Did You Love the Diary of Anne Frank?

Me too! It was one of those stories that you read and it changes you. It effects the way you view the world, the way you see yourself and the way you think of other people. I will never forget reading that book and what it still means to me.

I was always curious about the other people that lived in the Annex with Anne. I wanted to know more about her wise and inspiring father, her seemingly perfect sister, the annoying dentist.... but most of all, I wanted to know more about Peter, the boy that Anne loved.

The idea of love in such a time and place seems like the ultimate act of hope. Really that was who Anne was - a girl who loved and was full of hope. In her diary, she says: " I keep my ideals, because in spite of everything I still believe that people are really good at heart." Amazing when you consider the things that she lived through.



I jumped at the chance to get to know Peter and Anne better - even if Annexed by Susan Dogar is historical fiction. I initially thought this would be a great book for two of my fourth grade boys that are history buffs. Wrong. Not appropriate for them.

At first I was surprised by some of the content of the book, but then I remembered that Peter was a 16 year old boy when he entered the Annex. Then the wet dreams and sometimes sexual content of the book made sense. No, there was never anything inappropriate between Anne and Peter, not really, but he does have some rather graphic dreams.

Even so, my heart broke, once again as the group was discovered. They were on the last train out of Holland before the Allies came - the last train to Auschwitz. My heart broke as they were seperated, and Peter's story reminded me, once again, why it is so important to never forget what happened. This was a terrible and yet uplifting story that I would highly recommend to older teens and adults.

The Nazi Officers Wife

This book was the true story of Edith Hahn. Edith was a "U-boat" in Nazi Berlin during the worst years of the war. A "U-boat" in this sense is a person of Jewish descent who was posing as a person of Aryan descent.
Edith, calling herself Grete, survives a work camp only to find upon her return to Vienna, that most of her family and friends have been lost. She finds help and assumes another identity, going to work for the Red Cross in Berlin.
She meets and falls in love with Werner Vetter, a Nazi officer. This book is Edith's story of survival. It's amazing and compelling. If you read any history at all, this book is a must.

Sarah's Key

We read this for the February book club. It was a great selection and I'm glad that I read it. It was very sad, but also a quick read, once you are in to the story it is very difficult to put down.

I learned so much while reading this story. I had no idea that the French were complicit in the annihilation of thousands of French Jews during the Occupation of France. In July of 1942, thousands of men, women and children were rounded up and placed inside the Vel de Hiv under absolutely abominable conditions. One of the main characters of the story, Sarah, was one such child.

The story alternates between telling the story of Sarah in 1942 and Julia in the present. Julia is an American journalist living in France writing about the Vel de Hiv roundup. The story eventually combines the two storylines in surprising ways.

Sarah is a very strong character, and in the later chapters, when the storyline converges and focuses more on Julia, the story loses some of it's emotional connection. I felt empathy for Julia but lacked the intensity of feeling for her that I shared for Sarah and her family.

I am glad that I read this book. I think it is important to continue to learn more so that these atrocities will never be repeated. We will never forget.