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Sarah's Key
by Tatiana de Rosnay (Goodreads Author)
by Tatiana de Rosnay (Goodreads Author)
Joy H.'s review
bookshelves: suggested-by-goodreads-member, historical-fiction, adapted-to-film, watched-film-too
Jan 14, 12
bookshelves: suggested-by-goodreads-member, historical-fiction, adapted-to-film, watched-film-too
Read in January, 2010
Added 11/8/09.
In _Sarah's Key_ the chapters alternate between the war era and the time sixty years later. We watch as a reporter tries to find out more about what happened during the 1942 round-up of Jewish people in France (known as the "Vel' d’Hiv’ Roundup") (Vélodrome d'Hiver). We also watch the actual round-up as it is happening. The alternating views keep you reading as the suspense builds up.
This is a heartbreaking piece of fiction. It brings home the horror of those Holocaust days and warns that the events of that time must not be hidden away and forgotten.
Below is a quote from a review at Amazon:
“This is a remarkable historical novel, a book which brings to light a disturbing and deliberately hidden aspect of French behavior towards Jews during World War II. Like Sophie's Choice, it's a book that impresses itself upon one's heart and soul forever.”
–Naomi Ragen, author of The Saturday Wife and The Covenant
I finished reading this book in a very short time (for me). It's so compelling. I think I'll remember it for a long time.
PS-I'm looking forward to seeing the movie adapted from the book in 2010:
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Sar...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1668200/
PPS-The movie was well done. I watched it in January 2012 via a Netflix DVD. The young actress, Mélusine Mayance, who played Sarah as a little girl was terrific. Below is a link to her IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3274621/
In _Sarah's Key_ the chapters alternate between the war era and the time sixty years later. We watch as a reporter tries to find out more about what happened during the 1942 round-up of Jewish people in France (known as the "Vel' d’Hiv’ Roundup") (Vélodrome d'Hiver). We also watch the actual round-up as it is happening. The alternating views keep you reading as the suspense builds up.
This is a heartbreaking piece of fiction. It brings home the horror of those Holocaust days and warns that the events of that time must not be hidden away and forgotten.
Below is a quote from a review at Amazon:
“This is a remarkable historical novel, a book which brings to light a disturbing and deliberately hidden aspect of French behavior towards Jews during World War II. Like Sophie's Choice, it's a book that impresses itself upon one's heart and soul forever.”
–Naomi Ragen, author of The Saturday Wife and The Covenant
I finished reading this book in a very short time (for me). It's so compelling. I think I'll remember it for a long time.
PS-I'm looking forward to seeing the movie adapted from the book in 2010:
http://movies.netflix.com/WiMovie/Sar...
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1668200/
PPS-The movie was well done. I watched it in January 2012 via a Netflix DVD. The young actress, Mélusine Mayance, who played Sarah as a little girl was terrific. Below is a link to her IMDb page:
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm3274621/
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Jenni
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rated it 5 stars
Jan 15, 2010 10:43am
I'm glad you liked it! What a wonderful review! I wish I could write reviews like you do...
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Thank you, Jenni. Nice of you to say that. I'm not fond of writing reviews and usually resist writing them unless I'm strongly affected by the story or the style of writing.Actually, I see so many excellent and knowledgable reviews by other GR members that I'm often hesitant to write my own less impressive comments. I try to overcome my reluctance by just saying what I feel, even though my style may be a simpler one and my observations less complex.
"If I try to be like him, who will be like me?" -Yiddish Proverb,
p. 56, The Most Brilliant Thoughts of All Time
i love this book it is a very nice book it is one of my favorite's i just cant forget that amazing book it is inside my head the whole time and you are right
Fully agree with your assessment Joy, I was introduce to the book by a friend and read it within a day! Glad to see other people will remember the novel as long as I will.
Hi Alex. Glad you agree. It's a memorable book. I see that my review has 33 "likes"! I'm impressed. :)
I have not read the book yet saw the movie and was very touched by the story of these poor innocent people. These small children not knowing where there parents were or what would happen to them. Only having what comfort they could get from each other. The movie made me hungry for information about time in histroy that I knew nothing about. It is a time in histroy that should not be forgotten and should be told over and over. How sad to think of these small children and how they suffered. It just breaks your heart.
Fay wrote: "Sometimes it is not about the way the story is presented but about the story itself."Fay, there are many aspects to a book review. Story presentation is part of a review as well as the story itself.
Because I always like to get a birds-eye-view of things, the way a story is presented is important to me. It helps me to understand the plot.
As for the story itself, my review covered that as well. I wrote, among other things, the following:
============================================
"This is a heartbreaking piece of fiction. It brings home the horror of those Holocaust days and warns that the events of that time must not be hidden away and forgotten."
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Your words echoed mine.
Thank you and I do agree with you. I feel that some of the reviews were a bit harsh. Not yours. I felt very moved by your review.
