Sarah’s Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay is not a YA book, but since I heard so much about it I had to read it.
I’m so glad I did. I could not put this down. This book is pure story. It’s light on the description and moves at a breakneck speed – the definition of ‘page-turner.’ There is so much tension built into some of the story lines that it almost felt thriller-like.
The story moves between 1942, and the story of a Jewish girl inParis. She – along with over 13,000 other Parisian Jews – is rounded up at the Vélodrome d’Hiver, a cycling racetrack inParis. The obscene conditions – no food, water, facilities, beds, medicine – led to numerous deaths. This event came to be known as the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup and was particularly noteworthy because all aspects of this action were implemented and enforced by French police and civil servants – not Germans.
The contemporary story centres on Julia, an American who has lived inParisfor 25 years and is married to a Frenchman. Her work assignment becomes an obsession with the story of the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup and the story of ‘Sarah’ of the title. Her research unlocks a series of revelations that rocks her family and changes her life forever.
The alternating points of view are woven together in a terrifically well-crafted story. I had a minor quibble in that I felt that there were some contrivances built into the story, but it’s so well-crafted that I had to keep reading. Both story lines are fascinating and propel the story forward to make this book an incredibly engrossing read. I was so moved by this sad and beautiful story. I highly recommend Sarah’s Key.
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