Rhonwen

Don't start it unless you really have time to read it!, Feb 13 2011

A bit of advice on this book: don't read just a chapter at a time.

I admit I wasn't captivated from the start and so only managed to read one chapter at a time. Big Mistake. Each new chapter finds you with a different character and in a different time and place, and you will quickly lose the thread of the story. About 80 pages or so in, I was hooked, but even so I found it difficult to keep all the details straight and to remember who knew what and when.

The mystery in this novel is very good. A subtle red herring planted early on (or was it an error not caught by the editor? I can't decide) distracted me from the obvious and kept me guessing until the secret was… Read more

Unforgettable history in an otherwise forgettable book, Feb 13 2011

"Sarah's Key" centers on the shameful Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jewish families in Paris by their compatriots, the memory of which has been collectively suppressed by the French people. Unfortunately the fictional part of this story fails to live up to the strength of the historical elements and is instead filled uninteresting, unbelievable, or unlikeable characters in contrived situations.

The historical facts in this story deserve telling, and I would suggest that you take a pass on this book and find a work of non-fiction on this topic instead except there don't seem to be any. For that reason alone this book may be worth your time.