Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys

Salt to the Sea is a #1 New York Times bestselling young adult historical fiction novel by Ruta Sepetys, built around the sinking of the MV Wilhelm Gustloff — the deadliest maritime disaster in history — told through four intertwining fictional voices against rigorously researched, real events. Winner of the Carnegie Medal and honored by the Bank Street College of Education, it has drawn praise from major outlets including The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, and The Washington Post for its spare, powerful prose and its rare act of literary witness to one of World War II's most overlooked tragedies.

Reviewed Jul 16, 2026