Sarah’s brother, Michel, died in the cupboard where Sarah locked him for safety.
In the novel “Sarah’s Key” by Tatiana de Rosnay, the story alternates between the life of a young Jewish girl named Sarah Starzynski during the Vel’ d’Hiv Roundup in 1942, and a journalist named Julia Jarmond in 2002 who is investigating Sarah’s story. During the roundup, Sarah desperately tries to protect her younger brother, Michel, from the French police who are arresting Jewish families. She hides him in a secret cupboard and locks the door, taking the key with her, promising to return.
Tragically, Sarah is unable to return quickly as she and her parents are detained and eventually sent to the Beaune-la-Rolande internment camp. When Sarah finally escapes and makes her way back to their apartment in Paris, it is too late. Michel has died in the cupboard, unable to escape and left without food or water for days. The discovery of Michel’s death is a harrowing moment in the book and serves as a poignant reminder of the countless innocent lives lost during the Holocaust.