring as their "going about life." (I do remember Nadia Comaneci defecting . . . but had to Google it to see that it was in 1989 right before the revolution.)

Sepetys does a LOT of research (her bibliography is very impressive!) but she writes interesting stories with characters who draw you in and make you care. The pervasive spying and informing people lived with . . . who's watching, listening, telling? If you can get in trouble for any little infraction, how do you live life in the midst of suspicion and fear? Sepetys very effectively creates this reality.

Page 14 - "Night pooled with a scattering of clouds. The sky slung black and empty of light. Tall, ashen buildings towered together on each side of the street, lording over me. Living in Bucharest was like living inside a black-and-white photo. Life in cold monochrome. You knew that color existed somewhere beyond the city's palette of cement and charcoal, but you couldn't get there - beyond the gray. Even my guilt tasted gray, like I had swallowed a fistful of soot."

 

Although this description is of something so ugly, I love her evocative use of words!

 

Page 41 - "I often think about that moment, reliving its perfection in my head. Liliana. A real Coke. Banana shampoo. Sometimes we don't recognize life's perfect moments. Until it's too late."

 

So true! I try to take time to appreciate life's moments even when they're not momentous. An attitude of gratitude isn't just a platitude!

 

Page 57 - "Cici nodded slowly, suspicious. 'Just remember, Pui, good luck comes at a price. Bad luck is free.'"

 

Cici is our protagonist's older sister. Her pet name of "Pui" for Cristian Florescu means "little chick." The relationship between these two really drove a lot of the story line. I kept wanting him to confide in her! This is pretty wise advice . . . if you believe in luck.

 

Page 60 - "'You do realize what they're doing, don't you, Gabriel?' Bunu asked. 'Mistrust is a form of terror. The regime pits us against one another. We can't join together in solidarity because we never know whom we can trust or who might be an informer.'"

 

Bunu is Christian's grandfather and Gabriel is his dad (Bunu's son). Bunu was wise but too outspoken in his disagreement with the government. He was also a huge influence on his grandson!

 

Page 108 - "Ceaușescu and his family were free to travel to every continent and experience all the world had to offer, but he kept his people caged within the country's borders, working, full of fear, terrorized if they inquired about a passport. My parents longed to return to the Romanian seaside or to spend time in the mountains. But in recent years, Ceaușescu's work mandates and petrol rations made that difficult.

I wanted my mother to have a lighted stairwell.

I wanted my father to have a real vacation or a car.

I wanted Liliana to have the birds she missed."

 

When Christian goes to the American Library with Dan (son of a U.S. diplomat), there are many eye-opening things that he sees. But a picture of the Romanian first family at Disneyworld blows him away. The Romanian government has said that Disney is not really a place and that American prosperity is a lie. When Christian realizes that not only does Disneyworld exist but that the Ceaușescu family has been there, the injustice strikes him anew.

 

Page 268 - "It was my fault. Luca jumped up to reach for me, to save me. Because of that, he'd lost his arm. He'd lost his path to medicine. And now he could lose his life. Families and so much destroyed. What was the cost of freedom?"

 

That final question really struck me. What does my freedom cost? (My brain is singing the hymn, "Jesus paid it all . . . ")

 

Page 276  - "It was true. And they eventually broadcast it on TV. 'Wealth' didn't accurately describe it. Excess, extravagance, greed, and gluttony, those words were more accurate. Countless estates across the country, hundreds of millions salted away in foreign bank accounts. They broadcast a video tour of the homes, including their daughter's, which had a solid gold meat scale and packages of imported veal for her dog.

'I can't bear it,' said Liliana. 'We've been suffering for years, existing off scrawny chicken feet, with just one forty-watt light bulb per home. And they've been living like kings. Gourmet food, foreign goods, antiques, jewelry, fur coats, hundreds of pairs of shoes?'"

When I read about how much wealth the Ceaușescu family had and the way other dignitaries (including U.S. Presidents) received them while the people of their own country were suffering hunger and deprivations, it makes me sick. I thought of Imelda Marcos having tens of thousands of pairs of designer shoes while Filipinos were starving. I think of what God's Word says about the evils of greed and amassing wealth. I just don't understand leaders who do this.

 

Page 307 (Author's note) - "When I began researching I Must Betray You, my thoughts immediately turned to the Romanian children and students living under the Ceaușescu regime - innocent young people who felt deeply and passionately as they were coming of age but were powerless to direct the course of their life."

 

This is one of the things I love about Sepetys! She has such a heart for young people and writes about their struggles so well!

 

Page 309 (Author's Note) - "History is the gateway to our collective story and the story of humanity. Historical fiction allows us to explore underrepresented stories and illuminate countries on the map." 

She's a fantastic author. I highly recommend all her books! I love that this one included photographs at the end. Her research is impeccable!

The Fountains of Silence

by Ruta Sepetys

Scott County Library hardcover 474 pages plus author's note and more

Genre: YA historical fiction

Published: 2019

Sepetys is an amazing author! She has once again written a story that both informs and captivates. This one is set in Spain post-WWII. Wow. I already want to re-read it. So good!!!

Daniel is a Texan, the son of a wealthy oilman, but he is passionate about photography and telling stories with images. Ana is a beautiful young woman whose parents were killed as part of General Franco's cleansing of Spain's ideology after the Spanish Civil War. They meet at the hotel where Daniel and his parents are staying and where Ana works. Layered in between their personal stories and struggles is the deeply secret story of babies who are taken from their parents and sold to wealthy Catholics. The characters, struggles, and secrets were beautifully written.

Page 41 - I love how Sepetys made us "see" Daniel's passion for photography so quickly.

But manicured trees don't interest Daniel. People do. They are living, breathing landscapes. When captured at the right moment, truth reveals itself to the camera.

Page 70 - Puri was not one of my favorite characters, but I did appreciate her tendency to ask questions and highlight worthy curiosity.

When the radio broadcasts announce, "Spain is the chosen country of God," does that mean that God has abandoned other countries? And if foreigners are indecent, why is Spain catering to them as tourists?

"Why must you question everything?" scolds her mother. "Have you no faith?"

She most certainly has faith, but she also has questions. Can't she have both?

Page 202 - This jumped out at me. Reading this book was a huge education for me . . . I simply never thought about or learned about Spain after World War II. What an eye opener! This is Ben talking to Daniel.

"After World War II, even Germany, our archenemy, was a recipient under the Marshall Plan, but Spain?" Ben forms a "zero" with his hand. "Spain was the only major Western European nation excluded from the economic recovery plan. What do you think that says?"

"I'm not sure what it says," replies Daniel. "That's why I'm asking questions."

"It says the topic of Spain is very controversial. Look, you study Hitler and Mussolini in school, but you don't study Franco," whispers Ben. "Because he's still alive. The history hasn't written itself yet, Matheson. But you're capturing it as we speak with your photos. Exciting stuff."

Page 246 - I felt as though I could SEE the photos that were described in the text. When Ana started suggesting captions, it got even better.

Ana looks at the photo. Her voice is steady and lyrical. "Fighting phantoms. There are some problems that even money can't solve."

 

Page 251 -  I loved Rafa (Ana's brother)! His joy and his exuberance were infectious. But he was also contemplative at times. (I also loved how Sepetys used the concept of "fortune" in different ways for different characters.)

Although Rafa is determined to face fear, a quiet part of him worries that he may be luckless. What then? If they actually take part in the capea (bullfight) today, the participation alone will be the most fortune he has ever known. As he considers the potential for victory this afternoon, an overwhelming sense of joy emerges. The voices in his head, the questions - they are his own. They are not voices from the shadows, creeping forth to taunt him.

Page 289 - Puri asks her mother a particularly challenging question, one her mother does not answer.

Puri steals a glance over her shoulder. Her mother sits, a block of erect silence, slowly stirring the spoon around and around in her coffee. And that's when Puri realizes.

Silence has a voice of its own.

Page 425 - This is another piece of text that reminded me of our former POTUS . . . and creepy, awful men like him.

Daniel thinks of the letters he wrote to the embassy and the State Department about Shep Van Dorn. Nothing came of them. Nick is right. Guys like Shep always seem to land on their feet. He should have decked him when he had the chance.

Page 444 - Ana to Daniel (18 years later). Sometimes, silence truly is golden. But for the reasons and ways Ana had to keep silent, it definitely had negative effects on her life.

"Only because we tried to stay silent. Silence warps everything. I can accept if there's silence around us, but not between us."

Page 448-9 / Chapter 143 - I loved this chapter so much! Daniel's sister Cristina is so authentic and fun. 

He's never lied to his sister. She understands him better than even his mother did. She truly can hear things in his voice. That means she also sees it on his face. He has to tell her something. He remains quiet for several minutes, hoping she'll fall asleep.

<I can't ruin this for another reader, so I won't include the rest of their conversation. It brings a smile to my face!>

Page 462-3 Miguel made me tear up! After all those years, the photo developer / camera guy had kept copies of Daniel's photos from his time in Madrid.

"Si. A promise is a promise. I also have these photos." Miguel lifts a copy of National Geographic from the table. "We followed you through the years, Texano. Ana would run to the shop and ask questions about your photos. Together we dissected every detail and made markings on a map to follow you. Caramba, we worried." Miguel puts his hands on Daniel's shoulders. His voice rolls low with emotion. "What a journey you've been on. I am so proud of you, amigo. Capa would be proud too."

Daniel doesn't care that his eyes are welling for all to see. Like Ben, the man in front of him believed when others didn't.

Page 472 - Throughout the book, there were actual interview quotes, news stories, etc. Having the fact interspersed with the fiction was powerful.

Thousands of babies were stolen from their parents during the Franco dictatorship in Spain, but the story was suppressed for decades. Now, the first stolen-baby case has gone to court. The trial is expected to last months. As Lucia Benavides reports from Spain, it's a dark part of Spanish history that is finally getting more recognition.

Between 1939 and the late 1980s, it is alleged that over 300,000 babies were stolen from their birth mothers and sold into adoption. - Lucia Benavides

<from "First Stolen-Baby Case from Franco Dictatorship Goes to Court in Spain" NPR August 14, 2018.>

That shocked me! This book is stunning. I didn't write about the final scene with Daniel and Fuga, or Lorenza's treachery, or so many other amazing parts of this book. Two thumbs up for sure!

Salt to the Sea

by Ruta Sepetys
PRMS hardcover 378 pages
genre: YA historical fiction, WWII

It was so interesting to read this fictional account at the same time as I was reading The Monuments Men. So many overlapping stories! I love Sepetys' writing style - she really makes history come alive! (I wish I had been able to read books like this as a teen; I might not have hated studying history so much.)

She tells the story from four points of view, with other characters included:
Joana - 21, Lithuanian, medical background, "guilt is a hunter"
Florian - 18 or 19?, Prussian, handsome, fit, injured, "fate is a hunter"
Emilia - 15, Polish, pretty, pregnant, "shame is a hunter"
Alfred - 19 or 20? German, coward with delusions of grandeur, "fear is a hunter"

I caught the (blank) is a hunter line right away at the start of the book . . . and wasn't surprised when it showed up again at the end. This was probably the one thing that didn't "work" for me as a reader. The character (and plot) development was wonderful, as the first three characters (along with others) traveled to the port of Gotenhafen to board a ship to escape the advancing Russian army. The dangers and fears were palpable. I loved Ingrid, the shoe poet, and the wandering boy!

From hearing Sepetys talk at an author event, I knew that this story was "about" the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff (the largest maritime loss of life EVER!). That was certainly a huge learning experience for me. Why do we know so much about the Titanic and the Lusitania and so little about this ship's sinking? Odd. I went to www.wilhelmgustloffmuseum.com based on her research and sources section (after the "author's note") and would gladly read more . . . later.

Out of the Easy

by Ruta Sepetys
Hennepin County Library hardcover 346 pages
genre: teen historical fiction

Sepetys has done it again! This book is captivating and I could not put it down! Josie Moraine is a 17-year-old daughter of a prostitute living in the French Quarter of New Orleans. She wants to get away from the world she has known and the men who frighten her. Could she find a way to go to Smith College?

The characters are wonderfully drawn - Patrick Marlowe, his dad Charlie, the madam Willie Woodley, Cokie (Willie's employee), Jesse Thierry, the prostitutes . . . this was a very compelling story with elements of mystery and intrigue. The ending made me cry. I loved it.

Initially, I thought I wouldn't buy it for my middle school collection, but it's actually fairly clean (in terms of language and sex) and it's a very well-written story!

 

<Above posted 7.7.2014. Below added 11.8.2023.>

 

Sepetys is one of my favorite historical fiction authors.  I listened to the audiobook on Libby. Read by Lauren Fortgang, I was surprised by aspects of the story I had forgotten. Josie trying to deal with Carlos' mob man on her own . . . Josie's mom stealing the watch Willie gave her for her 18th birthday . . . This book is quite good. I liked the author's notes after the story, too.

Between Shades of Gray

by Ruta Sepetys
PRMS hardcover 344 pages
genre: historical fiction WWII

A student recommended this book last fall and I finally read it! It was very well-written (and so elicited the sadness and sorrow implicit in the topic of pogroms). Lina, her mother, and her brother are rounded up during the night and sent to Siberia. Although a work of fiction, the true history behind this story is appalling. Under Stalin's leadership, over 20 million lives were lost . . . more than three times the number who were murdered by Hitler. People from Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, etc. were especially affected by his tactics. People were rounded up because of their perceived opposition to Stalin's regime.

Lina's strength, struggles, and triumphs are powerfully written about and we are drawn into her painful reality. This book was depressing, but worthwhile.

 

<Above on 4.3.14. Below added 6.21.23.>

 

Page 49: "Two Soviets pulled a priest down the platform. His hands were bound and his cassock was dirty. Why a priest? But then . . . why any of us?"

 

Page 55: "I stared at Andrius. Dried blood caked his teeth and the corners of his lips. His jaw was swollen. I hated them, the NKVD and the Soviets. I planted a seed of hatred in my heart. I swore it would grow to be a massive tree whose roots would strangle them all."

 

Page 146: "Mother quickly wiped off the slime, as if it didn't bother her at all. It bothered me. I wanted to roll the hate up into my mouth and spit it back in his face."

 

Page 164: "Walking to the fields each morning, I could predict who would be the next to sign. Their faces sang songs of defeat. Mother saw it, too. She would chat with the person and work next to them in the field, trying to bolster their spirit. Sometimes it worked. Many times it didn't. At night I drew portraits of those who had signed and wrote about how the NKVD broke them down."

These excerpts jumped out to me, but I don't want to comment on them now. I re-read this over a week ago!