Chapter 16: No sophomore slump

Ruta Sepetys (Chapter 16)

Between Shades of Gray, the debut novel by Nashville author Ruta Sepetys, is a publisher’s wildest dream come true. First came a perfect set of starred pre-publication reviews (from Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews);then came raves from critics all over the world. The book was a New York Times bestseller the week it hit shelves in March, and it has been published around the world. On Nov. 29 at a gala at Paris’ Petit Palais hosted by the French literary magazine Lire, Sepetys became the first American author to win the prestigious Prix RTL-Lire prize for the best novel for young people published in the past year.

“Many beautiful books that tell important stories do not ultimately reach the readers who were meant to find them,” Beth Kephart, writing in Publishing Perspectives, points out in an article marveling at the astonishing international success of Between Shades of Gray. Sepetys’ novel, which tells the harrowing tale of 15-year-old Lina, a Lithuanian girl arrested by Stalin’s secret police and deported to a series of ever-harsher Siberian work camps, is clearly an exception. In addition to the French prize, Between Shades of Gray has also been nominated for the 2012 Carnegie Medal; the winner of that award will be announced in June.

Now Sepetys, who spent five years immersed in research for Between Shades of Gray, has signed a six-figure, two-book contract to continue with Philomel, a division of Penguin. Chapter 16 interviewed the author, fresh from the Paris gala, by email about her literary influences, the connections she’s forged with the descendants of Baltic refugees or deportees and the much-discussed “darkness” of literature pitched to an adolescent audience.

In the novel’s moving epilogue, you beseech readers and teachers to tell the story of Stalin’s millions of massacred victims, and now your own book is doing a marvelous job of spreading the word. On your travels, have other Lithuanians approached you to talk about what was, until recently, forbidden to discuss?

Yes, I’ve met many Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians who are now eager to share their stories. I’ve also received countless emails from families who were affected by the deportations. Their stories are shocking, sad, but many are also miraculous. It would be wonderful if a volume containing real survivor stories could be published in English.

Your father came to the States from Lithuania — an experience you came to appreciate when you were on assignment in Malaysia and found yourself “constantly lost,” confused by the currency, and incapable of communicating with locals. Has writing about your Lithuanian heritage helped you to understand the hurdles faced by immigrants, particularly immigrants fleeing political danger, as your father did?

My Lithuanian heritage has been a large part of my identity. Growing up in the U.S. with a name like Ruta Sepetys always sparked questions. I was constantly responding with, “I’m Lithuanian.” Even though that was my response, I wasn’t familiar with all of Lithuanian history — certainly not the deportations. Writing the book has allowed me to explore my heritage on a deeper level, and, yes, it gave me a tremendous appreciation for the challenges faced by displaced persons, immigrants, and refugees.

Do you see yourself as solely a writer for young-adult readers? How would your stories change if they were written specifically for adults?

Although I am extremely passionate about writing for young adults, I don’t see myself solely as a YA writer. In many countries, Between Shades of Gray is published as an adult novel, and when I toured in those countries I was meeting with adult readers. If I wrote stories specifically for adults I think the only thing that would change is that the main character would be an adult rather than a teenager. I love serious, sad stories, so the content of my books is already dark enough.

YA fiction has recently been criticized for being “too dark.” At first glance, the genre does seem to burst at the seams with tragedies, violent and bitter sagas, and angst-ridden chronicles. Between Shades of Gray certainly earns its darkness, but do you find any truth in the notion that there’s not enough light in literature aimed at teenagers?

I’m probably biased because I love dark stories, but I think books are a safe and valuable way to explore difficult topics. I read Go Ask Alice when I was a teen, and it absolutely terrified me — so much that I vowed never to go near drugs. I’m grateful I learned that lesson through a book. I think there are a lot of wonderful books for teenagers with uplifting themes and lighthearted humor. And I’ve met some incredible teachers and librarians who carefully choose and recommend books to students based on their individual interests, home life and emotional development.

What books did you love as a girl? Which books and authors influenced you most?

Are you ready for this? My favorite book as a young girl was [Edith Wharton’s] Ethan Frome. A sad and pitiful man falls in love with his wife’s cousin. In order to be together forever they attempt a double suicide by sledding into a tree. They both wind up crippled and bitter. The end. Oh, how I loved that book. I read it over and over. Ethan Frome was published in 1911, so clearly tragic and dark stories have been around for a while. I’ve always loved Edith Wharton, Truman Capote and Ellen Gilchrist.

The novel you’re currently writing is also based on events in your family history. Can you divulge a bit about its plot? What inspired the idea, and when did you decide this would be your next book?

My third novel is the one tied to a bit of family history. During WWII, my father’s cousin was supposed to be on board a ship that sank tragically during Operation Hannibal. I’m starting on that novel now. My next book is set in New Orleans in 1950. The daughter of a French Quarter prostitute attempts to get into one of the “Seven Sister” colleges but soon finds herself part of a criminal investigation. I spent a lot of time in New Orleans doing research. You wouldn’t believe what I found under the rocks I turned over. Brothels, mafia, oh my! The book is finished, and I’m really excited about it.

Franklin Life (Tennessee)

Williamson County Author Debuts as NY Times Bestseller

By SARA McMANAMY-JOHNSON
Staff Writer

The New York Times Bestseller List, for many writers, represents the pinnacle of literary success. Many writers work for years trying to see their books on that list.

Williamson County’s Ruta Sepetys based the story for Between Shades of Gray on historical events she learned about during a trip to visit relatives in Lithuania. Courtesy Photo

Brentwood author Ruta Sepetys made it there on her first try.

Sepetys’s debut novel Between Shades of Gray, released earlier this year, spent four weeks on The New York Times Bestseller List.

The novel tells the story of a 15-year-old girl in Lithuania who, along with her family, is deported to a Siberian work camp by Joseph Stalin’s soldiers during World War II.

The story holds a personal note for Sepetys, whose father and grandfather immigrated to the U.S. from Lithuania when her father was a child.

Sepetys first learned of the deportations – part of an ethnic cleansing effort-during a visit to Lithuania when she met members of her extended family.

“I asked them if they had any old photos of my father or grandfather,” said Sepetys. “They told me that they had burned them all because they couldn’t let anyone know they were related to my grandfather.”

And they began to tell her stories of Stalin’s ethnic cleansing in the Baltic States. Sepetys’s grandfather and father had not just immigrated – they had escaped.

“I was shocked,” said Sepetys, who never knew this part of her family’s history.

After the trip, Sepetys returned to Brentwood, where she mulled over what she had learned.

When she discussed it with her writing group, the Brentwood Writing Group, during their bi-weekly meetings at the Brentwood Public Library, the other members encouraged her to tell the story.

Sepetys painstakingly researched the historical background, returning to Lithuania to interview survivors and family members.

“They told me their stories, but they would say ‘promise never to mention my name,’” said Sepetys. “Fifty years had passed, but the fear was still raw.”

Survivors in the Baltics were forbidden to speak of the deportations for decades – until Soviet control ended in 1990. Doing so could result in immediate imprisonment.

According to Sepetys, she wrote this book to help make more people aware of Stalin’s ethnic cleansing efforts during World War II.

“I chose young adult [as the genre] specifically for Between Shades of Gray because I wanted to get this to teachers and librarians,” said Sepetys.

Already, she has presented her research findings to members of Congress, the Administration, and foreign diplomats at the Lithuanian embassy in Washington D.C.

The novel has by all accounts stirred international attention.

It will soon be available in more than two-dozen countries, and in 17 of those countries, it is being released as a novel for adults.

Sepetys, who owns and operates a small artist-management firm representing musicians, will soon leave for a book tour in Europe.

“Now the tables are really turned,” said Sepetys. “The artists I represent have been saying ‘now you’ll know what it’s like.’”

But she is excited, nonetheless.

“I’m so excited, but most of all, I’m honored to bring this story that has impacted so many millions of people to the world,” said Sepetys. “[To show] the strength and foundation of family.”

Sepetys relates those traits back to her adopted home, Brentwood.

“[Strength and foundation of family] is absolutely the rock here in Brentwood,” said Sepetys. “I often thought of neighbors and friends…What would we do if we were in that situation?”

She realized that those who survived in the Baltics found the strength to do so through love and family.

“That’s what the story is really about,” said Sepetys.

Sepetys will make appearances in the Nashville area in the coming months, beginning with the Ash to Nash Book Tour at the Brentwood Barnes & Noble on August 8 from 6:30 p.m. through 8:30 p.m.

She will also be at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville on October 15 and 16 and at the Edmondson Pike Library Branch in Nashville on December 15.