From the Bookshelf of Topeka & Shawnee Co. Public Library…

Sarah's Key

Tatiana de Rosnay

Start date: January 29, 2014

Finish date: February 25, 2014

Why we're reading this: Sarah's Key flips back and forth from July 1942 and 2002.The Paris Vel'd'Hiv' roundup (Jewish families ta…more
[close] Sarah's Key flips back and forth from July 1942 and 2002.The Paris Vel'd'Hiv' roundup (Jewish families taken in the middle of the night) occurred in July 1942. For the 60th anniversary, a young woman researches the Vel'd'Hiv' roundup and discovers how the Jews were treated in July 1942.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

Jul 11, 2012 Melanie rated it it was amazing

I had a very hard time putting this book down, and to be honest it was one I was not really wanting to read. I've read several books concerning World War II recently, but this was for a book club. Flipping though I though it would take me several days, but I devoured it in a day! I will be honest I thought the ending was a bit weak, but it was the pleasing happy Hollywood ending. I did not know much about the French Jewish experience and found that to be very interesting. I really got sucked int ...more

Like · see review

Nov 02, 2011 Chris Blocker rated it liked it

Summary in seven words: First half okay. Second half bad. Last eighth awful.

Something doesn't add up here.

Expanded summary—

Sarah's Key tells two stories. One is the story of the Starzynski's, a Jewish family, victims of the Holocaust. The other is of the Tézac family, a family of blahs and quacks, whines and cheeses. The first half of the novel alternates between their two stories. The Starzynski plot is encased in intrigue, suspense, and heart, while the Tézac plot is a bucket of cliches and co Summary in seven words: First half okay. Second half bad. Last eighth awful.

Something doesn't add up here.

Expanded summary—

Sarah's Key tells two stories. One is the story of the Starzynski's, a Jewish family, victims of the Holocaust. The other is of the Tézac family, a family of blahs and quacks, whines and cheeses. The first half of the novel alternates between their two stories. The Starzynski plot is encased in intrigue, suspense, and heart, while the Tézac plot is a bucket of cliches and constant whining. Unfortunately, the second half of the novel follows the Tézac family solely.

Sarah Starzynski's story is good, not great, but definitely good. The writing was simplistic, the plot at time's predictable, but the story itself helped boost the novel's faults. Why her story had to be tainted with the wishy-washy whining of Julia, the corny almost-perfect Zoë, and the ridiculously pompous rants of Bertrand is beyond me. I didn't care about their struggles, because in the face of the Starzynski trials, the Tézac's “problems” didn't amount to much.

Spending the majority of the novel on the Tézac family was a bad choice. Making the novel's many French characters into the bad guys—the American characters, the good guys—was a bad choice (and slightly odd considering the author's French nationality). Using words like incredulous at every single opportunity (there's a drinking game here) was a bad choice. While I, the unpublished novelist, hate to say it, there is just too much poor writing and too many mistakes made to lift this story beyond mediocre.

The concluding scenes of Sarah's Key almost lowers the novel past mediocre. I was tempted to drop it to two stars, but didn't feel that would be fair to judge the work so harshly for such a small part. Much of it is unnecessary. The author's constant references to “the baby,” “ Zoë's sister,” “the child,” et cetera, were ridiculous—if the reader doesn't know the baby's name with absolute certainty by that time, the reader wasn't reading very carefully. No, strike that, if the reader doesn't know that baby's name, they must have been reading another book all along. For de Rosnay to try to trick the reader, hoping for an emotional response, is a great mistake—she may as well announce that her reader's are too ignorant. to figure out any of the novel's simple equations.

Sarah's Key was unbalanced and poorly constructed. It could have been so much better. Unfortunately, when piling problems on top of problems a story has the tendency to fall apart and the reader is left with the pieces, hoping they can piece them all back to together and make something sensible. Again, something just doesn't add up here. ...more

Like · see review

Mar 21, 2012 Marian rated it it was amazing

This was a great piece of fiction, sharing with readers more effects of the Holocaust, this time in Paris, France. Never forget.

Like · see review

Jan 25, 2012 Kelli rated it liked it

Shelves: fiction, historical

This book was about the Vel d'Viv event in 1942 Paris, France where French police officers rounded up thousands of Jewish citizens to be sent of to various work camps and ultimately, Auschwitz. The main character researching the historical event becomes obsessed with one child that survives the chilling events and becomes very personally connected to her.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. It is very easy to read. I just personally got a little tired with the main character. ...more

Like · see review