“It’s really a wonder that I haven’t dropped all my ideals, because they seem so absurd and impossible to carry out. Yet I keep them, because in spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart.”― Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl

I’m not sure how I made through high school and college without reading this book, but somehow I did. I didn’t read until a few years ago and I was blown away by it. Anne was thirteen years old when her family went into hiding in Amsterdam. They lived for two years with another family in the secret upstairs room above her father’s old business, until they were betrayed and captured. As they lived in the cramped quarters during those years, they faced hunger, boredom, fear, and the annoyances of several people living in too close proximity. Anne writes of all these things in her diary. She is a surprisingly gifted writer for someone so young and writes with candor–telling of her own foibles and feelings. Her writing is thoughtful and moving with some remarkable insights, but it is also humorous at times. It is an amazing glimpse into a terrible time and to have Anne’s thoughts as events unfold around her is amazing. If you haven’t read this book, don’t wait any longer. It is definitely worth your time.

Content Advisory: Antisemitism, bombings, death, holocaust

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