Sarah's Key

Sarah's Key

By: Tatiana de Rosnay 

Synopsis: Sarah's Key is a story following two people involved with the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, a mass roundup of Paris Jews by the French police in 1942, during the Holocaust. One of the people is a 10 year old Jewish girl named Sarah who was one of the Jews rounded up. Before the police take her family away, she hides her brother in a cupboard and locks him in to keep him safe. Then it follows her story as she does everything in her power to get back to her brother.  While this is happening, in alternating chapters we follow a journalist Julia Jarmond, who is asked to write an article about the roundup on it's 60th anniversary, in 2002. While researching she stumbles onto a long-hidden family secret that connects her to Sarah. She then retraces and learns more about Sarah's story. After learning about Sarah, Julia must decide if she belongs or even wants to stay in France. 

Review: This is a life changing, unforgettable book. It's a historical fiction, which means that the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup and the other events are real, just not the specific people.

I love these types of books because they teach the history but through an engaging story. This book is very sad, so do not read if you don't want to cry. But it's amazing! It's interesting to read about the thing happening and then reading the reactions of the future generations. I think everyone should read it.