Tales from the Secret Annex - Anne Frank

Its a beautiful book narrating the hardship the jews underwent during hitler's rule before the Second World War. But the best part is that it was written by a girl who was just *thirteen *when she began. The beauty of the script speaks for itself and enunciates quality of the book. It gives an overview about what a teenager goes through in her blossoming years. A must read for parents and all the teenagers who need to understand the problems of the phase of growing up.

This diary which she calls a name was her best friend. Her writings gives us an insight of the uncertainties of life during the Nazi rule and what a life of fear the Jewish people were living in those times.

An awesome book helpful for those who want to know what they want in life.. A story of courage... There have been many more movies on the nazi rule like 'The Sound of Music', 'Life is beautiful' (An English version of the Originally Spanish La vita è bella)

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Afrank (Sujata Sharma) is arguably one of the most popular members of mouthshut.  Despite reading all her reviews I could not unlock the reason why an id like afrank is selected.  However, in one her diary posts somebody mentioned about Anne Frank.  Tell you frankly I have not heard of Ann Frank earlier.   When I located a translated book by Anne Frank I didn't even turned the cover but purchased it.

Anne Frank, a teenage girl who won millions of hearts by her stories and diary posts exposing sufferings during Nazi rule to the world.   She lived a short but rich life to live beyond generations to come.  When I noticed that she lived between1929- 1945, I wondered whether my selection of book will be a blunder.

I started the reading with a little doubt in my mind.  The first story was so short say 2 pages only, named Kitty.   I reached almost 90 percent of the story and was thinking I lost my money.   But I pleasantly surprised to end the story with full marks to the author.   From there on the read was a pleasant journey!

Anne Frank has a unique style of telling story.   She moves around with ordinary people in normal circumstances.   She draws a simple perfect picture for our mind to familiarize the background and she keeps a good message, shocking twist or her own dreams at end.  She keeps her best for last tells it all.

Tales from the SECRET ANNEX contains 13 short stories and 17 notes from personal life.  Most of the stories are quite short and sweet to limit the book to 114 pages.

Why God gives us struggles?  Can a poor person enjoy life like others?  If we really wish to do good things to others, can we do that even if we are poor?  What is God's nature?  How we can forget our past and live for future.  This little girl of hardly 16 has brilliant answers told in beautiful way.  Best of philosophy is told in simplest possible way.  Angels gave their words through dream to this girl, where God hold her hands while she writes.

I think Anne is influenced to an extend by St. Francis Assisi when it come to connecting nature and God.

A girl who is struggling all the day, but finds her pleasure in a short half an hour spent with nature is a common character in Ann's stories.  Simply lay on her back looking at sky seems given immense amount of pleasure to her.    She advises this in more than one story.   Looking at nature she believes will give greater confidence and peace than we can ever assume.   She also stresses the importance of conscience.   Angels, guardian angels, grandparents…she writes on her dreams and thoughts.

At one stage, I thought Richard Bach's Jonathan Livingston the Seagull was inspired by Anne Frank's writing.  I could see the seagull's thoughts clearly in one of her story.   But with the next story I gave him a clean chit.   Reason?  I found that there are two stories which I wrote in my college days have much similarity with Ann's stories and the basic thought pattern was quite similar though the theme were  different.

When Ann wrote in one story that the character can even live without Paul, I myself doubt that whether I have lived in Germany or Holland in my last birth?  Anyways I am relieved again when I read in her diary that her boyfriend's name was not Paul.

The identity crisis of a teenage, their need for friendship, freedom - all these are told in simple manner.    The over talkative girl was however 'frank' in her confessions wherever she is in trouble.

Simple, beautiful, profound stories of hard realities of life - book is recommended to children and for adults.  A good read with a lot of beautiful thoughts.

Read this little girl who lived before us, who thought ahead of us in her teens died without fulfilling dreams but leaving it to us.

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I am not sure that I got the clue why Sujata selected the id afrank, but my guess is that it is natural for an 18th June born genius to like a 12th June born little genius.

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