Sarah's Key (spoilers)

[whitepicketfence]

I've got about 100 pages left of this book and OMG. I knew the subject matter would be difficult but I found myself sobbing last night while reading it.

I got to the part where Sarah returned to her home in Paris to find Michel dead in the cupboard. After all she had been through and even though I knew her brother would not have survived, I felt such utter despair for her after reading this part. I don't even know how to put my thoughts into words at this point but I still feel like I need to discuss this anyway.

I haven't read a book about the Holocaust in such a long time and this one is hitting me hard. I had never heard of the Vel' d'Hiv' before reading this book and even though this is historical fiction, I feel that I've learned so much.

This is such a horrific, yet beautiful story. I'm just getting into the Tezacs and their connection to Sarah and I can't seem to put the book down.

Does anyone else want to discuss?

[msmerymac]

I read this and Night by Elie Weisel in close proximity. It made me not want to read anymore Holocaust books for a year, I can tell you that.

I found Julia to be pretty annoying and I enjoyed getting back to the Sarah chapters.

I won't spoil the end, just to say that I don't think it was necessary or fit with the rest of the book.

[dutchgirl678]

I bought this book a while back at the airport as I got ready for a flight. I read it in a few days. It was so sad but such a powerful book. I grew up reading a lot of Holocaust books (growing up in the Netherlands, where Anne Frank was in hiding). This book had me sobbing too when I read about her brother. Just heartbreaking!

[whitepicketfence]

Oct 15, 2012 15:54:30 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I read this and Night by Elie Weisel in close proximity. It made me not want to read anymore Holocaust books for a year, I can tell you that.

I found Julia to be pretty annoying and I enjoyed getting back to the Sarah chapters.

I won't spoil the end, just to say that I don't think it was necessary or fit with the rest of the book.

I'm not sure how I feel about Julia so far. To be honest, I dislike many of the characters in the Tezac family. They're all pretty detestable.

I was so sad when Sarah's POV was finished. I would have liked to have read more about her vs Julia's backstory.

[mrshandy]

I definitely was riveted way more by the first half of the book than the second half.

I did a rather large research paper about French collaboration with the nazis in college. It is a fascinating topic and something that until the last 20 years or so was very taboo in France. The myth of the Resistance was perpetuated throughout the country. There was a documentary on French collaboration in the 70s? that was banned due to the subject matter.

[marytini]

Oct 15, 2012 15:54:30 GMT -5 msmerymac said:

I read this and Night by Elie Weisel in close proximity. It made me not want to read anymore Holocaust books for a year, I can tell you that.

I found Julia to be pretty annoying and I enjoyed getting back to the Sarah chapters.
I won't spoil the end, just to say that I don't think it was necessary or fit with the rest of the book.

I agree with this.
I recently read Between Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys, which is another WWII/Holocaust story, but based in Lithuania. Another "side to the story" that you don't often hear about when talking about the Holocaust.