Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

How can you review such an iconic piece of history? I asked myself this numerous times before determining I wanted to review it. It's not because of the literary excellence or the historical significance that I decided on reviewing this. It's the fact that as a child had to endure so much terror that her lasting legacy is that of the written word. Her story of survival is a window into the heart, soul and horror that reigned over Germany and Europe between 1933-1945. Anne didn't know her fate or future when she decided to keep some normalcy in her life as she wrote. All she knew was that her world was changing & she wanted to capture it.

Click for Link

Each entry brings you into the mind of Anne, at thirteen years of age her life changed forever. The decision to go into hiding was for protection of the family. Her studies and dreams put on the back burner at an attempt to save her life, she had difficulty understanding the need for this change. She wanted to be outside, remembering the beauty of gardens and walks home from school, and to play music without fear of the SS or Gestapo. She wanted to be a teenager.

Anne had the typical dreams of a teenage girl, from boys to being a famous star. She was innocent and naive in her young age. When Anne started writing it was about her typical day, when slowly the war creeped into her entries. Ironically, Anne wanted to be famous, but her fame came in a different format than she could have imagined. The moment she was placed into the annex her life had changed, she found it to be a nuisance more than a lifesaving measure. Her complaints of everyday life where slowly interrupted with fear of being captured, fear of death and the loss of the future. From the tinest squeak of the floorboards to lighting the candles on the menorah, her life changed piece by piece inside the annex.

I cannot review her writings, for they are her thoughts, life and passions of the moment. But as a book I find that this is a great way to look at the changing mindset of a teenager stuck in the horrors of one person's ideal expectations of race. Anne expresses her misunderstanding of the hate that is shown towards her religion and race. Something that many cultures face even today.

The lessons learned from the words Anne leaves behind are needed now as the world faces distress and strife between countries and races. We need to learn from the past to move forward and find peace in the world. This was the ending lesson that Anne's diary held. To repeat history is to fail the victims of the past; whether it's over race, religion, or space in time; learning from the fear and innocents written in the past is where Anne Franks Diary comes into our history lives.

I wish that I had read this book as a teenager more than an adult, because I would understand Anne's mind more. But as an adult reading this, I realize that the innocents we all have had is one that is taken away quickly by the actions of others. So whether you're a teen or an adult, I recommend this book as history and humanity lesson for the future.