Sarah's Key

Title: Sarah's Key

Author: Tatiana DeRosnay

Date Finished: August 3, 2011

Personal Book Count: 28 out of 75

Rating: 4 out of 5

Genre/ Subject: fiction

First Line: The girl was the first to hear the loud pounding on the door.

Why did I pick this book?: There was a lot of buzz about the book when it came out, so when I came across a copy at a local second hand store, I snapped it up.

Summary and Review: taken from google books-

“Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours. Paris, May 2002: On Vel' d'Hiv's 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life. Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.”

I was talking about this book with a friend. She said it was the most depressing book ever. I was thinking about this. Yes, it is sad. More than once I had to put it down and walk away, just to catch my breath. I needed a second book to turn to, because at times I needed a break, as it was so sad. But depressing? Not, I don't think so. The time was depressing, and the circumstances, but what made it not depressing was hope. It didn't matter which time-frame we were in, or what was happening, the author had a way of lacing hope through the story. Not only did it make for an interesting story, it kept me reading. I NEEDED to know what happened. I like that the chapters alternate between 1942 and 2002. I like that each story line has a girl about the same age. The short chapters really kept the pace going for me. As I said, this book was very emotional, and full of twists and turns. But this also made it feel like it took a long time to read. With that said, I loved every page, and was very satisfied with the ending. I have since heard that this has been made into a movie. Somehow, I don't think it could compare. I guess we will see.

Has anyone seen the movie? Read the book? What did you think?

Agree? Disagree? Recommendations? Any insights, suggestions, or comments on the book or format, or blog at all are most welcome. If you have read this and/ or review it yourself, please let me know. Can you think of any books like this? Give me a recommendation! =D