Most of us have read or are familiar with “The Diary of Anne Frank,” about a brave young girl who perished in the Holocaust. Anne’s diary gave us a window into the thoughts of an adolescent trying to make sense out of life like any other preteen. In her case, though, it was under extreme duress, while in hiding from the Nazis. Anne died at the age of 16. But what if she had survived? That is the premise of “Annelies,” a harrowing and unflinching story of survival and its troubled aftermath.
Annelies
Author David R. Gillham has meticulously researched the facts of Anne’s life, as well as the social and political upheaval of the times.
“Annelies” begins in the Annexe, the secret hideaway that housed the Frank family and several other people for two years before they were discovered and arrested. During this time, Anne confided her thoughts to Kitty, which is what she called her diary. She had a tenuous relationship with her mother and sister, but her father was her hero.
Anne (real name: Annelies Marie Frank) and her sister Margot both perished at Bergen-Belsen from typhus. Their mother also died in the camps. But in “Annelies,” 16 year-old Anne returns to her home in newly liberated Amsterdam and reunites with her father, Pim, as well as several Christian friends and co-workers. But life is hardly the same as before. How could it be?
The loss of her mother and sister weighs heavily on her. Struggling with survivor’s guilt, she is incapable of making sense of what has happened to her and her family. This makes her angry at everyone, especially Pim. She resents Pim for not being able to save their family. And now she is angry with his efforts to put the past behind them and move on. Pim says, “… we cannot allow ourselves to be crushed by [grief], God has given us life, Anne. For reasons that only he can understand.”
After two years have gone by, Pim falls in love with a woman who is also a survivor, and that nearly destroys Anne. She feels that this is a betrayal of her dead mother. Pim despairs that the Anne he knew is gone, and a bitter falling out seems certain until Anne realizes what she must do to move on.
Although my admiration for Gillham’s research runs deep, I confess a twinge of discomfort with this novel. Perhaps it is imagining an Anne that should be allowed to rest in peace … perhaps it is making her fictional character speak words that do not ring true. Anne is given a petulant, almost bratty persona in this novel. This is poetic license, yes, but it struck me as discordant with the Anne I imagine.
Here is another concern. There are still deniers, those proclaiming the Holocaust never happened. I wrestle with the idea of changing the facts about what happened to Anne. My suggestion would be to read this novel in conjunction with “The Diary of Anne Frank” for context.
May Anne’s memory be a blessing.
One of my lucky readers will receive a copy of “Annelies.” Please leave a comment on the Books is Wonderful Facebook page and a winner will be randomly selected. US addresses only, please.
I received a copy of “Annelies” from Viking for an honest review,
which is the only kind of review I write.
