I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

-

 Historical Fiction at its Best!

What a jaw-dropping book about a boy in Romania during one of the most oppressive communist regimes led by dictator Nicolae Ceausescu (Beloved Leader) and his wife Elena (Heroine Mother).

 

In Romania, people are kept under complete control:  where they live (tiny hovel-like apartments); where they work (twelve hours a day, six days a week); and how much food and electricity they get (very little).  Even in their own homes, people speak in whispers because they know they are bugged and any word against the government will result in severe punishment or death. This is a country where cigarettes are a form of currency used to bribe dentists for Novocain or vodka is used to get an x-ray at a doctor’s office.

 

The biggest wield of power Ceausescu holds over Romanians is isolation and FEAR.  He instills fear in everyone by having his own citizens become informants on each other.  NO one can be trusted, including your own family because you never know whom the notorious Securitate (Secret Police) has forced to become a spy.  Someone like seventeen-year-old Cristian Florescu, an unwilling informant in a brutal country on the cusp of a Revolution in 1989. 

 

A page-turning, must-read!

 

I love how author Ruta Sepetys brings these lesser known historical events to life in this book just as she did about the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff ship as people tried to flee East Prussia at the end of WWII in her book, Salt to the Sea.  And while her books are marketed for a young adult audience, they certainly cross over to adult historical fiction.  

 

I don’t usually like getting “stuck” on one author, but in Sepetys’s case, I’ll have to make an exception. After reading I Must Betray You, I jumped right into Fountains of Silence:  again excellent!

 

Fountains of Silence about the life in Spain under the brutal dictatorship of Francisco Franco in the 1950s.  


Now I really want to read her other books, too:

Between Shades of Grey about a Lithuanian girl who is sent to a labor camp during Stalin’s regime.

Out of the Easy about a young woman in New Orleans in the 1950s.

 

Annette

 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Short Stories by O. Henry

-
Image
Candy for the Mind O. Henry is pen name of William Sydney Porter, who wrote over 600 short stories in his lifetime. Often funny, sometimes touching, always witty and imaginative, each story ended with a surprising twist. One of his most famous stories is The Gift of the Magi ,   where a young, penniless couple sacrifices something dear to their hearts in order to buy the perfect Christmas present for each other. The ending has a sweet twist to it, kind of like an Oh, Henry! candy bar, which supposedly pays tribute to the beloved author. Read it here: https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/1-the_gift_of_the_magi_0.pdf There is almost an endless selection of books containing his short stories. While there are too many stories to list, below are some of my favorites. Lost on Dress Parade is about a young man who saves his money for ten weeks so he can go out and pretend to be a rich man for one evening.  Outside the restaurant he meets ...
Read more

Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

-
Image
 Remains of the Day This book immediately struck me as a character study. I didn’t expect much action, and predictably, didn’t get much.  Mostly it was about getting inside a stuffy, dignified butler’s head, listening to his internal dialogue, his thought process, and his many recollections of a thirty-year career, annnnnnnnnnd—I LOVED IT!!  💗 It had such depth and insight that I couldn’t wait to return each day to see what Mr. Stevens would reveal and what the outcome of his quest would be.  I was not disappointed.  In fact, the book stirred me more than I expected.  Yes, those tears fell freely when I wasn’t looking.  It snuck up on me—all of it, all of Mr. Stevens’ days that he shared moved me in some way.   I’m not sure this book is for everyone.  "Boring" is how one friend described it as he politely set it aside. BUT I truly believe if my friend got into his Zen mode and picked it up again, he might—if not quit...
Read more

Liebster Award

-
Image
Ich Liebe the Liebster Award!   In July Marianne from Let’s Read blog nominated me for the Liebster Award , an award given to smaller blogs.   I was extremely honored, especially coming from Marianne, whose book review blog I just love.   My beautiful mother passed away at the time Marianne nominated me, and although I already had posts scheduled in advanced, I wasn’t in the mood to do much, even the simple rules of the award below…until now.   Rules for the award: 1.    Thank the amazing blogger who nominated you.  (check) 2.    Answer the 11 questions the nominator provided (answer on your blog.) (check, see below) 3.    Nominate 11 other bloggers who have less than 200 followers. 4.    Post 11 different questions for your nominees to answer on their blogs. (check, see below) 5.    Contact your nominees to let them know that you've nominated them.  (check...
Read more