I borrowed Sarah’s Key from a co-worker who insisted I read it, even though it’s not “my kind of book.” Man am I glad she did; if it weren’t for responsibilities (aka adulting) I would have finished it in a night.
I don’t tend to like books about Nazi Europe – I don’t know why exactly, it’s just not a time period I enjoy reading. But this book is haunting and grips you. I found myself hoping for things that I knew were impossible and anxiously trying to pull together the threads between the modern day part of the story and the historical part.
It’s told in a fascinating back and forth fashion – first we’re in Paris during WWII, then we’re in a modern Paris (I forget, maybe early 2000s), then we’re back to WWII, back to modern, etc. And you immediately get the sense that there is SOME connection between the two stories, and trying to find that connection is what let’s you dare to hope and get anxious and just… Wow! A must read!
I tend to steer clear of books about both WW time periods, but several bloggers suggested I read it anyway, after it first came out, and I had forgotten about it! Thanks for the reminder and for sharing your review. You have nudged me into wanting to reading it. 💜
Yes, I do too! Just not my thing and I do enjoy tear jerkers, so it’s not that. I hope you get to read it.
I agree, this is exceptional for this time period stories, especially as someone who isn’t usually drawn to them 🙂
I loved this book and am glad you found it special, too. Might I also recommend The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah.
I’ll check it out! Yes, this book was definitely special 🙂
Loved this one! I tend to enjoy WW II-era fiction anyway, and this was was a real stand-out. I was totally immersed in both time periods and just captivated by the story. So good!
I don’t often read these kind of books either but this one sounds really interesting. I like dual timelines, especially when they are cleverly tied together. I’m guessing it is a bit of a tear-jerker too?
Yes, definitely a bit of a tear-jerker, but not as bad as you might expect from this era. I think the dual times is really what pulled me forward with the book.