A Book Review of ‘The Diary of a Young Girl’

Prinsa Budhathoki

The Diary of a Young Girl is a book based on the writings of a young girl named Anne Frank (1929-1945). It is truly a compelling read, where she expresses her feelings as a teenage girl, her sufferings, and her experiences of loneliness.

Born into a Jewish family, Anne and her family lived in fear of Hitler during World War II. Earlier, they were living happily in their own house but soon they got the news that the World War II has began. Time was really hard for Jews because if they were found living freely, the Nazi officers would shoot them or take them to concentration camps without providing them food and water. That’s why Anne’s family went into hiding in a secret place called the Annex in Amsterdam

Annex, where Anne and her family were living, was part of an office building. The door to reach the secret place was inside the corner of office hidden behind a bookrack. The bookrack totally covered the door so that no one could doubtfully search behind it.

There were a total of eight people living in that secret Annex that included four members from Anne’s family. They had to live by following rules on everything they were meant to do. It was very hard for them to adjust themselves there but, living there was still better than being caught. So they were forced to compromise. There were some helpers who helped them to bring their needed requirement from outside.

Anne used to write about her feelings while living in that secret place where she couldn’t even open the windows. Not only windows but they were also not allowed to peek through the curtains. There was a radio which helped them to know about outside condition and their helpers also gave the information to them.

In her diary, she used wrote everything that she felt. She had written some words that are kind of related with me. For instance, I always needed a mother who understands me. Sometimes I relate to her because my mother also don’t understand the things I told to her. There are times when I think she loves my little brother and younger sister more than me. I often feel like she doesn’t truly understand me. One of the things that connects me with Anne the most is that she aspired to be a writer, and so do I.

Her writing skills are mind blowing. She has written in simple and understanding way. It is really so interesting to read about her feelings and it is also easy to understand that. She was alone but her diary was always with her which helped her to express thoughts and feelings in written form.

At the end, they all were caught and were kept in prison for some days. After that Anne and her sister ‘Margot’ were taken to a place where they had to work as labor without eating anything and drinking. These two sisters, Anne and Margot died of typhus in concentration camp at the ages of fifteen and nineteen respectively. Only one of the eight people in the secret Annex survived. He was Anne’s father ‘Otto Frank’. After being rescued he read his daughter diary. He was shocked to see that how wonderful she was and how brilliant was her writing. So, he thought to publish it. After publishing it, many people loved it and it became one of the famous and incredible writings of that time and to this date.

The Diary of a Young Girl is not just a journal of a teenage girl. It imparts a great deal of message about how she passed through the hardest moments of her life and made herself stronger day by day. It is really a great thing to write so boldly at such a young age.

This book has become my favorite book and my amazingly my first book too. It inspired me so well that no matter what the situation is, we must make ourselves strong and take stand for ourselves to the way of positive. It doesn’t matter if we have to be alone and with someone who is not kindly by our side.

(Prinsa Budhathoki is an eighth-grade student at Chandra Memorial English School in Itahari.)