Book Nook: Anne Frank - The Collected Works

This past summer would have been Anne Frank’s 90^th birthday. Many people have read her diary - or at least, the edited version. I had the chance recently to review Anne Frank: The Collected Works, the first complete edition of Anne Frank's diary and writings, including newly discovered material never before published, such as photographs, commentaries and other significant documents.

This was interesting to read - it contained the diary as it was edited by her father, but also the original. That by itself was intriguing to read, but to read letters, essays, and other contextual pieces of writing offered an even more complete picture of the girl and the historical atmosphere of the time.

Supported by the Anne Frank Foundation in Basel, Switzerland, which was set up by Otto Frank to be the guardian of Anne’s work, this is a landmark publication marking the anniversary of 90 years since Anne’s birth in 1929. 

Also included are background essays by notable historians and scholars, including: “Anne Frank’s Life,” “The History of the Frank Family,” “The Publication History of Anne Frank’s Diary,” and photographs of the Franks and the other occupants of the annex.

I enjoyed reading this book, for the deeper perspective it gave me on one family's experience during World War II.