In the interest of full disclosure, I really wasn't sure I was going to read this book. I have a difficult time reading books about the Holocaust. They simply are too upsetting, and emotionally draining. There was so much talk surrounding this book, that I felt I had to read it, not matter how upsetting the subject matter might be.
Sarah's Key is an interesting look at the little known Nazi roundup of Jews living in Paris in 1942. In alternating chapters, we learn the story through the eyes of Julia Jarmond, a journalist writing a magazine article on 60th anniversary of the event, and Sarah who lived through the events themselves. A full summary of the story can be found below. This is a beautifully written story, and so engrossing it is difficult to put down. You find yourself completely taken in by both main characters in this book, and want desperately to learn if they will each find a happy ending. Needless to say, there are no easy answers to any questions surrounding this time period, or simple happy endings for all.
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From the publisher:
A young girl. A fateful key. A woman searching for the truth... Experience the novel that has touched millions. Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten-year-old girl, is taken with her parents by the French police as they go door to door arresting Jewish families in the middle of the night. Desperate to protect her younger brother, Sarah locks him in a bedroom cupboard - their secret hiding place - and promises to come back for him as soon as they are released. Sixty Years Later: Sarah's story intertwines with that of Julia Jarmond, an American journalist investigating the roundup. In her research, Julia stumbles onto a trail of secrets that link her to Sarah, and to questions about her own future.
