Acaponi (and anyone else who read Sarah's Key) NWR

rcj2rcd

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT!!! 
If you haven't already read Sarah's Key - back away from this post


Acaponi - I finished Sarah's Key last night. Not sure how I feel about it, though. I was in anguish reading it but at the same time, I felt like the story wasn't enough. 

The parts with Sarah were heartbreaking. I rooted for her and was glued to the pages. I never knew all of this happened in France during the war and I'm curious if that is truly how it is thought of in France.

 Maybe the author was trying to combine too many story lines or maybe I just didn't connect with Julia. I found myself yelling at her throughout most of the book. I got nothing from her parts of the story.

What did you think? I saw it was made into a movie - I don't think I will see it. Sarah's parts of the story are too disturbing and Julia's are too blah. 

Have any suggestions for another book? Historical-inspired fiction is my fav

Meegles4

I liked Sarah's Key, but it's been awhile since I read it, so I'm fuzzy on the details (which is pretty normal for me!)

Have you tried any books by Phillipa Gregory (The Other Boleyn Girl, The Boleyn Inheritance, The White Queen, etc.). I've read a couple and really enjoyed them. Also, the Kitchen Boy is about one of the Russian dynasties and is really good. I remember it being fairly short, too.

acaponi87

Oh good you remembered!

I'm so glad you felt this way! Everyone I had talked to loved it and I felt pretty close to how you felt...completely disconnected from Julia.  I thought her character was annoying and the author tried to hard to double-dip and get too interesting stories in 1 and it just doesn't work. Julia's issues just seem too petty when you are comparing them to all the issues there were during the war.  I did enjoy how they talk about how the issue is felt about in France.  I haven't seen the movie and don't plan to. I'm not a huge movie person but I'm pretty sure Julia would just piss me off.

I know I'm way behind the times but I'm reading The DaVinci Code right now. Not my usual cup of tea but I'm enjoying it. If you haven't read it before there's lots of historical information in there as well as tons of references to the arts.

If you've never read Maus I or Maus II, those are good. They are biographical graphic novels about the author's father, a Holocaust survivor. 

You also may want to check out:
-A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini (same guy who wrote "The Kite Runner)
-Zeitoun by Dave Eggers (really good! True story centered around a Syrian-born family during the Hurricane Katrina disaster)

-In True Blood by Truman Capote, not my favorite but a classic
-Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

I also love hisotrical fiction Hopefully there's something on this list you haven't read yet

rcj2rcd

I'm glad you thought that way, too Everyone I know that read it said they loved the book and the characters and I felt guilty that I didn't like Julia, even though Sarah was written so well! Thanks for the recommendations! I'll add them to my list. After my last few choices I think I need a "lighter" book. Maybe something funny. Going to try Mindy Kaling's new book.

zulamay

Historical fiction is my favorite too!!!  I liked Sarah's Key and also found it hard to relate to Julia.  I never got over her sounding snotty.  The whole story is heartbreaking.

If you want to read more of the European-perspective of the war, try The Twins by Tessa De Loo.  You'll have to order if off of Amazon because most places do not have it.  My dad and I read it and neither of us could put it down.  It's about two twins who are separated right before the war.  One grows up German and one grows up occupied by the Germans.  It's a really neat story and perspective from the Europeans.

Another, much lighter, good book is the Gurnsey Literary and Potatoe Peel Pie Society.  Nice love story and really neat to learn part of Britian was occupied!

Got to run to a meeting!