Sarah's Key

Sarah’s Key
By Tatiana de Rosnay
St. Martin’s Press, 2007. 294 pgs. Fiction.

Ten year old Sarah lives in Paris as the German occupation during World War II begins. One night she is awaken by the Parisian Police and forced to leave with her parents. Before they are sent out into the night and fates unknown, she locks her little brother into a hidden cupboard telling him to wait for her to return, thinking she is keeping him safe from dangers she doesn’t understand. She is sent, along with thousands of other French Jews, to a large sports arena where they are held for days during a period of French history often ignored.

Sarah’s story is told through the discoveries of a journalist in present day Paris. She is struggling with her own trials and develops a deep connection to Sarah’s plight to save her brother and her later efforts to move past the pain and loss the Holocaust forced upon her family.

This book was suggested to me as a read-a-like for “These is My Words”, and while I did enjoy it, I definitely would not class it with Nancy Turner’s work. Rosnay tells a fascinating story with characters I especially enjoyed, particularly Sarah. I was disappointed when, towards the end of the book, the narration leaves Sarah’s point of view. I would have enjoyed learning more of her personal development after the war. A good book and an excellent choice for any book discussion group.