Sarah's Key

I know, you're thinking "Sure she doesn't have time to blog but she has time to read?"

Yep.  I multi task, people.  I take my nook to work with me and read during my lunch break and I take an actual book to the gym whilst I cycle.  (And I use words like "whilst.")

The next actual book I had on hand was another book my Mom lent to me (well over a year ago, it's been collecting dust underneath my bed...oops.) and said that I should read it.  Then she mentioned to me a while back that they were making this book into a movie.  

Hmm, maybe I should read it after all?  Alright.  I had no idea the story would tie back to the Holocaust.  After finding that out I was hooked.  Not to say I enjoy books about the Holocaust, I just find that I can't put them down.  The stories are so compelling, you have to find out, "Is this character one of the lucky few?"  Also there are so many stories of amazing courage and heros who weren't afraid to stand up to what they knew was wrong.  I always end up in tears.  I feel it's something that should never be forgotten - ever.  They're very humbling.

Sarah's Key is historical fiction involving a little French girl named Sarah who lived during the Holocaust in Paris and her story and a present day story about an American woman named Julia living in present day France.  As you would guess these women's stories cross paths.

I'm going to be honest - I was hoping for a happier ending.  The ending left me unsettled.  Not that I should come to expect a happy ending with a story involving the Holocaust - we all know the horrors that happened and finding out whether a person lived or died should be closure enough, right?  I just felt like the story wasn't finished.  Also, it doesn't help my view of French people.  It's written by a native French woman, but she doesn't do much to ease any stereotypes.  I wanted to throat punch half of her characters.  I think it effected my feelings of the book as a whole, which it shouldn't have, I just couldn't get over some of the stereotypical French behavior.

But don't let my feelings on it stop you, this is still a New York Times Best Seller and someone deemed it good enough to try and make into a movie.  Read it for yourself, you might enjoy the story - it could just be me getting hung up on people who have the ability to take themselves out of a bad situation but stay it in anyway.  No, I'm not referring to Sarah's story - she of course was in the worst situation and did the best anyone could ask of her.  She was a very courageous little girl.

Overall I found myself glued to the book anyway, I had to find out what happened - HAD TO!  It was heartbreaking in so many ways and while it was historical fiction, there were families who went through much, much worse.  Its a very sobering book.


Read it for yourself and see - try not to let my feelings stop you!