Ruta Sepetys hadn’t known the depths of 1989 Romania and the maniacal dynasty of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. Or of the brave young Romanians who fought for their freedom. Being the daughter of a victim of communism, Ruta thought she knew about post-war communist systems and their history. On tour in Romania with her publisher promoting her first novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta had a rude awakening. Their translator was searching for listening devices. She was checking the ashtray on the outside table where they were sitting at in case the ‘blue-eyed boys’ were listening. That’s when Ruta learned about the more than 20 million Romanians who had suffered during Ceaușescu’s evil regime.
Through her research, Ruta believes that there is hope amidst the worst. And so her latest novel I Must Betray You is told through the voice of a seventeen year old young man. It’s the story of the brave young Romanians who stood up to the dictator.
Ruta is an internationally acclaimed, #1 New York Times bestselling author of historical fiction. She is considered a ‘crossover’ novelist as her books are read by both young adults and adults worldwide. Her book Between Shades of Gray was made into the 2018 movie called Ashes in the Snow.