I knew straight away I needed this book in my life. Ruta Sepetys is an author that has been idling on my TBR for far too long and she's had a number of books that I'm dying to read. When this book became available, I knew I had to jump on it! And I'm so glad I did. What a fantastic introduction to Sepetys' writing - and it did not disappoint. I absolutely loved the topic. The fall of Romanian communism happened in my lifetime, at an age that I should have been aware of it. But I have no recollection of hearing about any of this. As was mentioned in the book several times, Romania really was lost to the rest of the world. The book was very well researched and contains a whole section at the end containing photos and a great deal of background information. It's clear that this book was a project of love for Sepetys and if this book is any indication (which I think it is) I need to bump her up on my TBR because she is a fantastic author! The writing is spot on, the topic is a breath of fresh air in the genre, and the plot was engaging and sucked me in. I finished this book in one day. I can't wait to read my next Ruta Sepetys book!