That's how YA author Ruta Sepetys describes her upcoming historical novel, Salt to the Sea -- our MashReads book club pick for February.
The book is based on the sinking of the Wilhelm Gustloff, a German ship that transported 10,000 passengers during World War II, including wounded soldiers and refugees. The Soviet Union's navy torpedoed the ship during the war, resulting in a tragedy with only 900 survivors. (When the Titanic sank, approximately 1,500 people perished.)
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The book follows four narrators as they struggle to reach the Wilhelm Gustloff. However, after the ship takes off, they realize that what they previously thought of as a safe-haven is anything but.
Salt to the Sea gives life to a historical tragedy long forgotten -- in a poetic voice for the fallen, lost, and perennially hopeful.
This month, Mashable's MashReads social book club will be reading and discussing Salt to the Sea. You can join the conversation online on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.
And if you are on the west coast, please join MashableReads for a Q&A with Sepetys at {pages}: bookstore in Manhattan Beach on February 16 at 6:30pm PST.