Ruta Sepetys

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.[1]

Contents

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.[2]

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.[3]

Between Shades of Gray

Main article: Between Shades of Gray

Her first novel, Between Shades of Gray, about the Genocide of Baltic people after the Soviet occupation in 1941, was critically acclaimed [4] and translated into over 27 languages.[5][6]

Ruta states that the novel represents the "extreme suffering and tremendous hope" displayed by the people of the Baltics.[7][8]

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.[9]

Reviews

The New York Times says the book is a "superlative first novel" for Ruta.[10] On April fifteenth, Between Shades of Gray appeared on The New York Times Editor's Choice.[11] The Los Angeles Times states how Ruta Sepetys recounts the events with horrifying and fascination clarity.[12] The Seattle Times calls the book "heartbreaking." [13]

References

  1. ^ Sepetys, Ruta. Between Shades of Gray. 1st. New York, NY : Penguin Young Readers, 2011. 344. Print
  2. ^ Sepetys, Ruta. "Ruta E. Sepetys." Ruta Sepetys. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct 2011. <http://www.rutasepetys.com/about.html>.
  3. ^ Alexandra Alter, An Unlikely Story for Teens , Wall Street Journal online
  4. ^ Park, Linda Sue (April 8, 2011). "A Teenager’s View of the Gulag". New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/books/review/childrens-books-between-shades-of-gray-by-ruta-sepetys.html?_r=1&src=twrhp. Retrieved 3 September 2011. 
  5. ^ Sepetys, Ruta. "Ruta E. Sepetys." Ruta Sepetys. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct 2011. <http://www.rutasepetys.com/international>.
  6. ^ MacPherson, Karen (June 4, 2011). "'Between Shades of Gray' reveals horror and hope". Seattle Times Newspaper. http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2015228665_kidsbooks04.html?prmid=head_more. Retrieved 3 September 2011. 
  7. ^ "Between Shades of Gray." Video. Vimeo . Ruta Sepetys. Web. 5 Oct 2011. <http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/>.
  8. ^ Abukauskiene, Bronislava. "Between Shades of Gray." Interview by Ruta Sepetys. Web. <http://www.betweenshadesofgray.com/>.
  9. ^ "Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - review." Guardian 040052011. n. pag. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.guardian.co.uk/childrens-books-site/2011/may/04/ruta-sepetys-between-shades-of-grey-review>.
  10. ^ Park, Linda Sue. "A Teenager’s View of the Gulag." New York Times 080042011. n. pag. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/10/books/review/childrens-books-between-shades-of-gray-by-ruta-sepetys.html?src=twrhp>.
  11. ^ "Editor's Choice ." New York Times 170042011. Sunday Book Review BR22. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/books/review/EdChoice-t.html>.
  12. ^ Carpenter, Susan. "Not Just for Kids: 'Between Shades of Gra'y by Ruta Sepetys." Los Angeles Times 270032011. n. pag. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://articles.latimes.com/2011/mar/27/entertainment/la-ca-ruta-sepetys-20110327>.
  13. ^ Macpherson, Karen. "'Between Shades of Gra'y reveals horror and hope." Seattle Times 040062011. n. pag. Web. 5 Oct. 2011. <http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/books/2015228665_kidsbooks04.html?prmid=head_more>.