by Anne Frank
First published 1947
Anne Frank begins writing in her diary at age thirteen when her family enters hiding in concealed rooms behind an Amsterdam office building. The year is 1942, and Nazi persecution of Jews has intensified across occupied Holland. Anne documents daily life in cramped quarters with seven other people, including her parents, sister, and four strangers who become unlikely companions. Her entries capture the ordinary struggles of adolescence alongside extraordinary circumstances. She writes about conflicts with her mother, her developing feelings for Peter van Pels, and her dreams of becoming a writer. Anne reflects on her Jewish faith and identity while bombs fall outside their secret annex. For two years, the group remains undetected. In August 1944, Dutch police discover their hiding place following a betrayal. Anne dies months later in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Her father Otto survives as the sole member of their group to return to Amsterdam, where helpers had preserved Anne's diary.
Genres: holocaust, biography, historical-fiction, 20th-century, diary, jewish
Vibes: harrowing, intimate, introspective, poignant, reflective, thought-provoking
Tropes: coming-of-age, found-family, historical-tragedy
Setting: Amsterdam, Holland, Bergen-Belsen, Secret Annex
Period: 1942-1944, World War II, Nazi Occupation
224 pages · Paperback · Pan Books
Content warnings: death, war