And in me the invincible summer
And in me the invincible summer (original title: Between Shades of Gray ) is a historical youth novel by the American - Lithuanian writer Ruta Sepetys . It tells the story of 15-year-old Lina, who is abducted to Siberia with her mother and brother. A struggle for survival begins.
Sepetys' debut novel Between Shades of Gray was published on March 22, 2011 by the US publisher Philomel Books in English and comprises 384 pages. The German translation with the title And in mir the invincible summer was published on August 25, 2011 by Carlsen Verlag and comprises 304 pages. Henning Ahrens did the translation. The book has been published in 50 countries.
content
“And inside me the invincible summer” tells the story of 15-year-old Lina, a Lithuanian girl from Kaunas who, without knowing the reason, is deported by the Soviet secret police with her entire family.
Thieves and whores
On the evening of June 14, 1941, the NKVD people hammered on the door of the Vilkas family and gave them twenty minutes to pack their essentials. Lina, her mother Elena and her brother Jonas are loaded onto a truck that is already carrying other people. Some recognize her, such as Mrs. Grybas, an unmarried teacher. But strangers are also on the wagon, including a bald man who spends his time conjuring up the imminent death of all prisoners and constantly complains. There is also a librarian who introduces herself as Ms. Rimas. When trying to escape, the bald man seriously injured his leg and from then on he had to rely on the help of others. When the car stops in front of a hospital, the group initially thinks they want to help the bald man, but instead a young mother is loaded onto the truck who gave birth to her child just a few minutes earlier. They are loaded onto wagons at an old marshalling yard. Before that, women, children, the elderly and the sick were separated from the men and even little Jonas is only allowed to stay with his mother because she bribes a soldier. Although the column remained standing for a few more days, the prisoners were not allowed to leave the wagons. When Andrius Arvydas, whom Lina met in the railroad car, wants to go outside to look for a toilet, he is beaten by the NKVD soldiers and thrown back inside. The prisoners have no choice but to relieve themselves through a hole in the floor of the wagon.
Lina and Andrius manage to sneak out when a couple of wagons with men pull into the marshalling yard. Lina can find her father and talk to him through the hatch in the floor, he asks her to leave him a trail with her drawings so that he can find her someday. While Lina is returning to the carriage, Andrius continues to try to find his father and only returns some time later, unsuccessfully and beaten up. He was caught but managed to get away before he was recognized. With little water and food, the prisoners have to stay in the stuffy wagon, which is now in motion. In Vilnius , the men's railroad cars are decoupled and forwarded in a different direction. From now on, Lina tries to trace her path on a handkerchief as best she can see it through a crack in the wall so that her father will know where they are. Many people and especially children die on the week-long journey. Among them is Ona's newborn daughter. The young mother goes mad with grief. When she tries to attack a soldier, he shoots her.
Jonas has found a caregiver in Andrius. One day when both of them tear out pages from Lina's book The Pickwickies by Charles Dickens , a present from her late grandmother, to roll a cigarette, she is angry with the handsome boy. After six weeks the train finally stops and the prisoners are allowed to get off for a short time, but only so that they can be viewed by people who can buy them as potential slave laborers. Lina gives the handkerchief to a man for her father, who passes it on, in the hope that it will eventually reach the desired destination. Lina and her family are not sold, but taken by truck to a place where they can scrub themselves with cold water under the lustful gaze of the soldiers. The group is brought to a beet kolkhoz near Turaciak, which is part of a farm. The prisoners are distributed to the villagers' huts.
Maps and snakes
Uljuschka, with whom the Vilkas family is staying, is not exactly thrilled that the family is being accommodated with her, and repeatedly demands parts of the food ration, which is already much too scarce, as rent for her tiny hut.
The NKVD soldiers try to persuade Elena Vilkas to work for her as a translator and also ask her to spy for her - but she refuses. As a punishment, Lina and some other slave laborers have to dig pits, which they don't know if they should be their own graves.
There is a post office near the village, but all letters are read by the Soviets, and when a man was publicly impaled for drawing a map for the partisans , Lina can't help but think of her own drawings of the area she made hidden in her suitcase.
On the second night, the involuntary workers are called into the log cabin of the NKVD people. They are supposed to sign a contract that obliges them to join the kolkhoz, to pay a war tax of 200 rubles per person and to indict themselves as criminals and thus to commit themselves to 25 years of forced labor. The prisoners refuse at first, but the Soviet soldiers exert such pressure that after a while many sign it.
When Lina sees Andrius 'mother one evening in the soldiers' log cabin as she hands them drinks, she begins to suspect Andrius and his mother of espionage. She also notices that Andrius has more and more to eat, but shares this with the others. When Lina confronts him, she learns that Andrius' mother has to prostitute herself for the Russian soldiers because they threatened to kill her son otherwise. He is angry that Lina suspected him and leaves her standing.
The prisoners who bowed to the NKVD soldiers are allowed to visit the nearest village where there is a post office. But you have to be careful about whom you write something so that you don't burden your loved ones.
Winter is coming and the work in the field is getting harder. Lina is happy that her mother is allowed to teach a school class and does not have to toil outside in the cold. But Lina has to carry heavy sacks of grain and Jonas has to chop firewood in the forest.
Ms. Rimas was the first to receive a reply. Everyone is very excited. She is happy to learn that her husband is still alive, but when she mentions a Bible quote, she learns how bad things are for him.
Because of the vitamin deficiency, Jonas falls ill with scurvy and Andrius steals a can of tomatoes for him, which is supposed to cure his illness. Jonas is only recovering very slowly. Andrius is ashamed of his mother's relationship with the NKVD people. That's why he doesn't dare to go to the Christmas party that the others hold together. But he gives Lina chocolate for the party. However, the solemnity is dissolved by the soldiers who want to force the prisoners to sign again.
Lina is asked by the commandant to portray him. While drawing it, Lina finds her own file on the desk and is able to find out that her father is in Krasnoyarsk prison . Thereupon Lina draws some Lithuanian symbols and her house in Kaunas on a piece of birch bark and writes: “Please hand them in at the Krasnoyarsk prison. With love from Miss Altai. ”She asks the sullen woman to pass the piece of bark to the village.
For her birthday Lina receives a Russian edition of Charles Dickens' " Dombey and Son " from Andrius . She is excited about the gift and kisses it. But the young happiness does not last long, because Lina, her mother and Jonas are to be moved to another camp and Andrius remains behind. Before they leave, Lina and Andrius promise to see each other again soon.
Ash and ice
The new journey for the prisoners begins in a truck. The NKVD soldier Kretzky accompanies the group. Lina can't stand him and Jonas is angry with his mother when she calls the soldier by his first name Nikolai. When they arrived in Makarov, the prisoners wait for a ship to transport them on. You are amazed at the unusually generous supply of food. When the boats finally arrive, they drive the Angara downstream for weeks . They take turns driving trucks and barges to via Yakutsk and finally crossing the Arctic Circle before arriving in Trofimovsk. Although it is bitterly cold in October in the polar region, the prisoners do not have any accommodations and have to assemble them themselves from clay and driftwood. When one day an American boat approaches the island, they hope for help, but the NKVD men drive everyone into their huts to hide them from the Americans so that they do not notice the inhuman circumstances. Lina's mother is getting worse and worse because she gives parts of her food to her children. Lina finally learns the reason for her arrest from the bald man: Her father had helped Joana and her family to flee to Germany and was therefore accused of being an accomplice. Lina is angry and tries to blame someone for all the suffering she and her family have endured. When it can hardly get worse, Kretzky Lina's mother reports of Kosta's death and Elena collapses. Even though it is only November, living conditions become unbearable. Many of the prisoners are frostbitten or suffering from dysentery, typhus or scurvy . Lice and the dead bodies of the deceased aggravate the already dire hygienic conditions. A dead owl that little Janina finds becomes a feast. Although the NKVD men have received enough reserves from the Americans, they do not give anything to the prisoners, and Lina's mother becomes weaker and weaker until she can barely stand up. Before she dies, she tells Lina that Kretzky saved her from being raped by his comrades and took her with him in his car. This is the reason why he was also transferred to Trofimorvsk. When Lina tries to steal a log, she is caught by the drunken Kretzky, who tells her about his Polish origins and his inability to help his relatives. His mother is dead too. She died when he was six. His father's new wife doesn't like Poles and therefore doesn't like him either. Even if Lina still hates him, she feels sorry for Kretzky. At the end of February, Jonas and little Janina fell ill with scurvy again and this time Andrius was not there to help. But one day, as if by a miracle, a doctor appears in the camp to assess the prevailing conditions. Angry about the conditions to which the prisoners are exposed, he immediately demands more food for the internees and takes care of the sick. When Lina asks him how he heard about the remote camp, he confesses that Kretzky had informed him of the inhumane circumstances.
characters
Vilkas family
Lina Vilkas Lina is the 15-year-old protagonist of the novel, who is abducted with her family at the beginning of the plot. She is very good at drawing and is hoping for a scholarship to study at a renowned art school in Vilnius . She loves books, especially “Pickwickier”, which her late grandmother gave her. She often shows her hatred of the Soviets too openly and condemns all who cooperate with them in any way. She tries to use her drawing skills to secretly inform her father of her whereabouts, although this could be very risky for her.
Jonas Vilkas Jonas is Lina's 10-year-old brother who at first doesn't really understand what is happening to him and his family. In Andrius he finds a male caregiver. Despite his young age, he tries to adapt to the situation as best he can.
Elena Vilkas Elena is an attractive woman with long blond hair who, despite the adverse circumstances, attaches great importance to looking well-groomed and neat. She speaks fluent Russian and is therefore asked by the NKVD soldiers to work for her as a translator and to spy on the other prisoners. But Elena refuses the offer, despite the perks they would expect. She takes self-sacrificing care of her children and the other prisoners because she is of the opinion that one can only survive with mutual support.
Kostas Vilkas Kostas is deported from his family to the Krasnoyarsk prison. He was arrested as an accomplice of his brother, whom he helped to escape to Germany.
The prisoners
Andrius Arvydas Andrius is 17 and comes from Šančiai , his father Petras is in the Lithuanian army. In order to stay with his mother, he pretends to be mentally handicapped. When she has to accept the demands of the NKVD, Andrius uses the resulting advantages to help the other prisoners. He is very handsome and smokes cigarettes when he can. He has a very special relationship with Lina. The two fall in love during their captivity and promise to meet again when Lina is relocated.
Mrs. Arvydas Mrs. Arvydas is Andrius mother. She is very attractive, but rather delicate and therefore not particularly physically resilient. She is forced by the NKVD soldiers to prostitute herself so that they do not kill her son.
Mr. Stalas Mr. Stalas, mostly just called "The Bald Man", drives the other prisoners crazy with his pessimistic manner. He complains a lot and only speaks of death. The others only find out late that he is Jewish. And it still hides a secret that actually remains in the dark. Even if Mr. Salas is mostly concerned with his own well-being, he has something deep in his heart for others.
The grumpy woman The grumpy woman has two daughters and complains a lot. Elena bribes her to take mail to the village for her.
Mrs. Grybas Mrs. Grybas, an unmarried teacher, is hoping for mail from her young neighbor. She steals turnips for Lina and her family. When these are moved to another camp and she stays behind, she is devastated.
Ms. Rimas Ms. Rimas is small but stoutly built. She is a librarian, so she knows many stories that she tells the children to distract them. She is married and the first to receive a letter from Lithuania.
Ona Ona is a young woman who just gave birth to a baby girl when she was deported straight from the hospital. Her husband has already been abducted. Their little daughter dies on the arduous journey to the kolkhoz. Ona goes mad with grief, whereupon a soldier shoots her.
Mr. Lukas Mr. Lukas meet Lina and her family on the way to Siberia. He always winds his watch because it calms him down. He speaks English and can tell the others what is in the boxes that the Americans delivered for the Russian soldiers.
Janina Janina is a little girl who, since a soldier destroyed her doll Liale, claims that she is talking to her. Although Janina's mother almost goes mad in the wasteland of Siberia, the little girl remains brave.
Soviets
Nikolai Kretzky Nikolai Kretzky is an NKVD soldier who initially appears just as rude and cold-hearted to Lina as everyone else. But what she doesn't know is that he suggested her as a draftsman so that she could get extra food and that she saved her mother from being raped, which is why he was transferred to a sentence. When he catches Lina stealing wood, he doesn't whistle to her. Kretzky hates himself for his work with the NKVD. But he doesn't have it easy either, because his Polish mother died when he was very young and his father's new wife despises him because he is half Polish. It is Kretzky who is Dr. Samodurow notified of the dire circumstances in the camp and thus indirectly ensures improvement.
Uljuschka Uljuschka accommodates the Vilkas family in their tiny hut in Altai and is not at all happy about it at first. She constantly demands food, valuables or cigarettes in return for the poor shelter. She is grumpy and greedy because she doesn't have much herself, but Elena's attempts to get close to her are having an effect and when the family is evacuated, Ulyushka gives them the food they have accumulated.
The commander The commander has a gold tooth. He is self-indulgent and cruel. He shoots Ona, who is in mourning for her dead child, tortures the prisoners and has Lina draw two portraits of him, one of which he wants to hang over his desk.
The security guard Ivanov Ivanov has brown, putrid teeth and insults the prisoners as pigs. He takes their bread rations from them when they save the food, eats the bread himself and then spits it in the dirt. He laughs at the misery of the internees and cares little about the many dead.
Dr. Samodurov Dr. Samodurov visits the camp in Siberia as an inspector and is shaken by the conditions. He helps the sick as best he can and ensures lasting improvement.
Literary genre and style
And in me the invincible summer is a historical youth novel , which is based on factual reports, but whose characters are fictional. It is an autodiegetic narrative from the perspective of the protagonist Lina. The chronologically narrated plot is interrupted by flashbacks, which consist of Lina's thoughts of her happy time shortly before the kidnapping.
Literary criticism
And in me the invincible summer received an overall positive response from the press.
German press
“Ruta Sepety's dialogue-rich language gives space to the terrible and the hopeful moments. She also finds literary images for drawing the characters, in the representation of their strengths and weaknesses they get back the dignity that was taken from them as a sacrifice. "
American press
“The opening sentence of this superlative first novel by Ruta Sepetys demonstrates the strength of its unembellished language. [...] While Sepetys takes care not to overwhelm readers with endless accounts of murder, the miasma of death hangs over Lina's journey, and a wrenching loss near the end delivers a hefty emotional punch. "
"A story of hardship as well as human triumph," Between Shades of Gray "is an eye-opening reimagination of a very real tragedy written with grace and heart."
“A harrowing page-turner, made all the more so for its basis in historical fact, the novel illuminates the persecution suffered by Stalin's victims (20 million were killed), while presenting memorable characters who retain their will to survive even after more than a decade in exile. "
"Sepetys' flowing prose gently carries readers through the crushing tragedy of this tale that needs telling."
Nominations and Awards
| 2012 | Cargie Medal Shortlist |
| 2012 | William C. Morris Debut Award finalist |
| 2012 | Golden Kite Award for Fiction |
| 2012 | IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award |
| 2013 | Prix Livrentête Romans Ado |
| 2013 | Prix Farniente |
Audio book
On March 11, 2011, Penguin Audio published an audio book version of the English version of the book, which was read by Emily Klein.
Public book presentations
The book was presented in the children's and youth program of the 16th Berlin International Literature Festival in September 2016 in the presence of the author.
Web links
- Reading sample of the original and German versions of the book
- Original language and German language publisher website for the book
- Website of the author and the book
Individual evidence
- ^ Penguin Books / Philomel Books
- ^ Carlsen Verlag
- ↑ Homepage of Ruta Serpetys ( Memento of the original from June 14, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung
- ^ The New York Times
- ↑ Los Angeles Times
- ^ Publishers Weekly
- ↑ Kirkus Review
- ↑ Cargie Medal shortlist
- ^ William C. Morris Debut Award
- ^ Golden Kite Award for Fiction
- ^ IRA Children's and Young Adult's Book Award
- ↑ Prix Livrentête Romans Ado ( Memento of the original from May 26, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Prix Farniente
- ↑ Penguin Audio
- ↑ http://www.literaturfestival.com/kjl
