Thursday, September 8, 2011

Book Review: Sarah's Key

I majorly went on a reading spree last week.  After reading 'Divergent' practically overnight, I then began reading 'Sarah's Key' and also finished it very quickly.


Synopsis: De Rosnay's U.S. debut fictionalizes the 1942 Paris roundups and deportations, in which thousands of Jewish families were arrested, held at the Vélodrome d'Hiver outside the city, then transported to Auschwitz. Forty-five-year-old Julia Jarmond, American by birth, moved to Paris when she was 20 and is married to the arrogant, unfaithful Bertrand Tézac, with whom she has an 11-year-old daughter. Julia writes for an American magazine and her editor assigns her to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups. Julia soon learns that the apartment she and Bertrand plan to move into was acquired by Bertrand's family when its Jewish occupants were dispossessed and deported 60 years before. She resolves to find out what happened to the former occupants: Wladyslaw and Rywka Starzynski, parents of 10-year-old Sarah and four-year-old Michel. The more Julia discovers—especially about Sarah, the only member of the Starzynski family to survive—the more she uncovers about Bertrand's family, about France and, finally, herself. {via}

Review: This book was terribly sad.  If you don't like crying, don't read this book.  Of course, who LIKES crying?  With that said, it was also truly a beautiful and moving book.  I have very little knowledge about WWII and definitely no knowledge of this piece of French history.  It definitely made me think about what life was like back then.  Overall: very captivating!  Allison and I plan to see the movie next weekend, so I'll be sure and recap that as well!

3 comments:

Kelly said...

I have Sarah's Key & The Help packed for London. I have read a lot of books and stories about WWII (obviously...hello 18 years of Hebrew school) but I have heard great things about this book. Keith's parents saw the movie last weekend and she said it was just as good as the book!

It's a Beautiful Life said...

I loved this book and had no idea it was a movie now! Can't wait to see it I really hope they keep true to the book!

Michelle said...

Clicked over from Kelly's blog. I found this book haunting - like I couldn't stop thinking about it for weeks. I'm not sure I want to see the movie....

ps - I'm enjoying your blog! Glad to have found it.