Sarah's Key is a piece of historical fiction by Tatiana de Rosnay. She is an author of French and English descent (but was born in and lives in Paris) has apparently written many novels in French, but Sarah's Key was the first (I think) one written in English. Here's the plot summary from Amazon:
"Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.
Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life."
I am not sure why I found this book so touching. Maybe it is because I decided to read it while living in Paris. But, I also found it incredible that I had never heard of the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup, though a significant number of men, women, and children died and were killed as a result of it. The book was well-written, full of emotion, and had a haunting quality about it. Once I finished it, I definitely went searching for more information about the Vel' d'Hiv. I'm not sure if de Rosnay's wanted to increase awareness of this event (I'm guessing yes) or just write a good story, but if it was the former, I consider myself better-educated as a result of this great read.
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