Sarah's Key

I chose this book off the shelf at the library knowing nothing about it. I just didn't see any other books on CD that looked interesting. I didn't think it would be as good as it turned out to be. This novel, written by Tatiana de Rosnay, is based in France during world war two. The story talks about the French police rounding up Jewish families, bringing them to a large sports facility where bicycle races were held, keeping them there for days without enough food or water, and sending them to death camps using public buses and trains. The description of the stay in the bicycle stadium reminded me of New Orleans and Hurricane Katrina. The round-up was known as the Vel d'Hiv. As I listened to the story I got curious. I googled Vel d'Hiv and learned that this really happened. The French government was asked by the Nazi's to round up Jewish adults. France was occupied by the Germans at the time. The Nazi's, not wanting to publicize the fact that they were exterminating people, asked only for adults knowing it would look suspicious to be taking children. But the French police took the children anyway. Sarah, the girl in the story with the key, was one of the children rounded up that day. This story was moving. It's true there were some sad parts but it is a very good book.