Mom's Tree House

I just finished reading “Sarah’s Key“, by Tatiana de Rosnay and I cannot believe the emotional roller coaster this book gave me. This book is both beautiful and horrific on an unreported event that took place in 1942, in where more than 13, 000 French Jews, mostly women and children, were rounded up in Vel’ d’ Hiv by the French police. The story is told both by a young girl, Sarah, in 1942 and Julia Jarmond, a modern day American journalist who lives in Paris and researching the round up for it’s 60th anniversary.

At 10, Sarah is waken by loud banging on her door. Upon her mother opening the door, she sees the French police. Sarah does not understand, she sees that they are not the Nazi’s and assumes that everything will be okay and be straightened out. As her mother goes to her room to gather her things, Sarah goes to get her little brother, 4-year-old brother, Michel. Michel refuses to go and instead decides to hide in their small hiding place located in a long cupboard in the wall. Sarah, seeing how terrified her brother is, helps him hide and promises to come back after everything is straightened out. She locks him in and puts the key in her pocket.

Paris, 2002, Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article on the round up for the 60th anniversary . Through her research, Julia finds that there is little information available regarding this event. She does however, stumbles into Sarah, the 10-year old girl brutally arrested with her parents by the French police in 1942. As Julia investigates this event, she is compelled to retrace Sarah’s journey of her arrest in Vel’ d’ Hiv, to the camps and beyond. In doing so, Julia begins to unravel a terrible secret that links Sarah and her own family. Thus, Julia begins to question her own place in France, her marriage and her future.

This book is powerful. I was unable to put it down, finishing it within four days. It is a story about innocence being lost and later, trying to amend that lost. It is historical, sheding light into an event that is rarely talked about. Tatiana de Rosnay has become my new favorite author. “Sarah’s Key” is currently being made into a movie due to come out next year. Currently, Rosnay is working on a new novel wich is due to be released in September 14, 2010 called “Secrets Kept”. I can’t wait to get it. As for “Sarah’s Key“, get the book, you will not be disappointed.

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