It's time for another Reading Review- and this one's not a baby book! I present to you "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay:
"Sarah's Key" is actually two tales in one- the story of a modern-day American journalist (Julia Jarmond) who has made her home in France and that of a young Jewish girl (Sarah Starzynski) and the horrors she experienced living through the Vel' d'Hiv roundup of Jewish citizen in France in 1942. As Julia uncovers more about Sarah and her own family's connection to that dark time in history, she discovers herself and in turn changes her own life forever.
Overall, I enjoyed the story; although, it is very dark and definitely brought tears to my eyes on multiple occasions. Even though the book is a work of fiction, I appreciated the bit of history I learned while reading- I had no prior knowledge of the roundup. One of my favorite aspects of the book was the growth and development of the relationship of Julia and her father-in-law because of (and perhaps in spite of) his family's past.
I will say that the book did have some language in it, and I didn't appreciate the focus on several of themes that were presented rather nonchalantly (adultery, abortion, cohabitation, etc.). So while the story itself was very moving, this book will not be sitting on my shelf at home, and I am not over zealous to recommend it.
The most recent book club book I've had the pleasure of reading is "The Fleet Street Murders" by Charles Finch:
I love a good mystery, and since I haven't read a new one in years, this one took me right back to my childhood days of curling up in bed with a Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys adventure.
"The Fleet Street Murders" did not disappoint; in fact, I couldn't put it down. While it's the third installment in Finch's series about the amateur sleuth, Charles Lenox, the book is very capable of standing alone. The late 1800's English setting was an interesting and enjoyable backdrop for the story; I appreciated that a few of the restaurants mentioned actually exist. The plot keeps you guessing, and at the end everything is resolved quickly.
There is a very small bit of language in the book (if I remember correctly), which it could've done without. Also not having read the previous two works in the series, I can't tell you if any of the information present in them would add more to the development of the characters in this book. Even so, I would definitely recommend "The Fleet Street Murders," and I am looking forward to being able to read more of the adventures of Charles Lenox.
For the next Reading Review, I present the classic "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee:
I had read this book before in school, but it was nice to have the opportunity to read it again and get an adult perspective on the book.
"To Kill a Mockingbird" is well written and a great read. It captures the attitude of the time and the spirit of childhood perfectly. The unique plot holds the readers attention, and the grammar school aged narrator provides humor at times and a unique vantage point that makes people of all ages able to identify with various aspects of the story. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and was reminded again of why it is a timeless classic.
