Anne Frank is amazing–her story, her journey, her wisdom, her everything. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl follows Anne, her sister Margot, her parents, another family of three–the Van Daan’s, and a dentist named Mr. Dussell, as they attempt to survive the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands. They lived in a place dubbed “The Secret Annex,” which was a series of rooms created in the upstairs area of an office building. Friends working in the office were so kind and so brave to help hide these eight individuals. Anne’s family moved to Amsterdam from Germany in anticipation of the Nazi invasion. A few weeks after moving, Hitler invaded The Netherlands and Anne’s family began their life in hiding. They lived in “The Secret Annex” for two years.
Most of us read The Diary of a Young Girl in school, but this book deserves multiple re-reads. New meanings pop up during each read. Anne began her diary on her thirteenth birthday. Initally, she appears to be a normal tween girl–fussing with her looks, fighting with her mom, having crushes on boys, etc…But life in “The Secret Annex” forces her to evolve into a young lady quickly. She writes about the pitiful food rations, the unfortunate bathroom situation and the frustrations of living with so many other people–people who she doesn’t get along with. Despite the differences in the house; they are all pulled together by the idea of hope. They are hopeful as they sit around the kitchen table, listening to the radio, hoping for good news…hoping for the invasion to come. They are all so hopeful, even when it seems impossible for them to have a positive notion in their mind.
Anne’s tale is bittersweet. Her bravery is excruciatingly astonishing. Her life ended far too early, but her legacy will forever live on through her poignant words.
