between shades of gray by Ruta Sepetys

This book is why I love historical fiction and the power that it has.  The story is about a young girl living in Lithuania at the beginning of Word War II.   She is suddenly taken from her home with her mother and brother, thrown on a crowded train, headed to who knows where.  The experiences of these poor people really causes serious self-reflection and enormous gratitude.  It would really be difficult not to empathize with their experiences.  Everyone should read this book.