Review: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic—a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit.

In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annexe" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death.

In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.

Published July 1993 by Bantam (first published 1947)  
Genre: Non Fiction/ Classics/ History

Kristine's Thoughts:

This book has been on my tbr list for quite some time. I'm actually a little embarrassed to admit that I've left it this long to read. I am planning a trip that will take me to Amsterdam and knowing that I want to visit the Anne Frank House/Museum I thought it was about time to knock it of the list.

This was one of those books that you can't easily put into words. It really needs to be read in order to really understand and feel. I was very aware of Anne's story and the outcome but it in no way prepared me for when the diary abruptly ended.

In reality, Anne was a typical young teenage girl who was forced to grow up physically and emotionally in the most unthinkable of situations. You could easily see her inner turmoil through her writing and I found it quite sad and depressing. Knowing the outcome, I found it sad that she would never get to repair her wounded relationship with her mother or find her one great love. It was also easy to see her personal growth from the time they went into hiding to when the diary ended.

I'll keep my thoughts brief but I will say that Anne's personality was larger than life and I am glad that her diaries survived to tell her story. It was her dream to become a journalist or author when she grew up and came out of hiding and although her story ended tragically, her dream really did come true. Her diary has been read by millions of people.

Afterthought- Anne also did an incredible job of describing the annex in which they hid. When I finished the book I googled it to get a better visual and found that it looked exactly how I pictured it in my mind.