Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
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Book Reviews of Sarah's Key
Book Review: Emotionally shattering
Summary: 5 Stars
I started reading this book yesterday afternoon and finished it by Midnight. I am a student of the Shoah and have read many many fiction and non-fiction books describing the tragedy of the European Jews during the second world war.
The book is beautifuly written and the alternating stories of Sarah's childhood horrors with the present day story of forty-five year old Julia is mesmerizing. I am not going to discuss the plot -- many reviewers of this book have magnificantly already done so.
Sarah's Key grabbed a hold of me and the devastating story of the destruction of an innocent child and her family in a way that no other holocaust book has ever done. I knew about the Velodrome d'Hiver from previous books -- but the horrific and sadistic action of the French police during the round-up of Jewish families on July 16, 1942 was new information.
France has a long and troubled history of Anti-Semtism; it seems to me that the French are split into two camps: those who are openly Anti-Semetic and those who are covertly Anti-Semetic. However, I am not attempting to demonize the French -- the fact is that the entire world -- Europeans and the democratic allies did absolutely nothing to help the Jews before and during the war. Many European countries avidly assisted the Nazis and turned their Jews over to a certain and horrible death. The United States State Department was openly Anti-Semetic during the 1930's and prevented legal immigration of German Jews who were desperately trying to escape from Hitler's rule. So there is plenty of blame and shame to go around.
I now want to respond to the reviewers who hated this book. What bothered you so much? Was it the thought that a 10 year old child could bravely go through such horror and still try and help her lost brother? Was it the fact that American Julia questioned her French husband's family and their actions during the war? Was it the fact that the heinous actions of the French police and the general indifference of the French population hit too close to home?
I unreservedly recommend this book to anyone who has the heart and courage to share Sarah's journey. Buy it! Read it! Share it with your friends and family! But make sure you have a handkerchief nearby because, if you react as I did, you will be crying while you read.
Book Review: Remember and Never Forget!
Summary: 5 Stars
Reviewed by Kam Aures for Rebecca's Reads (06/09)
It has been a long time since I have read a work of fiction as powerful and moving as "Sarah's Key" by Tatina de Rosnay. Although the characters in the book are fictitious, many of the actual events, most particularly the Velodrome d'Hiver (Vel' d' Hiv') roundup, are all too true. Before this book I had never heard of this particular Holocaust tragedy in France and found it to be deeply disturbing. Basically what happened in Paris was that on the morning of July 16, 1942, the French police rounded up all of the Jewish men, women, and children and put them in the Vel' d' Hiv indoor stadium without bathrooms, minimal food, and nowhere to sleep. Then they were taken to camps.
This novel, "Sarah's Key," neatly intertwines this historical time with a modern day story. The writing is told from Sarah's perspective in the past to Julia's perspective in the present in alternating chapters. I enjoyed the format of the book and found that everything came together neatly.
Tatiana de Rosnay is a very talented author whose writing allows you to vividly picture the events taking place. There are two images that continue to remain in my mind after I finished the book. The first one is right from the beginning of the book when the girl, her father, and her mother are taken by the French police. She locks her four-year-old brother in their secret cupboard and pockets the key telling him that she will be back to save him. The image of that poor four-year-old (the same age as my son) hiding in there trusting and anticipating that his sister will be back for him is heartbreaking. The other haunting image is the one at the camp when all of the parents were sent off to different camps and the children were left to fend for themselves. Toddlers were separated from their mothers and left on their own. The fear that these children must have felt is emotionally overwhelming.
"Sarah's Key" is a gripping story that you will not be able to put down once you have started reading. The horrors detailed in de Rosnay's writing are extremely sad and the book is definitely not a light read. Be prepared emotionally before you pick up this book because the harrowing images will become engrained in your mind.
Book Review: A Novel Menagerie's Perspective on Sarah's Key
Summary: 5 Stars
The March selection for my new book club is Sarah's Key. I have been seeing that there is noon-time discussion amidst our blogging community regarding this book. So, I picked it up early and started my fascinating read.
The summarization of the book's storyline, above, is the best condensed version about this very intricate and complex read. I was completely spellbound by this book and had difficulty putting it down. As a matter of fact, having insomnia doesn't seem to be bothersome when you have this book to read. It's engaging, horrifying, scary, wonderful, and redeeming simultaneously. I found myself holding my breath as I read the chapters as told by Sarah, Hel' d'Hiv's innocent little victim. I prayed, despite the realistic odds, for her brother Michael. I loathed Julia's husband, Bertrand, for being the horrifically pompous, cheating, and egotistical misogynist that he was. I fell in love with Mame and Eduardo. I prayed for William and praised Zoe. I fell inside of Julia's mind and heart. All of these feelings wrapped up into one little book. The book was, to me, completely unforgettable.
What I discovered on Tatiana's website:
"Sarah's Key is her first novel written in her mother tongue, English. Sarah's Key is to be published in 28 countries and has sold over 700 000 copies worldwide. Film rights have also been sold."
Yes, the book is that great!
Albeit this book is sad, however discovering the emotional side of human atrocities most always is. I won't walk you through this intricately impeccable read because this is one that you should discover on your own. It's a personal road to travel, one which I am glad that I did. I read this book with little forehand knowledge of it and that made this book such a rich read for me. I wish the same for you.
On Sher's "Out of Ten Scale:"
This book tugged at my heart like very few do. I was completely committed to Julia and Sarah and grew to love them both, for many reasons. As such, all I can say is that this superb read gains from me, under the genre Fiction:Historical, a 10 out of 10! I absolutely cannot wait for our book club discussion on it.
Book Review: Sarah's Key is Sensational
Summary: 5 Stars
It's Paris in July of 1942. Ten year old Sarah Starzynski hears pounding on the door of her apartment. It's the French police sent to round up her family on the orders of the Germans who are occupying the city. Thinking they won't detain her for long, she locks her four year old brother in a secret cabinet promising to return for him.
In Paris 60 years later, journalist Julia Jarmond is assigned to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv-the round up of all the Jewish families in Paris. While doing research for her article, Julia discovers the story of the Starzynski family and soon becomes deeply involved in a quest to find out what happened to Sarah Starzynski-and even finds a shocking connection to her own family.
Sarah's Key is a remarkable story. I had never heard of the Vel d'Hiv-a dark chapter in France's history. It is most shocking that these Jewish families were not detained by the Nazis but were rounded up by the French police force. Their own countrymen whom they relied on for protection betrayed thousands of them-men, women, and children and sent them to their doom. Sarah's story is especially heartbreaking. Even as she is going through the horrors of being sent to the camps and separated from her family, all she can think about is getting back to her apartment in Paris and getting her brother out of his hiding place.
I liked how the book switched from Sarah's trials in 1942 to Julia conducting her research of the round up in 2002. Even as her personal life unravels she continues her mission to learn if Sarah escaped or was sent to Auschwitz. Julia would uncover another piece to the puzzle and then it would switch back to Sarah's story relating what really happened. I was left wanting more after every chapter and just had to keep reading to find out what happened next. The story flowed beautifully and has really stuck with me since I put it down. I have read several books about the holocaust and this is one of the best. I would say if you were going to read one book this year on the holocaust make it this one! It's one of my best reads of the year so far and it will break your heart.
Book Review: May we never forget those who perished during the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup
Summary: 5 Stars
A fantastic historical fiction novel, set during the occupation of France in the earlier days of WWII. You will be captivated from page one and experience an immediate connection with the characters and the suffering they went through during the Nazi decreed roundup of Jews in France. While most, to this day, believe this was carried out by the Nazis, it was actually carried out by the French Vichy police. This appalling event is a huge dark spot in France's history, and thus, not well-known, even by WWII history buffs. With this event as the backdrop, you are drawn into the terror, panic and despair of over 13,000 Jews were arrested, packed into a stadium in the summer heat, with no food, water or adequate facilities to accommodate that many people. Many died in that stadium and many became aware of what their ultimate fate would be, begging for the nightmare to just come to an end. While reading about the main character's experience and that of her family and those in her community, you sense the psychological passage through the stages of grief as it becomes clear that escape from this atrocity will only be through death. Shock of being forcibly removed from their homes; Anger at being targeted because of their religious beliefs and betrayal by their own Government's civil servants; Denial that life will not return to normal for the victims in that stadium; Acceptance that what was ahead of them was a destiny they could not change. Though not on the scale of the Vel' d'Hiv, I couldn't help but draw upon the images of the victims of Hurricane Katrina, huddled in masses, with an inadequate supply of food, water and restroom facilities, while the Government was so slow to respond and send aid to it's desperate citizens. This event, not one of America's finest moments. An outstanding and a definite must read and a recommendation of Bad Faith: A Forgotten History of Family, Fatherland and Vichy France (Vintage) if you want to read more about this infamous event in France's history.