Unlock Your Heart with Sarah's Key

 By Sarah K.

The novel Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay is an intriguing drama and historical fiction. The book centers around two people, a little Jewish girl, Sarah, gathered in the Vel' d'Hiv roundup in France during the Holocaust, and an American journalist Julia Jarmond who lives in Paris and is writing an article on the Vel' d'Hiv as it's anniversary approaches. When the French police came for Sarah's family to send them to Auschwitz she locked her little brother in a secret cupboard, not understanding the problem and promising to come back for him. Sarah gets separated from her parents and sent to a concentration camp. She escapes and finds refuge with an elderly couple in Orleans. They bring her back to Paris after her begging, and explaining her brother. Another family has already moved into her home and when she uses the key she kept to open the secret door to her brother she find his dead body.

            When Julia Jarmond starts investigating the Vel' d'Hiv roundup in Paris she discovers not only do most Parisians not know about it, but the ones that do don't seem to care. She also finds out that when her grandmother-in-law bought the old apartment that Julia's husband is currently renovating, the reason it had been bought at such a good price was because the previous tenants had been taken in the roundup. Julia researches the best she can and makes a discovery of the Starynskis, the Jewish family that lived there before. And uncovers a deep secret from her father-in-law, about a little girl showing up at their door when he was just a boy, and uncovering a little dead body in a secret cupboard.

            This novel was interesting, and very well written. Every chapter bounces back in forth between perspectives, first person from Julia's perspective, and then third person focused on Sarah. It can be very challenging to do something like that in writing, but the author pulled it off amazingly. The characters were believable and understandable, as were their problems. The author had very good knowledge of the Vel' d'Hiv so it made what she wrote happened seem realistic. One of the only flaws about this book was that is was relatively anticlimactic. Not much happened that wouldn't be expected. Also, the most interesting story in the novel, Sarah's story, ended about halfway through, and that was disappointing. Other than that though it was a great read.

            I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading historical fiction, about the Holocaust specifically. There are some sad parts in this novel, particularly as a part of Sarah's story, so this would be great for anyone who likes to read sad books. The ending is relatively ambiguous, so if this is all your cup of tea, than I suggest you read Sarah's Key. You can find this book in libraries or bookstores near you.