100,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Auckland Bookstore open Sunday 8:30am-5:00pm 📚

Salt to the Sea

Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Salt to the Sea is a gripping young adult novel set in winter 1945 amidst the turmoil of WWII. It follows four refugees from different homelands, each haunted by tragedy and war, whose paths intersect as they seek refuge aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff during the Soviet advance. Promising safety and freedom, the ship's fate reveals a forgotten tragedy far deadlier than the Titanic.
Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$4400

International Supplier

This title is in-stock with overseas suppliers. While it is not available locally, we fly books in weekly from the US and UK to our Auckland warehouse for immediate dispatch.

AVAILABLE WITH SUPPLIER Ships from our Auckland warehouse within 2-3 weeks

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This compelling and emotionally charged story is ideal for young adults interested in historical fiction and WWII narratives, as well as readers seeking stories of survival, courage, and humanity during conflict.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

"Winter 1945. Four refugees. Four secrets. Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept." -- Page [4] cover.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

#1 New York Times bestseller and winner of the Carnegie Medal!

"A superlative novel . . . masterfully crafted."—The Wall Street Journal

Based on "the forgotten tragedy that was six times deadlier than the Titanic."—Time

Winter 1945. WWII. Four refugees. Four stories.

Each one born of a different homeland; each one hunted, and haunted, by tragedy, lies, war. As thousands desperately flock to the coast in the midst of a Soviet advance, four paths converge, vying for passage aboard the Wilhelm Gustloff, a ship that promises safety and freedom. But not all promises can be kept . . .

This paperback edition includes book club questions and exclusive interviews with Wilhelm Gustloff survivors and experts.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780142423622

Publisher: Penguin Putnam Inc

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 01 August 2017

Country: United States

Imprint: Penguin USA

Audience: Teenage

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 30.0mm

Width: 137.0mm

Height: 210.0mm

Weight: 369g

Pages: 448

About the Author

Ruta Sepetys (www.rutasepetys.com) is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction published in over sixty countries and forty languages. Sepetys is considered a "crossover" novelist, as her books are read by both teens and adults worldwide. Her novels Between Shades of Gray, Out of the Easy, and Salt to the Sea have won or been shortlisted for more than forty book prizes, and are included on more than sixty state award lists. Between Shades of Gray was adapted into the film Ashes in the Snow, and her other novels are currently in development for TV and film. Winner of the Carnegie Medal, Ruta is passionate about the power of history and literature to foster global awareness and connectivity. She has presented to NATO, to the European Parliament, in the United States Capitol, and at embassies worldwide. Ruta was born and raised in Michigan and now lives with her family in Nashville, Tennessee. Follow her on Twitter @RutaSepetys and Instagram @RutaSepetysAuthor.

Also by Ruta Sepetys

View all
  • You: The Story
    The nonfiction debut by #1 New York Times bestselling and Carnegie Medal-winning author Ruta Sepetys. Perfect for fans of Burn After Writing and Bird by Bird. Life is a story in motion. Each day, you add to your story, revise it, and view it from a different angle. You erase things. Tear pages out. And sometimes, in hindsight, wish you...
    Hardback
    $4100
    Elsewhere:
    $4500
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • You: The Story
    The nonfiction debut by #1 New York Times bestselling author Ruta Sepetys is now in paperback! Perfect for fans of Burn After Writing and Bird by Bird. Life is a story in motion. Each day, you add to your story, revise it, and view it from a different angle. You erase things. Tear pages out. And sometimes, in hindsight, wish...
    Paperback
    $4000
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • The Bletchley Riddle
    Remember, you are bound by the Official Secrets Act… Summer, 1940. Nineteen-year-old Jakob Novis and his quirky younger sister Lizzie share a love of riddles and puzzles. And now they’re living inside of one. The quarrelsome siblings find themselves amidst one of the greatest secrets of World War II—Britain’s eccentric codebreaking factory at Bletchley Park. As Jakob joins Bletchley’s top...
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • I Must Betray You
    Trapped by an evil dictatorship, will Cristian be forced to betray his family or will he risk everything he loves to resist? A powerful, heart-breaking thriller based on real events. I Must Betray You is a gripping tale set against the backdrop of a repressive dictatorship. Cristian has lived his entire life under the constant threat of fear imposed by...
    Paperback
    $2199
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Between Shades of Gray
    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the award-winning author of Salt to the Sea comes a “superb” (The Wall Street Journal), “eye-opening” (Los Angeles Times) novel of survival and hope in the darkest of places—the inspiration for the major motion picture Ashes in the Snow. "Few books are beautifully written, fewer still are important; this novel is both." —The Washington...
    Paperback
    $4200
    Available
    Ships in 2-3 weeks
  • Salt to the Sea
    An inspirational Second World War novel, based on a true story, from the acclaimed author of Between Shades of Grey, for fans of The Book Thief and Helen Dunmore's The Siege. WINNER OF THE CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2017 It's early 1945 and a group of people trek across Germany, bound together by their desperation to reach the ship that can...
    Paperback
    Sold Out
  • The Fountains of Silence
    The Fountains of Silence is a haunting and romantic novel set in post-war Spain by Carnegie Medal-winning author Ruta Sepetys, known for her work in Salt to the Sea. Madrid, 1957. Daniel, young, wealthy, and unsure of his place in the world, views the city through the lens of his camera. Ana is a hotel maid whose family is suffering...
    Paperback
    Sold Out

More from Young Adult

View all
  • New Release
    Song of the Saltings
    On the isolated island of Brack, the people live by an ancient bargain: every year, a sacrifice must be made to the Glimm, the creature that haunts the salt marshes. Eight years ago, it should have taken Lotta. Instead, the monster spared her and claimed her pony, shattering tradition and anointing her both folk hero and object of suspicion. Now...
    Paperback
    $2499
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Tell Me with Kisses
    From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in the Tell Me series, where Kamila Hamilton is caught between the two Di Bianco brothers after they burst back into her life. From New York Times bestselling author and Wattpad sensation Mercedes Ron comes the English translation of the third in...
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Release Me
    The searing second volume in a new series set in the #1 global bestselling Shatter Me universe ten years after the fall of The Reestablishment. Rosabelle Wolff had a plan. Now she wants revenge. To save her sister she needs to get back home and destroy the system that created her. Rosabelle’s greatest strength is her ability to deaden her...
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Language of Dragons
    The most exciting debut of 2025 – an incredible fantasy Dark Academia, perfect for fans of Babel, Fourth Wing, and the Scholomance trilogy. EVERY FIRE STARTS WITH A SINGLE SPARK. Welcome to Bletchley Park… with dragons. London, 1923. Dragons soar through the skies and protests erupt on the streets, but Vivien Featherswallow isn’t worried. She’s going to follow the rules,...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Shatter Me: Shatter Me series 1
    Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a gripping dystopian novel that plunges readers into a world where society is on the brink of collapse. At the heart of this chaos is Juliette, a 17-year-old girl with a fatal touch—literally. For 264 days, Juliette has been imprisoned in solitary confinement, her only crime being an accidental touch that resulted in death....
    Paperback
    $2200
    Elsewhere:
    $3999
    Backorder
    Ships mid August
  • Cozy Corner
    Relax and unwind with this adorable colouring book – it’s time to get cozy! Step into a world of calm and comfort with Cozy Corner, featuring 45 beautiful hand-drawn pages ready for you to colour in. Settle into your very own cozy corner with these brand new colouring pages! This follow-up to Coco Wyo's beloved Little Corner promises a new...
    Paperback
    $1700
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book): the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator of the Year
    When Bunny, Monkey and friends discover a glitch in reality, life gets even crazier than normal: Bunny declares himself The Woods' Magical Protector, Pig becomes a superspy, plus there's complete metal Monkey mayhem! Experience the laughs and chaos in Bunny vs Monkey: The Great Big Glitch (a Phoenix Comic Book), the instant number one bestselling book from Jamie Smart, Illustrator...
    Paperback
    $2499
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Summer I Turned Pretty
    The Summer I Turned Pretty is now a major new TV series on Amazon Prime! If you loved The Kissing Booth and Jenny Han's smash-hit Netflix movie series To All the Boys I Loved Before, then you'll adore this gorgeously funny, romantic story! Everything that happened this past summer, and every summer before it, has all led up to this....
    Paperback
    $2400
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson is the New York Times No.1 bestselling YA crime thriller that has captivated readers globally. Now adapted into a major BBC series, this intricately plotted and intensely gripping novel is being lauded as a modern classic in young adult literature. Pippa Fitz-Amobi, an intelligent and determined high school student, is looking...
    Paperback
    $1800
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Powerless
    OVER A MILLION COPIES SOLD! THE INSTANT NO. 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON. ‘Nothing short of epic’ - Rosie Talbot, bestselling author of Sixteen Souls ‘A thrilling fantasy with the most delicious slow-burn romance’ - M.A. Kuzniar, bestselling author of Midnight in Everwood ‘[A] titillating debut’ - Publishers Weekly ‘A masterpiece’ - Goodreads Reader Review ‘Everyone needs to read it’ -...
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2899
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Free Gift
    The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks
    Louise Rennison for the Dork Diaries generation - hilarious, relatable and full of heart. The first book in the hilarious new series for children by the bestselling creator of Hurrah For Gin. The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks follows Lottie Brooks, who is 11 and feels like her life is already officially over. Not only is she about to...
    Paperback
    $1799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Free Gift
    Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip
    The fourth book in this hilarious bestselling series full of friendship, family, and first experiences from the creator of Hurrah for Gin. Lottie Brooks's Totally Disastrous School-Trip continues to navigate the many perils of growing up in this fantastically funny illustrated series for a 9-12 audience, filled with friendship, embarrassing moments, and plenty of lols. Woe is me. So much...
    Paperback
    $1900
    Elsewhere:
    $2100
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.