Book Review: Sarah's Key

 Sarah's Key, a book by Tatiana de Rosnay , is a fictionalized account of the events referred to as the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups, in July of 1942. French government and police rounded up nearly 10000 Jews, men,women and even children. There were few survivors. I am embarrassed to say how little I knew of the Vel' d'Hiv round up, learning nothing in school about it. I am equally embarrassed to say that my current knowledge of the holocaust began at the Holocaust Museum in NYC, where Turtle shared the information he had always known, growing up much more aware, as part of a Jewish family.   But the more I learn, the more I know that we will never forget  אנחנו לעולם לא אשכח






Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


As I read Sarah's Key, I was completely swept into Sarah's world, while understandably seeing Julia as a sharp contrast to her. I felt as connected to Sarah as Julia did, and also wanted to tell the fictional Sarah and all real life survivors, exactly as Julia did, we will never forget אנחנו לעולם לא אשכח. I read some negative reviews of this book and most references two different things they didnt care for.

1. The author used some interesting word choices, such as ingurgitate instead of eat. I think this actually added to the story, I felt like much of Sarah's story was told in another language, and since the author's first language is not english, I accepted and even liked her creative use of words. Writers, and most readers, love words and this book was no exception.

2. Many negative reviewers felt that Julia was shallow. She might have started out that way, but as she learned of the horrors that began on July 17. 1942, she was changed, little by little. She became unable to accept her husband, and learned to respect her father in law, and deperately wanted to find Sarah to talk to her and to tell her, she would never be forgotten.



I went to one of the top schools in my state, and I did not learn of the Vél' d'Hiv' roundups until well into my adulthood. This book is haunting to me, not because of the atrocities committed, because we all know that sort of evil exists, but because of the lack of knowledge, the lack of responsibility and the cavalier attitude shown towards began that day in 1942.



This was, of coure, not the best book I have ever read, but if the measure of the book is in evoking emotion, or making the reader think and want to learn more, this one is a clear winner.



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