I enjoy a wide variety of novels, including historical fiction, action/thrillers, fantasy, chick lit, and humour. But every so often, I need to read a book that will stretch me and take me out of my comfort zone. I'm not talking about a different genre or style- I'm talking about those books that will move me and maybe even change me. Sarah's Key by Tatiana deRosnay is one of those books. Not only is it a great piece of historical fiction that will possibly teach you something new, but it will also break your heart and make you empathize and grieve for someone else. Sarah's Key is a powerful, gripping novel that just might change you.
The novel, like Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden, takes place at different points in time. It alternates between ten-year old Sarah, living in Paris in 1942, and an American journalist living in Paris during the present day. Sarah awakens one morning to the French police pounding on her family's apartment door. She is taken away along with her Mother and Father, but not before she locks her little brother in a hidden cupboard, sure that she will return before long. In contemporary times, Julia is assigned a piece on the anniversary of the Vel d'Hiv roundup. As she investigates the historical events, she is shocked to learn that the culpability for the roundup extends to the French police force and government, and perhaps even to her husband's family. When she learns that young Sarah was arrested in the roundup, she is determined to discover what happened to the little girl.
If you are in the mood for that novel that will leave a lasting impact, give Sarah's Key a read. Though it is not a feel-good novel, it is deeply engrossing. I couldn't put it down.
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