A guilty conscience is not worth extra food.

— Ruta Sepetys

All the little duckies with their heads in the water Heads in the waterfall the little duckies with their heads in the water Oh, such sweet little duckies.

— Ruta Sepetys

And she didn't judge anybody. She loved everyone equal- accountants, queers, musicians, she welcomed us all, said we were all idiots just the same.

— Ruta Sepetys

But all the survivors had one thing in common, and that was love. They survived through love. Whether love of friend, love of country, love of God, or even love of enemy—love reveals to us the truly miraculous nature of the human spirit.

— Ruta Sepetys

But how can they just decide that we're animals? They don't even know us," I said." We know us," said Mother. "They're wrong. And don't ever allow them to convince you otherwise. Do you understand?

— Ruta Sepetys

But unlike Mama, I would not go to heaven. My secrets padlocked the gates. I'd be a torn kite stuck in the dead branches of a tree, unable to fly.

— Ruta Sepetys

But wasn't there some sort of rule that said parents had to be smarter than their kids? It didn't seem fair.

— Ruta Sepetys

Death, it seems, has a mind of its own.

— Ruta Sepetys

Every nation has hidden history, countless stories preserved only by those who experienced them. Stories of war are often read and discussed worldwide by readers whose nations stood on opposite sides during battle. History divided us, but through reading we can be united in story, study, and remembrance. Books join us together as a global reading community, but more important, a global human community striving to learn from the past.

— Ruta Sepetys

Everyone has a price,” she said.“But clearly not everyone has a soul,

— Ruta Sepetys