The book describes another horrific incident that took place in World War II in July of 1942.
From Wikipedia:
The Rafle du Vel' d'Hiv (the "roundup" or "raid" of the Vel' d'Hiv, from the French abbreviation for Vélodrome d'hiver, or winter velodrome) is the name of the July 16, 1942 raid - Operation Spring Breeze - during the occupation of France by the Germans. The roundup, in Paris, was one of several aimed at reducing the Jewish population.
Thousands of families were made to leave their home and spend days sequestered in the stadium. Subsequently they were sent to a concentration camp and then to Auschwitz. Few of the transported Jews survived.
To make matters more deplorable, the raid was carried out by French policemen.
Sarah's Key tells the story from two viewpoints, one a little girl who manages to escape and the other, a current journalist, assigned to tell the story to generations of French who had never heard it. As one might expect, their lives intertwine. The author deftly managed both. I appreciated learning about the historical event and following the character's lives.
