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katie0528's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
This book was devestating. Alternating POVs between 1942 and 2002, this story explores the Vel' d'Hiv Roundup of Jews in Paris in July 1942 and French attitudes about it at the 60th anniversary. Sarah, a young Jewish girl living with her brother and her parents, has her home invaded and she and her parents are arrested by the French police. Thinking she'll be back soon, she locks her brother in a hidden cabinet. Meanwhile, in 2002, American reporter Julia is researching a story of French indifference to their complicity to the murder of thousands of people while juggling a failing marriage and dark family secrets. It's a devestating book, as Holocaust books tend to be, but Sarah's POV wraps up about 2/3 of the way through the book. The last section is about the fallout of Julia's investigation and while it was interesting, it was less compelling than Sarah's story or even her investigation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Genocide, Racism, Xenophobia, Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicide, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Medical content, Abortion, and Pregnancy
sammelito's review against another edition
challenging
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Very interesting book to discuss and I liked learning about Vel d'Hiv. It sadly falls a bit flat in the second half
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Antisemitism
Moderate: Genocide and Suicide
Minor: Miscarriage, Sexism, and Police brutality