Saludos y besos: La extraordinaria historia de la familia de Ana Frank

by Mirjam Pressler

The story is one that is envisioned by many: a relative, an old woman who has lived in the same home for a lifetime, passes away, her death prompting the inevitable task of sorting through her effects by her surviving family. But in the attic in this particular house, a treasure trove of historic importance is found. Rarely does this become an actuality, but when Helene Elias died, no one could put a price on what she left behind.

Helene Elias was born Helene Frank, sister to Otto Frank, and therefore aunt to Anne Frank. Ensconced upstairs in the house she inherited from her mother, and eventually passed on to her son, Buddy Elias, Anne’s cousin and childhood playmate, was the documented legacy of the Frank family: a vast collection of photos, letters, drawings, poems, and postcards preserved throughout decades—a cache of over 6,000 documents in all.
Chronicled by Buddy’s wife, Gertrude, and renowned German author Mirjam Pressler, these findings weave an indelible, engaging, and endearing portrait of the family that shaped Anne Frank. They wrote to one another voluminously; recounted summer holidays, and wrote about love and hardships. They reassured one another during the terrible years and waited anxiously for news after the war had ended. Through these letters, they rejoiced in new life, and honored the memories of those they lost. 

Anne’s family believed themselves to ordinary members of Germany’s bourgeoisie. That they were wrong is part of history, and we celebrate them here with this extraordinary account.
 
 
Insert Authors’ photo: © Jürgen Bauer
Mirjam Pressler is one of Germany’s most beloved authors. She was the German translator of Anne Frank’s diary.
  
 
 

From the Hardcover edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Holocaust, Historical, War, World War II

448 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

German writer Mirjam Pressler is the author of several novels that have won awards in her native Germany and also received high praise from critics after being translated into English. In Malka and Halinka Pressler focuses on young Jewish protagonists who have been forced by fate to endure the Holocaust, while in Shylock's Daughter she returns readers to fifteenth-century Italy as she attempts to answer haunting questions surrounding the motivations of characters in a popular play by William Shakespeare. While receiving notice for her novels, Pressler is most well known for her work revising the diaries of Jewish Holocaust victim Anne Frank, and she is considered an expert on Franks's life and writings. In addition to translating Frank's famous diary from Dutch into German, Pressler has edited The Diary of a Young Girl: The Definitive Edition and has also authored Anne Frank: A Hidden Life for younger readers. Winner of the 1994 German Youth Literature Prize for her work, Pressler divided her time between homes in Bavaria and Israel.

Reviews

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Letters found in the attic by Anne Frank's cousin form the basis of this book fleshing out her family. That part was quite fascinating.

What didn't work was the cloying, sentimentality in the writing style. Made it sound like the book was written for Hallmark or Lifetime. And totally unnecessary since the quoted letters have enough everyday drama.

OTOH, as I read other people's reviews didn't notice other complaints. Either they have a higher tolerance or I was just in a bad mood. Whatever, that tendency was pronounced enough nearly to have this book join the DNF club for me.

[Manybooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mirjam Pressler is the German translator of the unabridged edition of Anne Frank’s Diary (and yes, said unexpurgated diary has sadly often been censored and banned from classrooms and school libraries in especially the USA, with the "excuse" that what Anne Frank writes about in particular her mother and about sexuality is inappropriate and that therefore the complete and unedited diary should not be allowed at all). And with »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank (published in 2009) Pressler brings of the Frank family a detailed, interesting and of course by necessity also often heartbreaking and infuriating non fiction account (reading like a novelistic chronicle interspersed with many personal letters and photographs) teeming with both much historical, cultural knowledge and also showing a tremendous sense of respect and dignity. But to tell the truth, whilst I was reading both the letters and Mirjam Pressler's presented text for »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank (and which is called Treasures from the Attic: the Extraordinary Story of Anne Frank's Family in Damion Searls' 2011 English translation) I was certainly and constantly (and maybe also naturally so) with my foreknowledge of what happened to the members of the Frank family who after the Nazi takeover had moved from Germany and settled in the Netherlands and in France rather wanting to shake in particular Otto Frank and to tell him and yes in no uncertain terms to see the proverbial writing on the wall, to get out of Holland and to relocate his family to Switzerland or to England (but that no, this reaction and this feeling do not make me in any way have textual issues with »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank, and to not consider the Franks as being victims of the Nazis, it just makes me feel quite emotionally depressed and wishing that the Frank family had all settled in Switzerland and/or in England, in countries that the Nazis did not manage to invade and control).

Engagingly penned by Mirjam Pressler is »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank, presenting a wonderfully intense and detail-heavy historical document that first and foremost still absolutely and wholly feels like a loving and personal family portrait and story and certainly brings not only Anne Frank but also (and perhaps even more so) her immediate and extended family both past and current descriptively and spectacular to life (and with the letters, which are are bona fide epistles that were discovered in 2001 in Basel, Switzerland providing not only a mirror to and for Pressler's words but also justifying and authenticating them). And yes, both Pressler's narrative and the accompanying epistles for »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank, they also do show me just why for the Frank family, relocating from Germany and settling in Holland and in France might have originally been considered as something safe and unproblematic, since »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank pretty clearly demonstrates that the Franks considered themselves first and foremost to be part of the German Bourgeoisie and Jewish only seemingly as an afterthought and that they kind of (and of course sadly erroneously) assumed that the Nazis would leave them alone in the Netherlands and in France, that Nazism as a system would not last all that long (and that migrating to Palestine was out of the question for the Franks as well, since Orthodox Judaism and in particular Zionism were something that in particular Anne Frank's father Otto very much rejected and deeply despised).

Now I did not only read »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank (in other words, Mirjam Pressler's German language original), I also skimmed over Treasures from the Attic: the Extraordinary Story of Anne Frank's Family on Open Library. And yes, I do have to agree with those reviewers who tend to find Damion Searls' translation overly emotional and at times downright cloyingly sappy, with a saccharine like quality that textually makes me cringe more than a trifle. And thus, while I still would highly recommend Treasures from the Attic: the Extraordinary Story of Anne Frank's Family (as how Searls has presented the content itself is good, does basically, truthfully mirror Mirjam Pressler's original and that the included letters of course are delightful), with regard to the translator's stylistics for Treasures from the Attic: the Extraordinary Story of Anne Frank's Family, for me, this does definitely leave a bit to be desired and certainly makes the original, makes »Grüße und Küsse an alle«: Die Geschichte der Familie von Anne Frank quite majorly superior to Damion Searls' rendition.

[Darla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating saga of the family of Anne Frank. What treasure trove they discovered in that attic! So glad they were able to share it with the world.

[Christopher Louis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A truly wonderful and insightful history of Anne Frank's family who were living in Switzerland during the war. Having read The Diary of Anne Frank many, many times as well as numerous other books about her life I really appreciated being able to discover an entirely new dimension to the story I feel I know so well. This story focuses Otto's Mother, Anne's Grandmother, sister, brother and nephews and how they coped with the knowledge that their loved ones were trapped in the Netherlands with no idea what they were enduring. All they could guess was that the family had gone underground; and they only guessed that from a postcard sent with cryptic messages. I was most moved as they learned that their loved ones had been in hiding, betrayed, and sent to the camps. Translations of letter share how they discovered Otto survived and the difficulty they shared not knowing if Edith and the girls survived as well. A wonderful and amazing collection of a family history far richer than I could have imagined.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read "the Diary of Anne Frank" for the first time when I was in junior high way back in the 1970s. I think she was the first I had read about the Holocaust. I always remembered her. I even read her book a couple more times over the years. I wanted to learn more about her family. this is a pretty interesting read if someone would like to know more about the Frank family. It talks about many of her relatives. Including her paternal grandmother, Aunt, Uncles and cousins. It includes many letters written by family members over the years. One cousin named "Buddy" is featured a lot and includes interviews from him over the years. the book drags a bit in parts. I was more interested in reading about what became of the Frank relatives after the Holocaust. How Otto her father decided to publish her Diary, how it became an international bestseller and still is a big seller today. It was also nice to read how her book became a play, then a movie. This is a good read for the most part. I liked getting to look at actual letters from her relatives and many home pictures of the Frank family.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like WWII and have kept up with all the Anne Frank editions, this is a must read. Apparently, Anne came by her letter writing tendencies quite genetically. This book is a wealth of letters written within Otto Frank's family (Anne's dad.) Her paternal grandmother had an attic full of letters and documents from the family dating back to the early 1800s. Through them we find out that they started out in the German Jewish ghettos, but were released from them under Kaiser Wilhelm I. Because the Jews held no property, they amassed money and knowledge and hence became the bankers and professionals. This family were reformed Jews and really only nominal at that, but a good, big and loving family who constantly kept in touch or just regaled one another with letters, poems and fun. Before WWII, much of the family emigrated, some to Switzerland, England and USA. Anne's family was in business in the Netherlands and though he tried forever to get them out, Otto was unable to do that. He sent an "early" birthday card to his sister and cryptically tried to intimate that they would disappear, though the family really didn't know for sure what happened to them. A business associate of Otto's occasionally wrote and from his cryptic notes they gathered that they were alive.

It turns out that the family in Switzerland lived a charmed life during the war, eating as their wealth and station allowed and they children attended college and even majored in the arts--very little changed about their life. After the war, and after Otto and the other Jews were freed from the prisons, it seems that it was very difficult to get citizenship or a passport, because no country would own them.

This also follows Otto and the diary and how he decided to publish it and the challenges of doing that and offers for stage plays and movie. The reader becomes familiar with the cousins and especially grandmother and we get to know Otto and what a special man he was. Many blanks are filled in in the story.

The audiobook has a narrator and then a Yiddish grandmother who reads the letters. Very nice. I'd consider buying this book.

[Mai · Rating 4 out of 5]

I own a variety of books about Anne Frank's family over the years and this one, a collaboration between Anne's cousin-in-law Gerri Elias and German author Mirjam Pressler is a nice addition to that collection.

This book offers more in-depth view of the family history and experience leading up to, during and after World War II and the Holocaust. The book reveals how older generations of Anne's family experienced antisemitism and lived in conditions similar to the ghettos that Nazi Germany would put in place during World War II. The book also outlines Anne's "safe" relatives in Switzerland — while they fared better than those sent to concentration camps, they still faced challenges of their own including denial of citizenship for several decade because of a fear of having too many Jews.

Pressler does a great job weaving what was found in the various letters, poetry and photography with a narrative that is back with strong research on the history and culture of Germany and Switzerland through the different generations.

Also, though it's not explicitly mentioned, the book also explains why there is even a Diary of Anne Frank in the first place. We learn that the Frank family, as a whole, were writers, documenting life through letters and poems on special occasions.

The one handy tool is the family tree in the supporting material in the back of the book. The one criticism of the book that it is tough to get into initially because of all the different folks the book reveals in a short period of time -- you end up spending a lot of time trying to connect the dots. But once you do — again thanks to the family tree — the narrative quickens up and you find that you can't book the book down because of all the great stories and character development it offers.

[Ann Woodbury Moore · Rating 3 out of 5]

I became fascinated with Anne Frank and her story as a teenager and have continued to read about her, on and off, for years. This book was originally published in the U.S. in 2011 under the title "Treasures From the Attic." Gerti Elias, the wife of Anne's cousin Buddy, discovered a vast collection of letters, photographs, and other family memorabilia when she moved into her mother-in-law's home in Basel, Switzerland in the 1980's. This is just a sample of that material. It covers the Frank family back several generations. Some of the information isn't very interesting, and there's too much repetition and a number of errors and inconsistencies. But the view of Jews in Germany and Switzerland--mostly non-practicing--and of this particular family is fascinating. Anne Frank's grandparents, aunt and uncles were amazingly unique and unusual individuals, showing that her spunk, talent and personality did not exist in a vacuum or come out of nowhere. Her cousin Buddy had a successful career as a professional figure skater and then as an actor, something I wasn't aware of. Anne's father Otto is portrayed sympathetically and I learned more about his post-World War II life than I previously knew. Others who've been long-time fans of Anne Frank's diary will find this book intriguing.

[Karen Himestra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unbeknownst to most people, Anne Frank's paternal grandmother as well as two of her uncles and her two cousins lived relatively unscathed lives in Switzerland while World War II sucked the life out of the Otto Frank family. Originally from Germany, the family had migrated to Switzerland, France, England and the Netherlands as the four brothers tried to escape the Nazi influence. The Netherlands proved the worst choice, and Anne, Margot and Edith Frank lost their lives as a result. But, before and after that time, lots of letters were written between these widely scattered relatives. And those letters that went to Switzerland were bundled up and stored in an attic, where they stayed unmolested for years until the wife of Anne's first cousin, Buddy, found them and realized their importance. Using those letters and other bits of family history materials, the lives of the Frank family has been reconstructed in this fascinating book which includes lots of pictures. The story basically takes the reader to the present-day. If you like history, you will find this a fascinating read. Highly recommended.

[Angela Risner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been very interested in Anne Frank since I first learned about her as a young girl. Because of her story, I have learned a great deal about WWII and the Holocaust.

I can't believe that I never thought about the rest of the family. I think I just assumed that the entire family perished. Happily, I was wrong.

I think that this is a wonderful story about those who knew Anne personally. It's wonderful that her cousin and his wife are still alive and are able to share these memories with us. It's amazing that Jews in Switzerland were safe, and yet they were persecuted in every country surrounding them. What's even more amazing is that the Jews in Switzerland had no idea what was going on around them.

It's sad that Anne's grandmother and father had to face the death of her and Margot, as it's terrible for anyone to face the death of their child and/or grandchild. It's far worse that it was murder.

I enjoyed all of the stories about Anne's family. It was interesting to read about Otto Frank's life after he came back from Auschwitz. I'm glad that he did find some happiness. He fulfilled his destiny to keep Anne's memory alive.

Highly recommend

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have been reading quite a few books dealing with the holocaust this year and when I saw this audio book about Anne Frank's family, I decided to listen to the family's story. I can only advise you to read the book and skip the audio book. Not that the orator does not do a good job but the book is filled with pictures and notes from the Frank family. It is easier to follow using the book with the aid of a family tree. And it is clearer to me who was writing the letters to whom. My only complaint was that the story jumped around from different time periods. The family was persecuted for much of its history and immeasurable sadness existed through much of their lives. I would recommend this book.

[Freda Mans-Labianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you read The Diary of Anne Frank, such as I did, you know what a wonderful girl she was in one of the worst time in history.
Who wouldn't want to know where she came from?!
When I saw Treasures from the Attic, I knew I would love it!
Anne Frank's story stayed with me most of my life, since reading her story as a child. It resonated deep in my soul, how strong not only this girl, but those in her family hiding with her.
Now I know where she gets it from.
Her family has been through so much, and still maintaining a high amount of dignity along the way. This family is one that is easy to read about and fall in love with.
Yes there is a few heart wrenching moments, but those moments show who these people really are as well.
A definite good read!

[Leslie Zampetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pressler's collaboration with Gerti Elias has resulted in a wonderful companion to The Diary of Anne Frank . Readers who wish to know more about Anne's extended family, their lives during and after the war, and most especially, Otto Frank's life after the war should pick this up. Literally a treasure trove of letters amongst the family was found in the Elias house in Basel, Switzerland, leading to this in-depth examination of the family that produced a little girl who became the voice of the Holocaust to millions of people.

Those expecting to find more information on Anne herself should turn to one of the many biographies - this book focuses solely on her relationships with her extended family.

[Catlyn Caldart · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book full of information about Anne Frank's family. Her aunt, cousin, grandmother, and great-grandmother are all explored in detail through letters, diary entries, and photos found in a house after WWII. It was really interesting to hear the thoughts and fears of the family members as they realized the danger Anne's family was in while they were in hiding (which was never officially conveyed to the family, just hinted at in a birthday card). I was particularly moved by the letters between Otto Frank and his sister, after Otto returned from Auschwitz.

[Davina · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book certainly suffered from some dry patches but as a history of the varied experiences of European Jews as represented in a single family, it was fascinating. For all that I've read about the Holocaust, this taught me things that I had not known about the Jewish experience. Also, provides interesting context to Anne's diary for those that are already familiar with the work (thankfully, Pressler does not entirely rehash the diary or the Franks' experience in hiding).

[Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

Puts the Anne Frank story into the perspective of her family's history.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've owned this book for probably five years (at least) but it has taken me until now to read it. Very worthwhile, and I very much liked it. There are some chapters that are written in a "fiction-style" as I like to call it, which I'm not a huge fan of, since the book overall is not historical fiction - so I'm not interested in fictional dialogue being presented when I know it is unlikely that scene happened ever?

The book is split into three parts focusing on three members of Anne Frank's family (her paternal grandmother, her aunt, and her cousin) but all three people bleed into each of the parts, and also have times of focusing on Otto Frank's life. As someone who wants to read more about Otto Frank's life - and is constantly searching for more information on him - I enjoyed those parts, but it sometimes felt out of place from a book that was supposed to be focusing on Anne's extended family.

The book made me emotional near the end, when it focused on her cousin, Buddy Elias' life, as the book was published prior to his death in 2015. He was the last family member alive to have known Anne Frank personally, and this quote in particular made me emotional: "He sometimes thinks about the fact that he is the only member of Anne's family left who knew her when she was alive-the real Anne, the mercurial, rebellious, imaginative girl she once was. One day he will take these memories with him to the grave, and when he and the people who knew Anne as a schoolmate and friend are gone, only Anne Frank the icon will be left: a symbol for the one and half million Jewish children who lost their lives in the Holocaust."

This is an aspect of Anne Frank's story that I think about a lot: none of us knew her, and I try my very best not to hold a fifteen year old girl as a marytr, an "icon" or a "symbol" and I try to view her simply as what she was: a human who had flaws, and who was forced into a situation that cut her life too short. We don't know what Anne Frank would have done with her life if she had lived, but if she had lived, would we have known about Anne Frank?

Overall, I highly enjoyed the book, and would suggest it to anyone wanting to read more about Anne Frank's history, beyond that of her life.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Family of Anne Frank

Everyone knows the story of Anne Frank, her life hidden away in the attic with her family, and her eventual death at the Nazi Concentration Camp. But did anyone know of the rest of the Frank family? I was unaware of any family until I spotted this book. It goes into some great detail about her Father's siblings , his parents, and cousins. I was amazed to learn that many survived WWII without any threat of being taken to the camps. A very close family, who lived together in a lovely home and actually did normal family things. It was interesting to learn Anne's one cousin went on to be an actor, her Aunt ran what we might call a Secondhand Store, her grandmothers would help in the cleaning of the house, and so on. Anne and Margot were both well loved by the Franks, and we're devastated to learn of the deaths of the girls and their mother. After Anne's father started the Anne Frank Foundation, the family became involved in keeping it running so that what happened to Anne and the others would never be forgotten. It was very interesting to learn of the rest of the family and to know if their dedication to the memory of not just their family but to the millions of others who were murdered by the Nazi Regime. I recommend this to anyone who read Anne's diary so they can know "the rest of the story".

[SundayAtDusk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I grabbed this book as soon as I saw it. But when it arrived, I didn't want to read it. I feared it would be too heartbreaking. It turned out to be just the opposite, however. Reading about Anne Frank's life before the war and reading about her family's life after the war, knocked the Nazis a bit out of her life story. She had a happy life before the Nazis took over, and her surviving family found happiness after the Nazis were gone. That's what I will think about now when I think about Anne Frank. Not to forget the Nazis and what they did, but to focus on good, caring people instead.

P.S. 8/27/17: Years after I read this book, I still can't help but think how different the outcome of the Frank family's fate would have been if they had only illegally stayed in Switzerland, the last time they visited there. They could have hid in Switzerland and survived the war.

(Note: I received a free ARC of this book from Amazon Vine.)

[Gail DiVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

I listened to this audio book, and I'm so glad I did! I got so much more out of hearing human voices relate this story. It was amazing! Anyone who has read "The Diary of Anne Frank" should definitely read/listen to this. The books goes into detail, based on letters and other paraphernalia found in the attic of Anne's cousin and his wife in 2001. It tells of the members of Anne's family, what happened to them during and after the war, and also of Otto Frank, Anne's father, and his determination to get her diary published as well as when the story was made into a Broadway play and then a movie. And, of course, his tireless effort to preserve Anne's memory via a Foundation which will always have a member of the Frank family on the board. I highly recommend this book - it is excellent in every sense of the word!

[Rachel Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Had so many incredible handwritten letters from the family, amazing family photos. Told me so much more about the Frank family, after having read only about Anne's side of things. Learning what happened to the rest of her family was such a cool insight. Also to see how some people during that time had no idea what was going on, even though they were related to people who had been captured by the Nazis and been treated so badly. The family bond was so strong. Was also unaware of all the hardships poor Otto had to go through in order to get Anne's book published, and made into a play/movie. Ridiculous how some people can act when there were so many people harmed by this Nazi movement. Really worth the read.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

The owner of an antique store in Switzerland goes to her attic and discovers a trove of over 6,000 documents tracing her husband's family to the Middle Ages. Since her husband is a first cousin of Anne Frank, the discovery is even more dramatic. Letters, birth and death certificates, photographs, diaries, legal documents all tell the story of one of the twentieth century's most legendary writers, the young girl who was murdered in a Nazi concentration camp. The documents add a fresh perspective to the diary Anne famously kept while in hiding in Amsterdam. The book also tells the story of Otto Frank, Anne's father, who was the only member of his immediate family to survive the camps.

[Dan Stern · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredible book! What led to writing the book is also an amazing story. In 2001 Anne Frank's last remaining relative, her cousin Buddy Elias and his wife Gerti found a treasure trove of letters, photographs, and other documents in the attic of the house they were living in. After sorting through the new found information, a book was written sort of based on the information, and also filling out in more detail what Anne Frank's family was like. This is a different way of looking at Anne Frank the person and beyond the legend she has become. I loved this book, it filled in many things I had always wondered about. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this book is no longer “Treasures From the Attic.” It is “Anne Frank’s Family.”
The book is based on more than 6,000 letters, documents and photos and presents an extraordinarily complete history of the Frank, Stern and Elias families. At times it seemed too much detail was presented, especially about Anne’s favorite cousin, Buddy Elias. However, his story provides the unique and perfect follow-up to the discovery of Anne’s diary: the publication of the book itself, the stage play, and the movie. Overall, this is must-read for those interested in learning more about Anne Frank, from ancestors to descendants.

[Vicky Elise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very fascinating read detailing the lives of some members of Anne Frank's family. I have read Anne's diary and so know the backstory regarding her immediate family who were in the annex with her but it was very interesting to know about the other members of her immediate family that were not in the annex such as her aunt and her grandmother. It was also interesting to hear what happened after the war and the immediate aftermath following ottos return and the family learning of Anne, margot and ediths terrible fates and how they slowly came to terms with what happened. If you are interested in finding more about Anne after reading her diary I highly recommend this book.

[Marie Wilfong · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read of the aftermath of Anne Frank's family following WWII and the tragedies her family had faced...a family held together by their commitment and loyalty to each other...their line of communication over the miles that separated them by writing of letters and sharing their heartaches and struggles...carries their story to the end of the immediate players who shared in the suffering. A message that sharing family legacy is important, and becomes a challenge in our world of technology today...family stories are no longer stored and often lost.

[Kathie]

When one member of a family becomes extremely well-known, we often don't think about the other members of that family. In this case, Anne's father was the only member of her immediate family to survive the concentration camps. This is his story and the story of her grandparents, aunts, uncles & cousins. It is amazing to me that this was all put together from letters that the family had saved. It puts a new perspective on the importance of writing letters!

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read Anne Frank's Diary and actually visited the secret annex in Amsterdam, I found this book incredibly interesting. I am so glad that the family of Anne Frank wrote so many letters and that they were discovered to allow this book to be published. The book gives a really interesting insight in to members of Anne Frank's family, particularly her Father Otto and how his life developed after the war after having survived Auschwitz.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is both heart wrenching and beautiful. You see beyond the story of Anne Frank to her family that loved her. I started crying several times when her family still held out hope for her survival and I know that she was dead. A must read for anyone interested in this extraordinary young woman.

[Jesus Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Un gran libro que nos muestra la continuación de la historia de Ana Frank, ahora con su familia, nos lleva hasta el inicio de su familia y hasta nuestros días con sus primos. Es una historia apasionante porque vuelve a cada uno de los Frank en un carácter entrañable casi de inmediato. Me encantó la historia y la recomiendo. Saludos!