by Tatiana de Rosnay
Genre: Historical Fiction, World War II
Publication Date: September 2008
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN: 978-0312370848
293 pages
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.
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.
My Thoughts:
I have mixed feelings about this book. It has languished on my TBR shelf for nearly 3 years. My mother and sister-in-law read it before I did and raved about it. Many others in the blogging world have given this book high praise. So, when I started it, I expected to be blown away.
But I wasn’t.
I wish the book was told entirely from young Sarah’s perspective. To be honest, I didn’t care at all about Julia and her story. There was so much drama with her husband that it really took away from the full impact that this story could have had for me. The Vel’ d’Hiv story is tragic. Tragic is even a light word for it. It’s horrifying. Thousands of Jewish families rounded up by the French police and shipped off to the Auschwitz gas chambers . . . it makes me sick to my stomach.
We meet young Sarah as her family is being rounded up by those French policeman in the middle of the night. In order to save her brother, she locks him in their secret hiding place, a cupboard in their bedroom. She thinks she will be right back to let him out; however, things do not go the way Sarah thinks they will.
Julia Jarmond is a journalist who is covering the 60 year anniversary of the Vel’ d’Hiv roundup. What she uncovers during her research will change her life forever. Her personal struggles with her husband are ever present throughout the novel and really detract from the powerful story that is Vel’ d’Hiv.
Told in alternating viewpoints, Sarah and Julia’s stories eventually merge into an unexpected conclusion.
This is a good story and tells of a time that is not well known in World War II history, so for that purpose, I would recommend it.
*****
I couldn’t agree more with your review. Very well put and yes, I think having two perspectives took away from the book. I wanted to know more and felt it fell flat because of that. Sometimes, one character is just stronger than the other. Great review!
I normally like having a dual perspective novel, but there was just too much of one character in this book. And the story with the other character was so powerful that it just missed the mark for me. Thanks for your comment!
I felt similarly about this book. I ended up giving it 4/5 – but I really didn’t care about Julia and her situation. I wanted more (a lot more) Sarah!
I definitely agree. Sarah had such an impactful story to tell! I think we needed someone to tell part of it, so I could see having the story told in a dual voice format, but there was just too much Julia and her drama and not enough of Sarah for me.
I have heard others having the same feelings about this book. I feel bad as I was one who absolutely loved it!! Sometimes it’s much easier to read a book that doesn’t come with all the hype.
I definitely agree! There is some added pressure when you pick up a book after there is a lot of hype surrounding it.
I’m not usually one for historical, but I read Revolution about a year and a half ago and that was kind of similar… modern girl dealing with the death of her younger brother alternating with the diary of a girl who lived during the French Revolution… then coming together in a surprising way at the end. I’m sorry you weren’t blown away the way you expected to be.
Revolution… is that the one by Jennifer Donnelley? I think I have that in the TBR somewhere, if it’s the one I’m thinking of. I’ve heard great things about it and look forward to reading it someday (sooner rather than later, I hope!).
Ugh I hate when I like one main character and can’t stand another. I usually find myself skimming the sections about the character I don’t like. I like that this book is set in Paris and it sounds like it could be a touching story but I’m not sure it’s for me. Thanks for an honest review.
I like the setting for this story.
This is one of the few times where I’ve watched the movie before reading the book, which probably helped me like the book as much as I did. I was also so surprised at the role France played with Nazi Germany, and I found that aspect of the book both interesting and repulsive, but then again what country doesn’t have a secret shame or two?
I also was more drawn to Sarah’s story and didn’t think Julia’s was necessary. I still liked the book overall, though.
This has also been on my TBR list for quite a few years (at least 3, I would think). For some reason I always thought it was just about this Sarah — and not someone’s perspective as well. I still want to read it, but it may be on my TBR a little longer.
Totally agree. Thought the story really tanked once Sarah was no longer apart of the narrative.
However, the scene when she finds her brother? Will haunt me forever.
despite your not-so-great review, the book sounds interesting so i added to by TBR list.
I also agree with your review. I’ve read several novels with two mirrored plotlines: one past and one present, and find one is usually stronger and more compelling than the other. I cared about Julia’s situation, but not nearly as much as Sarah’s. I also found the descriptions of modern Paris seemed very stereotypical. They are just how you would expect Paris to be described. I found the degree of obsession Julia developed towards Sarah somewhat hard to believe too. I can understand get caught in a story and wanting to know hat happened, but this went beyond that. It lacked a believability, IMO.
Overal, I really liked the book and find its an important book for its role in retelling the forgotten history of th Vel D’Hiv roundup.