Sarah's Key

The Good: I am a Master's candidate in Global Studies, and have spent much of my work concentrating on Just War Theory. Never, have we discussed the Vel d'Hiv Roundup of Jews in Paris in 1942. And, I can't believe that we haven't. In fatc, it is my first knowledge of the event in my life, and I can't believe that is true. The way that we teach and understand and reconcile the autrocities of war, have to include the universal truths of events such as the Vel d'Hiv. So, I am very thankful to have experienced this story. To be clear, French police used French buses and French camps to send French citizens to their deaths. Of the thousands of children that were rounded up in Paris in 1942, most were sent to Auschwitz and almost none survived, and Paris was complicit in this. That's an important historic message.

The Bad: Not much. A friend gave this book to my wife, and I picked it up to share the experience. I am glad that I did. However, this is very much a girl's book. Written by a female, in a female's voice. I love female protagonist, but struggled with some of the feminine sensibilities of the author's voice. Not bad, though.

The Ugly: Almost nothing. The story is told by a novelist who is an American ex-pat living in Paris. Her main character, at least for half of the story, is an American ex-pat living in Paris. The protagonist is also a lunatic lefty journalist. I would imagine that the authoress shares the same wrong-minded world view. Blech.

Overall rating: 4.0 out of 5.0. Historically significant story. Probably higher than that if you're a woman.