Ruta Sepetys author page

Ruta Sepetys biography

Ruta Sepetys is an American author known for her historical fiction novels for young adults. She is the daughter of a Lithuanian refugee, and her family history has influenced her writing, particularly her focus on overlooked or hidden moments in history. Sepetys holds a degree in International Finance from Hillsdale College.

Her debut novel, Between Shades of Gray, was published by Philomel Books in 2011. The book explores the experiences of a Lithuanian girl and her family during the Soviet occupation of the Baltic states in World War II. The novel has been recognized for its historical accuracy and has been used in educational settings.

Sepetys continued to write historical fiction with Out of the Easy (2013), set in 1950s New Orleans, and Salt to the Sea (2016), which centers on the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff during World War II. Salt to the Sea received the Carnegie Medal in 2017.

Her subsequent works include The Fountains of Silence (2019), set in Franco-era Spain, and I Must Betray You (2022), which takes place in 1989 Romania during the final days of the Ceaușescu regime. Sepetys’s novels are published by Penguin Young Readers.

In 2017, Ruta Sepetys was awarded the Carnegie Medal for Salt to the Sea.