"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 Annex" 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."

Believe it or not, I never read this at any time growing up. So I think it's time I got a copy.

I'm ashamed for two reasons: (1) I'd not read this book until now, and (2) it took me nearly the span of six months to do so. But now I can say that I have read and finished it. The timing is interesting, as we're in the midst of a world-wide pandemic, sheltering within our homes, and people are using Anne Frank's experience of being shut up for two years as a comparison; or rather, something to put things in perspective. Certainly our current experience is nothing like that of the Franks, and I know that we all know that.

There's not a lot to say that hasn't already been said about this book/diary. This truly is a diary of a young girl, and while she was extremely bright and mature above her years in many ways, she was also still a young adolescent, coming to age in unfortunate circumstances, and showing her immaturity in other aspects. I suppose that's why I didn't ultimately rate this book higher than I did. I think I was expecting more drama related to World War 2, and really, a lot of this diary just included the day-to-day things that a girl of her age would write about, which is perfectly normal, but alas, caused the reading to drag on for me. But this is a piece of history, and it makes me hungry to research more about Anne, and you can't underestimate the power of something like that.

Dropped in the Little Free Library.

You have found a BookCrossing book! Please take a brief moment to journal your thoughts upon reading this book. Then, if you'd like, re-release the book (to a friend, a stranger, or back out into the wild). That way you can track its travels & its readers throughout the world!