It is a privilege to serve on the board of the Fox Cities Book Festival and it is with great excitement I can share the news about the 2018 selection for the Fox Cities Reads. Each year one book brings together the communities of the Fox Cities. This year that one book is Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys. In 1945, World War II draws to a close in East Prussia and thousands of refugees are on a desperate trek toward freedom, almost all of them with something to hide. Among them are Joana, Emilia, and Florian, whose paths converge en route to the ship that promises salvation, the Wilhelm Gustloff. Forced by circumstance to unite, the three find their strength, courage, and trust in each other tested with each step closer toward safety. Just when it seems freedom is within their grasp, tragedy strikes. Not country, nor culture, nor status matter as all ten thousand people aboard must fight for the same thing: survival. In recent months, the subject of refugees and immigrants have become part of our community conversations and this historical novel helps us imagine displacement by war and cultivates empathy for those who may be from a different country or culture. The sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff first came to my attention through my work as a developmental editor for Cathryn Prince. Cathryn brought this history back up from the bottom of the Baltic Sea with her nonfiction account Death in the Baltic: The World War…
Jill Swenson: Cathryn Prince, this is your fourth book of historical non-fiction. Death in the Baltic: The World War II Sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff is a featured selection for the Military History Book Club this spring, advance reviews are positive and Amazon sales rankings impressive.. How does your experience working towards publication on this fourth book compare to a decade ago with your first, Shot from… [Read More]
Filed Under: Cathryn Prince, Death in the Baltic, greatest maritime disaster, WIlhelm Gustloff
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