As I have stated before, I love reading fictional books that tell a story around a historical fact. In “Sarah’s Key,” the fact is the 1942 roundup in Paris of Jewish families and their encampment in Vélodrome d’Hiver before they were sent to Auschwitz. I was unaware of this mass deportation of the Jewish people from Paris.

The book flashes between 1942 and the present following the lives of two women, one a young girl named Sarah who was caught in the roundup, and the other is named Julia, a journalist trying to write about the roundup for a 60th anniversary article.

Julia works to uncover the truth about what happened at the roundup and discovers that her new apartment was once owned by Jewish occupants and that her husband’s family took over ownership right after the roundup. As Julia digs deeper she discovers that some of her husband’s family does not want her to continue delving into the past. Julia ignores their pleads until her father-in-law confides in her about what he knows of the family that was taken from her new apartment.

Julia passionately tries to track down what happened to the only surviving member of the apartment, Sarah. She promises her father-in-law that she will do everything she can to find Sarah.

The reader uncovers what happened to Sarah and also, what is happening in Julia’s world. Sarah’s world is shattered by the atrocities of the Holocaust and Julia feels her pain and desperately wants to find her. Along her journey Julia discovers that her own life needs mending.

This is the author’s 10th book and it was a fascinating and gripping read. Can anyone overcome anguish like Sarah’s over the insanity of the Holocaust? Why did Julia tolerate her husband’s cheating? Why was Julia so obsessed with the story? How mass fear creates horrific injustices! This is a very fast read and an emotional one that will lead to vibrant discussions for book clubs.

Rating: 8