This is the book you've been waiting for. Ruth Sepetys always surprises me with her amazing storytelling and extensive research that is unlike any author I've read. This is the story of Romania under the dictatorship of Ceausescu's regime. There was no food, no help, and the country was forgotten by everyone that should have helped. 

Cristian is a 17 year old boy living under this dictatorship. He longs to be a writer and get out of his small desolate town, but first he must survive what is right in front of him. Right now, his grandfather is dying and needs medicine that only the dictator's can provide. The price? Cristian must become an informer for them. He manages to inform for them, as well as write a journal that helped him to live in these desperate times. 

This story touched my heart. The way that these people strived for hope when there really was none was inspiring. They joined forces to help each other survive. That’s an incredible story, especially in today's society. Working together to create change should be the norm not the impossible. Ruth Sepetys does it again.  She researches a time that is not often talked about, and makes every reader think and learn about a time that wasn't that long ago. 

Book Summary