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Monday, February 22, 2010
Ana Stock's Book Review
Sarah’s Key
Reviewed by Ana Stock, 21 February 2010
3 of 5 stars
This captivating, graphic novel is an informative and heart wrenching piece of work.It is primarily set in Paris, the site of the Jewish Round-up in 1942.The novel transitioned between two stories which later interlaced and revealed the importance of Sarah Starzynski in the life of Julia, an American living in Paris with her French husband, and young daughter Zoë.The novel is based around an eleven year old girl, Sarah who locked her little brother in their secret cupboard with his teddy bear.It was early morning when the officers raided the apartment where the Starzynski family was living.Sarah had over heard her mother and father discussing his hiding place if anything were to happen.Jewish people were required to sew gold stars on their clothing to label them as they were slowly stripped of their rights to go to the cinema and, later, even walk the streets.When the officers bombarded the apartment in search of valuables and family members who might be hiding, Sarah’s father had fled to his hiding place and, out of fear, Sarah’s little brother, Michael, snuck into his secret space.Sarah believed that she would be back to get him and locked him in the space where he would stay until her late return.Her father could not bear to see his family be taken away to their slow and painful deaths, so he ran with them to their death.She and her mother and father were split up and sent to separate death camps where they were dehumanized and tortured by officers who obviously had families and children of their own.The young girl’s hair was shaved from her head, her clothes were shredded and her feminism was stripped from her young body.Sarah found her way to freedom and was found hiding in a dog house on a local farm, where she was nursed back to health and raised as until her life took her away.She moved away from Europe, married and had children, but memories of the past continued to haunt her.In the portion of the novel set in the present times (2000), Julia was assigned a story by her boss about the Round-up and in her search for information she made a fascinating discovery which, she felt, connected her with Sarah and her family.Julia’s life spun out of control and she was faced with many decisions, including whether to abort the baby she was carrying.Her marriage turned rocky, but she saw the strength which Sarah possessed and was inspired to fight on.Rosnay’s novel, Sarah’s Key is a great look into the past and a well written novel which her readers will continue to learn from for many years to come.This novel is a bit depressing but definitely a good look at the past.She gives her readers a great look into the events of the Holocaust, by making them more realistic then reading them from a textbook.Anyone interested in the events of the Holocaust would enjoy this book and its depressing, dreary tone.Recommended for a deep read.
As you know, I really liked it: "On July 16 and 17, 1942, 13,152 Jews were arrested in Paris and the suburbs, deported and assassinated at Auschwitz.” Those Jews were drug from their homes in France by FRENCH police following orders given by the Nazis. On the day that she was rounded up by French police, 10 year old Sarah Starzynski had locked her little 4 year old brother Michel in a cabinet telling him that she would be back to let him out when the police let them come back home. The families of men, women and children (most between the ages of 2-12 and most BORN in France) were not allowed to return to their homes; instead they were taken to the Voledrome d’Hiver and sequestered there in abominable conditions. They were separated by sex, husbands taken from wives and even worse -- mothers were torn from their children. These confused, hungry and mistreated citizens were loaded on cattle trains and taken in convoys to the camps.
This fictionalized account of the roundup and of the relationship of two families connected through an apartment on Rue de Saintonge in Paris is haunting and memorable.
The novel shifts from past to present with chapter changes, moving between scenes of Sarah as she is imprisoned in Vel D’hiv to American born, now French citizen and journalist, Julia Jarmond Tezac who is assigned the story when that tragedy is to be memorialized on the 60th commemoration of the Vel’ d’Hiv’. Julia soon discovers that the French are largely ignorant of this deplorable event and their embarrassment at knowing that this was done keeps them from remembering those lost families – and in fact, many French families simply took over the homes and possessions of the former Jewish occupants. Sarah’s story affects Julia in ways she never imagined and completely alters her views of herself and her life. Julia becomes consumed with knowing what happened to Sarah and her family and begins a mission of discovery. What she learns provides a lesson and an admonishment for us all: Zakhor. Al Tichkah. (Remember. Never forget.) Highly recommended - read with [[ASIN:0156031663 Those Who Save Us]] by Jenna Blum and [[ASIN:0307394964 Skeletons at the Feast: A Novel]] by Chris Bohjalian -- two other incredible novels that provide additional insight into how the horror of the Holocaust affected all of Europe in those very dark days of World War II.
This captivating, graphic novel is an informative and heart wrenching piece of work. It is primarily set in 
3 comments:
As you know, I really liked it:
"On July 16 and 17, 1942, 13,152 Jews were arrested in Paris and the suburbs, deported and assassinated at Auschwitz.” Those Jews were drug from their homes in France by FRENCH police following orders given by the Nazis. On the day that she was rounded up by French police, 10 year old Sarah Starzynski had locked her little 4 year old brother Michel in a cabinet telling him that she would be back to let him out when the police let them come back home. The families of men, women and children (most between the ages of 2-12 and most BORN in France) were not allowed to return to their homes; instead they were taken to the Voledrome d’Hiver and sequestered there in abominable conditions. They were separated by sex, husbands taken from wives and even worse -- mothers were torn from their children. These confused, hungry and mistreated citizens were loaded on cattle trains and taken in convoys to the camps.
This fictionalized account of the roundup and of the relationship of two families connected through an apartment on Rue de Saintonge in Paris is haunting and memorable.
The novel shifts from past to present with chapter changes, moving between scenes of Sarah as she is imprisoned in Vel D’hiv to American born, now French citizen and journalist, Julia Jarmond Tezac who is assigned the story when that tragedy is to be memorialized on the 60th commemoration of the Vel’ d’Hiv’. Julia soon discovers that the French are largely ignorant of this deplorable event and their embarrassment at knowing that this was done keeps them from remembering those lost families – and in fact, many French families simply took over the homes and possessions of the former Jewish occupants. Sarah’s story affects Julia in ways she never imagined and completely alters her views of herself and her life. Julia becomes consumed with knowing what happened to Sarah and her family and begins a mission of discovery. What she learns provides a lesson and an admonishment for us all: Zakhor. Al Tichkah. (Remember. Never forget.)
Highly recommended - read with [[ASIN:0156031663 Those Who Save Us]] by Jenna Blum and [[ASIN:0307394964 Skeletons at the Feast: A Novel]] by Chris Bohjalian -- two other incredible novels that provide additional insight into how the horror of the Holocaust affected all of Europe in those very dark days of World War II.
Ms C
Nice review, Ana!
Definately want to read this
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