Anne Frank and her family were German Jews. In 1933 they emigrated to Holland to escape Adolf Hitler’s persecution. There, in Amsterdam, they tried resume normal lives. But Hitler’s army soon invaded Holland. In 1942 the family was forced into hiding. Thirteen-year-old Anne, her sister Margot, and her mother and father took refuge in an abandoned part of an office building. They were joined by four others. As they did not dare venture outside, friends had to provide them with food and clothing. The group stayed hidden in these cramped rooms for more than two years.
Anne spent much of this time writhing in her diary. She was thirteen, just changing from a girl to a woman. Her mind was filled with hopes, dreams, and the frustrating reality of her life. For over two years Anne kept a recode of their lives in the “secret annexe.” Her keen observations were filled with wit, poignancy, and honesty.
On August 4, the hiding place was raided by the Gestapo. Anne and the others were sent to concentration camps. Of the eight, only Anne’s father survived. After the war, he returned to Amsterdam. Friends had found Anne’s diary and returned it to him. Recognizing that it contained a rare look at war, confinement, and human nature as seen through the eyes of a young girl, he allowed it to be published. Anne Frank : The Diary of A Young Girl has since been read by millions all over the world. Its message is timeless; its effect always powerful.