About the book:

Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten- year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door-to-door arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night.  Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard – their secret hiding place – and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released.

Sixty years later: Sarah’s story intertwines with that of Julia Jarmond, an American journalist investigating the roundup.  In her reserach, Julia stumbles onto a trail of secrets that link her to Sarah, and to questions about her own romantic future.

My Review:

If you dare to read this book, let me advise one thing:  have a box of Kleenex handy.  Of course we all know that millions of Jew were unjustly, inhumanely killed during WWII.   But I did not know of this particular incident.  This is one thing I love of historical fiction.  Though it is a story, the facts of the roundup are true and it can help us learn and remember important  historical happenings.  This novel brings to light the shame surrounding the French people and particularly the French police, who cooperated with the Nazis in the killings of 10,000 Jews.  4,000 of those were children, French citizens no less.

What stood out to me most about this book was the level of cruelty with which the Jews were treated.  They were not “only” sent to gas chambers to die.  First, they were sent to a huge stadium where there were no toilets,  and very little food and water.  They were beaten.  They suffered unbearable heat.  Then the children were literally ripped apart from their mothers.  The mothers were sent to Auschwitz to die.  The children were basically left to themselves for days before they too, were sent to their deaths.   Children.  Sent to their deaths.   Unspeakable horrors were committed to them – and then they were killed.

This is a powerfully written novel.  One that must be read, for these people should be remembered.  Those who survived were never the same.  Many lost their entire families.  Highly, highly recommended.

Sarah’s Key is now being filmed as a movie as well.

This entry was posted on Saturday, August 1st, 2009 at 8:11 am

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