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Sarah's Key

By: Tatiana de Rosnay
Narrated by: Polly Stone
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Editorial reviews

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay is the heart-breaking tale of 10-year-old Sarah Stravinsky, a French Jew, and her journey during the Holocaust in 1942. Paralleling her story is the account of American journalist Julia Jarmond, in the year 2002, who is living in France and assigned to cover the 60th anniversary of the Vél' d'Hiv', the French round-ups in which little Sarah and her family were arrested and sent to concentration camps. The two women have a tie that binds, as Julia discovers her French in-laws have owned the apartment that Sarah once lived in since her family was removed from it. As Julia desperately searches for Sarah, hoping she was one of the lucky few who escaped death at Auschwitz, she uncovers the unspeakable horror that Sarah endured in the very same apartment - a secret that has haunted her in-laws for 60 years.

If the superb simplicity of this saga isn't enough to draw you in, Polly Stone's flawless narration will. She gives each character a distinct voice (complete with accurate accent and pitch), which lends authenticity, as if the characters themselves have come alive within her. This novel, like most accounts of the Holocaust, is weighty, ridden with horrific details. Stone's tone is subtle, letting these details ring out and strike your heart. She's also a master at building suspense, and you'll find yourself so endeared by little Sarah, that you will be white-knuckled for her during her frightening journey.

The last portion of the novel is a bit drawn out, but this is forgivable, as the denouement is touching, and Sarah's struggle is one that will stick with you long after you've finished listening to it. (Colleen Oakley)

Publisher's summary

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.

Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

©2007 Tatiana de Rosnay (P)2008 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

“Polly Stone's delivery of Sarah's story is riveting with its spare emotional power.” —AudioFile Magazine

“This is a remarkable historical novel, a book which brings to light a disturbing and deliberately hidden aspect of French behavior towards Jews during World War II. Like Sophie's Choice, it's a book that impresses itself upon one's heart and soul forever.” —Naomi Ragen, author of The Saturday Wife and The Covenant

Sarah's Key unlocks the star crossed, heart thumping story of an American journalist in Paris and the 60-year-old secret that could destroy her marriage. This book will stay on your mind long after it's back on the shelf.” —Risa Miller, author of Welcome to Heavenly Heights

What listeners say about Sarah's Key

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Great book!

Love it! A sad riviting story about how events from long ago can change lives. A must read.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Living with the past can tear you apart

The truth is not an easy thing to deal with and it isn't always you on the receiving end. This story shows how doing what you do can sometimes be the wrong thing even though you have the best intentions or just following instructions. Perhaps you have a hidden agenda or you don't want to actually spell it out but this book isn't just about a tragedy that happen during WWII or the guilt that is dealt with in different ways. It isn't just about ruin lives and 'pointing the finger' but also about failed relationships, trying to let people know they do matter, that life goes on but the past should be remembered and will come back and needs to be revisited and discussed. Not an easy subject this book on many levels but well done. Polly Stone did a great job narating this and Tatiana de Rosnay has written an excellent thought provoking novel.

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Maybe I could have, Maybe I should, If I did then.

Would you say that listening to this book was time well-spent? Why or why not?

Good to know about this interesting time in history.

How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?

Get an editor who can cut out what feels like pages of indecisive blather.

Do you think Sarah's Key needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

No.

Any additional comments?

Book was interesting but it felt like the author was trying to fill a word quota. Could have been cut short.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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Enthralling from start to finish.

Loved the presentation and story. First hand view of a little known (to me) part of WWII history.

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Story Immediately Pulls You In

Fabulous story, worthy of all of the great reviews and 'word of mouth' recommendations by friends. The current storyline and characters are interesting, and the back story is hard, but so well written.

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I wanted to love it...

I really, really wanted to love this story. Taking place in France and being such a haunting story of a little girl surviving such a horrible time in history I thought for sure I'd love this story.
But alas, I did not. It was absolutely horrible. Predictable, made women look like idiots and was a washed up version of what I thought it was going to be.
And no, I won't be watching the movie.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book. It was not another depressing book on the Holocaust but looked at it through a different perspective.

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Such a good book

Such a good book I had to read it twice actually three times it was so good I loved hearing it from the child’s perspective and then from her son side later in life and from her person’s perspective who moved into her old home I mean it was just amazing story I could listen again and again

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Incredible!

Truly heartbreaking story. It was told so beautifully that I could not stop listening. The narrator did a wonderful job with accents and voices in put me in the room with the characters.
This may not be a true story, but the fact that it so easily could have been brought me to tears.

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Beautiful Story

This is such a lovely and intense story, full of sadness and hope at the same time.

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