The Diary of a Young Girl, commonly known as the diary of Anne Frank, is the story of 13 year old Anne growing up in an attic hiding from Nazis during World War II. While being mistakenly called The Diary of Anne Frank, it is still the “original” diary of Anne, found by a family friend and returned to her father and later published. Her father, Otto Frank, was the only family member to survive after being betrayed and sent to concentration camps. Even though it claims to be the original diary, many parts were edited and even removed by Otto to cover up family dysfunction in the attic. Anne had a strained relationship with her mother, and most mentions of this were removed by Otto before publishing.
It details how difficult it was for her protectors to smuggle essentials into the home, and is now the most widely read and best known document, giving the unique perspective of a child on the Holocaust. It provides insight and empathy for the horrors people are going through. It’s an interesting read due to the fact that Anne is a teenage girl during the persecution, and if not for anything else, that viewpoint is reason enough to read The Diary of a Young Girl.
Overall, this book is a direct reflection of how Anne’s family was forced to live during the Holocaust. The diary, although important, does not convey the stories of every Jewish person who went into hiding, nor does it tell the horrifying aftermath of her family being betrayed, deported, and the genocide that followed.
- Reese Wilcox
- Reese Wilcox
