Sarah lives with an older farm couple after she escapes the concentration camp. They provide her food and water. However, they come under the suspicion of the Nazis when Rachel, the girl Sarah was traveling with, is taken from the house. Even so, Sarah eventually makes it back to Paris with the help of the older couple. Here, she finds the decomposed body of her brother. Sarah is terrified, and her story is cut off here.
In the modern day, Julia Jarmond continues the hunt for Sarah. Clues link her to finding the Dufaure family, the name of the family that hid Sarah during the Nazi period. She eventually finds family members, who lead her to believe Sarah is living in the United Sates. Julia is ecstatic as she obsessively uncovers the mystery. However, Julia figures out that the apartment they are going to live in was Sarah’s apartment, and the one in which Sarah’s brother died. She can’t bring herself to live in their, to the dismay of her husband.
At the same time, she is pregnant with a child. She questions her future with her husband who wants her to get an abortion. Julia refuses to do that, and they divorce. Julia moves to New York, pregnant, and with her older daughter Zoë. In New York, they have access to people linked to Sarah.
Here, she meets again, William, the son of Sarah. William refused to accept Sarah’s story back when they spoke in Italy, having been lied to by his mother. Finally, Julia also meets the dying father of William, who tells Julia all the secrets and details about the life of Sarah. Julia has ben lied to all her life, but finally has found the truth, which William now accepts. In the end, Julia talks about how Sarah will always be with her, and how she has changed her. The story ends happily, with Julia living independently with her two daughters, Zoë and Sarah.
It sounds like a great book. I've heard of the book before, but never knew what it was about. It was interesting to hear what it intailed. It sounds like it has a nice combination of history and mystery. I think it would be really hard to find out the truth of what happened to her relatives, when she had known something different for so long. In the end, I suppose it's a good thing though. The truth might be hard to face, or just surprising, but it's probably better knowing what really happened. It's a great description of the book, Mark. Even thought I haven't read it, it sounds right. I'll have to remember this book when I am in need of choosing a book to read.
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