Sarah's Key (2008) (edit title/settings)

Ridiculously Simplified Synopsis edit see section history

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Summary edit see section history

Characters/People edit see section history

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• Sarah "Sirka" Starzynski: She suffered the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup in Paris July 1942 at the age of 10. During the round-up, she locks her brother in the closet, believing she'll be back soon to rescue him, however, she realizes that she won't, and is desperate to return to find her brother. She is Jewish, and suffered the consequences during World War ll, being captured and brought to a concentration camp, where she was separated from her family and left to fend for herself in horrifying conditions.
• Julia Jarmond: A middle-aged American journalist investigates the French Vel' d'Hiv' roundup during World War ll and discovers terrible secrets that the French are eager to ignore. She has an 11 year-old daughter, Zoe, and her French husband, Bertrand is often absent.
• Bertrand Tezac: Julia's handsome but arrogant husband. He is a French architect and seemingly untrustworthy, having cheated on Julia before, and is very often absent.
• Zoë: Bertrand and Julia's daughter. Acts very mature for her age, which is 11, and wants to help her mother on her journey.
• William Rainsferd: Sarah Dufaure's son, who had no knowledge of his mother's past or religion, and was surprised when he found out -in fact, it changed his life.
• Rachel: Sarah befriends her at the Beaune-la-Rande concentration camp. Seems untrustworthy at first, because she is an older child, but turns out to be kind, and wants to escape with Sarah. She has long, brown, beautiful hair, which is shaved off by the Beaune-la- Rander guards.
• Jules Dufaure: A man who lives miles away from the Beaune-la-Rande camp, and is horrified by the concentration camps and the treatment of Jews. He is kind to Sarah and Rachel when they come to his doorstep, asking for help.
• Bamber: Julia's British colleague and photo director for Seine Scenes magazine. He is thirty years old. over 6 feet, wears purple-tinted glasses, possesses several body piercings and has dyed his hair a marmalade.
• Charla: Julia's sister who lives in America. She's very independent, and wants to help Julia, believing that Bertrand is not to be trusted. She is married, and Julia longs to have the relationship that Charla has with her husband.
• Michel Starzynski: Sarah's little brother who trusted her implicitly.
• Genevieve Dufaure: Wife of Jules Dufaure who lives in the French countryside near Orleans. She has the same beliefs as Jules, and is very kind to Sarah and Rachel.
• Antoine: Bertrand's business partner.
• Guillaume: French Jew that meets Julia through Christophe and Herve who helps Julia with Vel' d'Hiv research
• Herve and Christophe: Two gay French men and long-lasting friends who shared an apartment with Julia when she first came to Paris.
• Gaspard Dufaure: One of the sons of the Dufaure's.
• Cecile: Bertrand's curvy and emotional sister.
• Madame Bertrand Tézac: Bertrand's mother, Mame's daughter-in-law and Eduoard's wife.
• Mamé Tezac: Bertrand's grandmother now living in a nursing home suffering from Alzheimer's, and often cannot remember her past, or even the present, but loves to talk to Julia about her late husband, who she does remember.
• Franck Levy: Creator of an organization whose mission is to assist Jewish people find their families after the Holocaust
• Edouard Tezac: Bertrand's father and Mamé' son. Was a young boy during the Vel' d'Hiv roundup, and moved into an apartment that was unoccupied after the Jews were captured.
• Charla: Julia's sister. Charla lives in New York and is a lawyer.
• Isabelle: Julia's best friend
• Neil: A man Julia meets while living in New York. She starts dating him, for the company alone.
• Mrs. R. J. Rainsferd: Second wife of Mr. Rainsferd.
• Ornella Harris: Daughter of Mara Rainsferd. Unknowingly guides Julia to her answers.
• Mademoiselle Dixsaut: Teacher
• Armelle: Sarah's best friend when she was ten.
• Eva: Young mother of four.

Quotes edit see section history

• “On July 16 and 17, 1942, 13,152 Jews were arrested in Paris and the suburbs, deported and assassinated at Auschwitz”

• “Zakhor. Al Tichkah. Remember. Never forget.”

• “I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror as we glided. I looked as eroded as the groaning lift. What had happened to the fresh-faced belle from Boston, Mass.? The woman who stared back at me was at the dreaded age between forty-five and fifty, that no-man's land of sag, oncoming wrinkle, and stealthy approach of menopause."I hate this elevator, too," I said grimly.Zoe grinned and pinched my cheek."Mom, even Gwyneth Paltrow would look like hell in that mirror."I had to smile. That was such a Zoe-like remark.”

• “"You're coming with me," I said, "There's someone I want you to meet."”

  Julia

• “"I know that face, Julia. That's your sad face. Now tell me what's going on."”

  Herve to Julia

• “Sometimes, Miss Jarmond, it's not easy to bring back the past. There are unpleasant surprises. The truth is harder than ignorance.”

  Franck Levy

• “You're playing with Pandora's box. Sometimes, it's better not to open it. Sometimes, it's better not to know.”

  Guillame

Setting & Locations edit see section history

• Velodrome L'Hiver (Vel' d'Hiv): Wintertime velodrome for bicyling competitions. Used as a holding station in July16, 1942 for thousands of Jews rounded up by the Vichy government for deportation to Auschwitz.
• Paris: In contemporary France, it is where Julia Jarmond currently works at Seine Scenes magazine and during Vichy France, the location of the Velodrome L'Hiver.
• Beaune-la-Rolande: The town which housed the camp where the French Jews were collected awaiting further transportation to Auschwitz.
• Drancy Concentration Camp: A camp close to Paris used to hold Jews who were later deported to the extermination camps. It now houses the Drancy Memorial Museum.
• Lucca, Italy: Small town between Pisa and Florence where William Rainsferd spends his summers.

Organizations edit see section history

• Operation Spring Breeze: Code name for the Vel' d'Hiv

First Sentence edit see section history

Themes & Symbolism edit see section history

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• World War II: World War II, or the Second World War (often abbreviated as WWII or WW2), was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis. It was the most widespread war in history, with more than 100 million military personnel mobilized.
• The Past Effects The Future: What happened in 1942, affects what happens in 2002.
• Holocaust: The Holocaust was the systematic, state-sponsored murder of approximately six million Jews by the Nazis and its collaborators.
• Family Secrets: Describe this theme.
• Troubled Marriage
• Redemption & Forgiveness
• The Burden of Memory

Errata edit see section history

In de Nederlandse editie staat op pagina 52 dat Zoë haar enkel al eens heeft gebroken bij een val van haar scooter. Het Engelse woord scooter betekent echter ook step, waarschijnlijk wordt dat hier bedoeld, aangezien Zoë nog maar 11 jaar oud is.

Series & Lists edit see section history

Authors & Contributors edit see section history

1. Tatiana de Rosnay (Author)

Other Contributors:

1. Monique Eggermont (Translator)
2. Kitty Pouwels (Translator)
3. Marry van Baar (Cover Artist)
4. Anna Classon (Illustrator)
5. Philippe Matsas (Photographer)
6. Polly Stone (Reader) - Macmillan Audio; Unabridged edition (May 26, 2009)
7. Odile Cohen (Reader) - Héloise d'Ormesson (Mar 1 2007)

First Edition edit see section history

Classification edit see section history

• Library of Congress: PR9105.9.R66 S27
• Dewey: 823.914

Notes for Parents edit see section history

This book is also suitable for high school students.

Subjects edit see section history

• Books › Literature & Fiction › World Literature › French
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Historical
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Contemporary
• Books › History › Europe › France
• Books › Nonfiction › Social Sciences › Discrimination & Racism
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Genre Fiction › Historical
• Books › Literature & Fiction › Women's Fiction › Domestic Life

Links to Supplemental Material edit see section history

• Sarah's Key: Official website.
• Sarah's Key (2010): Starring Kristin Scott Thomas, and Mélusine Mayance

Movie Connections edit see section history

• Elle s'appelait Sarah (IMDb): September 2010

More Books Like This edit see section history

Books That Influenced This Book edit see section history