Book Review- Tatiana De Rosnay- Sarah’s Key

Tatiana De Rosnay- Sarah’s Key (St. Martin’s Press 2007) 3.5 Stars

Sarah is a ten-year-old Jewish girl, living in Paris, France during the roundup of July 1942. French police are gathering up the Jews and Sarah looks to protect her brother by hiding him in a secret cupboard, keeping the only key for herself. Intending to return after she is released, she has no idea that it might take longer than she thinks.

Julia Jarmond is an American journalist living in Paris sixty years later. She is looking into the roundup for an article she is writing and has come upon Sarah’s story, which may have ties to her own family.

This book was quite intriguing, although at times it got hard to follow as it switched between the two people’s stories. It was interesting to see the roundup from a child’s perspective, although still a sad thing to read about. It was a touching story, and interesting to see how Julia is able to dig up information. The plot was good, but certainly could have used a little tweaking in some parts. The characters were really well done; it certainly added depth to the story. I did find that at times this novel was kind of slow, and was dragged down with too much useless information about the setting. Overall it was a decent read if you are into historical fiction.

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Tony Peters

Kids on a Case: The Case of the Ten Grand Kidnapping

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