Ruta Sepetys
Encyclopedia
Ruta Sepetys or Rūta Šepetys (born November 19, 1967 in Detroit, MI) is an American author, of Lithuanian descent. Her debut novel, Between Shades of Gray
, a New York Times Bestseller, chronicles Stalin’s reign of terror in the Baltics and was inspired by Sepetys' family history.
Following graduation Sepetys moved to Los Angeles. In 1994 she launched Sepetys Entertainment Group, Inc., an entertainment management firm representing Grammy®-award winning guitarist Steve Vai
, Orange County modern rock band Lit, and Emmy nominated film composer Niels Bye Nielsen. In 2002 Sepetys was featured in Rolling Stone
magazine’s 'Women in Rock' special issue as a woman driven to make a difference. Sepetys is on the Board of Advisors for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University
and is also a director of the Make a Noise Foundation, a national non-profit that raises money for music education. Sepetys currently resides in Nashville, TN. Alexandra Alter, An Unlikely Story for Teens , Wall Street Journal online.
after the Soviet occupation in 1941, was critically acclaimed and translated into over 27 languages.
Ruta states that the novel represents the "extreme suffering and tremendous hope" displayed by the people of the Baltics.
says the book is a "superlative first novel" for Ruta. On April fifteenth, Between Shades of Gray appeared on The New York Times Editor's Choice. The Los Angeles Times states how Ruta Sepetys recounts the events with horrifying and fascination clarity. The Seattle Times
calls the book "heartbreaking."
Between Shades of Gray
Between Shades of Gray, a New York Times Bestseller, is the debut novel of American novelist Ruta Sepetys. It follows the Stalinist purges of the latter half of the 20th century, Between Shades of Gray follows the life of Lina as she is deported from her native Lithuania with her mother and...
, a New York Times Bestseller, chronicles Stalin’s reign of terror in the Baltics and was inspired by Sepetys' family history.
Biography
Ruta Sepetys is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee. She holds a B.S. in International Finance from Hillsdale College. While in school Sepetys also studied at the Centre d’études Européennes in Toulon, France and at the ICN in Nancy, France.Following graduation Sepetys moved to Los Angeles. In 1994 she launched Sepetys Entertainment Group, Inc., an entertainment management firm representing Grammy®-award winning guitarist Steve Vai
Steve Vai
Steven Siro "Steve" Vai is a three time Grammy Award-winning American guitarist, songwriter and producer who has sold over 15 million albums. Steve Vai is widely known as a flamboyant guitar virtuoso....
, Orange County modern rock band Lit, and Emmy nominated film composer Niels Bye Nielsen. In 2002 Sepetys was featured in Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine’s 'Women in Rock' special issue as a woman driven to make a difference. Sepetys is on the Board of Advisors for the Mike Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business at Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
and is also a director of the Make a Noise Foundation, a national non-profit that raises money for music education. Sepetys currently resides in Nashville, TN. Alexandra Alter, An Unlikely Story for Teens , Wall Street Journal online.
Between Shades of Gray
Her first novel, Between Shades of Gray, about the Genocide of Baltic peopleMass killings under Communist regimes
Mass killings occurred under some Communist regimes during the twentieth century with an estimated death toll numbering between 85 and 100 million. Scholarship focuses on the causes of mass killings in single societies, though some claims of common causes for mass killings have been made...
after the Soviet occupation in 1941, was critically acclaimed and translated into over 27 languages.
Ruta states that the novel represents the "extreme suffering and tremendous hope" displayed by the people of the Baltics.
Genre of Between Shades of Gray
Sepetys is a writer of historical fiction. Although Between Shades of Gray was initially written for children and young adults, the book has been widely read by many and considered a book for all ages.Works
- Between Shades of Gray, 2011
- German translation: Und in mir der unbesiegbare Sommer, Carlsen VerlagCarlsen VerlagCarlsen Verlag is a subsidiary of the homonymous Danish publishing house which in turn belongs to the Swedish media company Bonnier. The branch was founded on 25 April 1953 in Hamburg. The publisher's program focuses on books for children Carlsen Verlag is a subsidiary of the homonymous Danish...
, Hamburg, Sept. 2011 ISBN 978-3-551-58254-6 - Italian translation: Avevano spento anche la luna, Garzanti, Sept. 2011 ISBN 978-8-81-167036-0
- French translation: Ce qu'ils n'ont pas pu nous prendre, Gallimard JeunesseGallimard JeunesseGallimard Jeunesse is a French publisher of children's books. It is a subsidiary of Éditions Gallimard.It is the publisher of the French version of Animorphs, The English Roses by Madonna, Pokémon chapter books and Harry Potter books...
, ISBN 978-2-070-63567-2 (in preparation: expected release, Oct. 13, 2011) - Spanish translation: Entre tonos de gris, Ediciones Maeva, 2011 ISBN 978-84-15120-25-4
- German translation: Und in mir der unbesiegbare Sommer, Carlsen Verlag
Reviews
The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
says the book is a "superlative first novel" for Ruta. On April fifteenth, Between Shades of Gray appeared on The New York Times Editor's Choice. The Los Angeles Times states how Ruta Sepetys recounts the events with horrifying and fascination clarity. The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times
The Seattle Times is a newspaper serving Seattle, Washington, US. It is the largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington. It has been, since the demise in 2009 of the printed version of the rival Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Seattle's only major daily print newspaper.-History:The Seattle Times...
calls the book "heartbreaking."