What is the exposition of between shades of gray?

Exposition: NKVD officers come to take Lina and her family away. They don't know where they're going. Their mom, Elena, smashes all of their nice things to keep sense pride.

What is the conflict of Between Shades of Gray?

The main conflict in my book "Between shades of gray ", would be, when Lina, her little brother Jonas, and their mother have to survive to find whether their father and husband are alive or dead.

Who dies in Between Shades of Gray?

Ona: A young woman, not believed to be 20, who is forced on the train immediately after giving birth to her baby. Neither her nor her baby is given any medical attention. After losing her baby, Ona goes insane and is fatally shot by the NKVD.

Is there romance in Between Shades of Gray?

"Between Shades of Gray" is narrated by Lina, a 15-year-old aspiring artist, in stark, unsparing prose. The tale is at once a suspenseful, drama-packed survival story, a romance and an intricately researched work of historical fiction.

Does Between Shades of Gray have a happy ending?

To know that she ended up with Andrius was enough hope for my heart to cling to, with the larger story leaving the biggest impact. For this reason I think the author accomplished her purpose brilliantly. It was a bittersweet ending.

Author Ruta Sepetys talks about the true history behind Between Shades of Gray

Why do you think Elena smashed all her favorite china?

Elena smashes all of her fine possessions because she does not want the Soviets to take them and enjoy them, or sell them. She decides to destroy them herself because at least then their loss is her choice, not theirs.

What did Lina draw on that she hoped would be passed along to Papa?

“Do you have a handkerchief I could borrow?” he asked. I nodded and quickly handed him the hankie, neatly folded to conceal my writing… The man patted his brow with the handkerchief before putting it in his pocket. Pass it along, I thought, imagining the hankie traveling hand to hand until it reached Papa.

Do Lina and Andrius get married?

Though Andrius and Lina are separated after Lina and her family are moved from the first camp, Lina's letter in the epilogue shows that the two survived, reconnected, and eventually married.

Is Between Shades of Gray for kids?

Mature adult sexual content and pervasive graphic and harrowing brutality throughout. Appreciated learning about this little known piece of history but do not recommend for kids younger than 16.

What time period is Between Shades of Gray?

1941 – Fifteen-year-old Lina Vilkas is arrested by the Soviet secret police and deported to Siberia with her mother and younger brother.

How long was Lina imprisoned?

In the epilogue: A man find letters written by Lina in a glass jar that was in a chest. Lina and Jonas survived, they were imprisoned for 12 years. Lina married Andrius.

What happens at the end of the book Between Shades of Gray?

Lina's story ends when she sees sunlight on the horizon, and she knows they have successfully survived the winter despite the best efforts of the NKVD to have them perish. In an epilogue, construction workers in Kaunas in 1995 find letters and drawings Lina has buried in 1954.

What is Luna's last name in Between Shades of Gray?

Lina Vilkas Character Timeline in Between Shades of Gray.

What does NKVD mean in Between Shades of Gray?

Ruta Sepetys's stunning debut novel begins on June 14, 1941, as the NKVD (the Soviet secret police) pound on the door of the Vilkas family's home.

Was ashes in the snow a true story?

Ashes in the Snow is based on the 2011 novel Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys, a Lithuanian-American writer who based it on the true story of Irena Spakauskiene, a 13-year-old Lithuanian girl who was deported from Lithuania to Siberia in 1941.

Who is Elena vilkas?

Elena Vilkas is Lina's mother, and is still a woman in the prime of her life when she is deported from her home in Lithuania. Though she is a homemaker and relies on Kostas' income from the university to support the family, Elena was sent to Moscow for her schooling and is considered highly educated.

What does Mrs Rimas do when Elena dies?

Jonas and Lina cry over their mother's dead body, while Mrs. Rimas recites a prayer. The other deportees comfort the family, saying everything they loved about Elena. They all promise to bury her body.

Where is Kostas in Between Shades of Gray?

Kostas is Lina and Jonas' father, and a professor at the local university. Though he is only seen in one episode throughout the novel, Lina often reminisces of good times she had with her father, who was loving and supportive of her artistic talents.

Why is Andrius surprised his mother has made it this far?

Ch 24-2: Why is Andrius surprised his mother has made it this far? She's not a hard person. Ch 24-3: What do you think qualifies someone to be on the list?

What happens to Lina and Andrius?

(view spoiler) Lina and Andrius both survived. They found one another again when they returned to Lithuania and they got married.

How does Lina's family get to their new destination?

Thus, 15-year-old Lina Vilkas, along with her mother and younger brother, is deported from her Lithuanian home by the Soviet secret police in 1941, and begins a cattle-car journey through a series of forced-labor camps that will span 12 years and 6,500 miles.

How old is Jonas in between shades of gray?

Jonas, Lina's brother, is ten years old when he is deported. Sweet and caring in his nature, Jonas' purity is exemplified from the start of the novel, when he dresses neatly for school as the NKVD arrive at the home and demand that the family get ready to leave.

What happens in the village that lifts Elena's spirits?

What news lifts Elena's spirits? The grouchy woman mailed their letters.

How do they find out they're being separated from the men's trains?

Jonas peers through and sees men approaching the train. Though the bald man thinks they are partisans who might be able to help them, they are really men who have come to unhook train cars from each other. Lina realizes they are being separated from the men's trains.