Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family’s apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in … day in France’s past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl’s ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d’Hiv’, to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah’s past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.
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Good read. Heartbreaking.
easy read,tragic and vivid action
It was a very good read and kept me engaged the entire time, but I found it tragic.
Couldn’t put it down! Although it isn’t an action adventure or mystery per se, it was a page turner and very hard to put down. The characters are interesting, The story flows. And it was an easy read, too!
This is a sad story of a young Jewish girl in Paris in 1942. The two main characters are the young girl and a female Journalist in the current time that is determined to find out the story that involves the girl. It is a good story but the ending was a little weak.
I really liked this book. So much happened during the war – things that we could not even imagine. Sarah’s Key takes us back to the day and it is an incredible story.
A beautifully written, fascinating book. I have really found it interesting to read books about history related to WWII. I have not read anything by this author before but definitely will check out her other books.
Wonderful!
Sarah’s key has 2 interwoven stories.
Julia’s in the present and Sarah’s in 1942.
Even though this is not a historical book there are actual events eg. the roundup of the Jews and the placement in the Vel d Hiv .
A very moving book
I Could not put it down
Sarah and her family were having an ordinary day. Although her parents seemed on edge, no one had reason to expect the nightmare they were about to face. Julia was an American journalist who had lived in Paris for many years. She was also at a crossroads she never expected. What happens to both of these women is astonishing.
Well written and …
I don’t usually read novels about the Holocaust, however, this one was riveting and realistic. The Val d’hiv roundup is also part of the history of some of my family members. I found her weaving the past with the present – very skillfully. A good read.
Excellent book but very sad . This book
Stayed in my mind for a long time. Highly recommended but be prepared to experience the sadness and anguish that suffered Jewish families during the occupation of France by Germany. An eye opening for going along with fanatics and dictators who loose their hearts for the sake of power. Very sad
Loved this book. Sarah was a wonderful character. She had to deal with more issues than most adults could handle. Her story is heart wrenching. Great book. 4.5 stars.
Don’t miss this beautifully written book that will stay with you a very, very long time. The author is informative and makes it easy for readers to find their own vivid images to go right along with her words. A young girl locks her brother in a hiding place in their Paris apartment before she and her family are taken away by Nazis. I don’t want …
read this a long time ago and i still remember enjoying this a lot
I think this book is great, and sad at the same time, and would recommend it to readers 12 to 14.
Tatiana de Rosnay beautifully intertwines two people’s stories, Sarah and Julia. These two seem not to relate at all since Sarah is a Jewish survivor in France during WWII and Julia is an American journalist living in Paris, however, Julia untangles her unthinkable family secret that hadn’t been spoken for 60 years. Ending the war doesn’t mean …
The stories of the Holocaust and the brutality and heartbreak are hard to imagine. To have been so closely touched by one of these souls surely impacted the storyteller’s entire life. It is well worth the read!
I couldn’t put this book down.
Loved it!