What do you think?
Rate this book
Shadow Life: A Portrait of Anne Frank and Her Family
In a groundbreaking work, acclaimed author Barry Denenberg explores the history of the Holocaust and the lives of Anne Frank and her family.
Denenberg presents the complete story of Anne Frank and her family's life, from Frankfurt, Germany, where Anne and Margot were born before the war, up through to their murders at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. When the Franks leave Frankfurt for Amsterdam, they are hoping to find a place where they can resume a normal life, but instead, the family's freedoms are taken away bit by bit. But it is when they see that other Jews are being taken away, and sent to so-called labor camps that the Franks realize they have no choice but to go into hiding; they live in fear for 2 years.
Denenberg presents the complete story of Anne Frank and her family's life, from Frankfurt, Germany, where Anne and Margot were born before the war, up through to their murders at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. When the Franks leave Frankfurt for Amsterdam, they are hoping to find a place where they can resume a normal life, but instead, the family's freedoms are taken away bit by bit. But it is when they see that other Jews are being taken away, and sent to so-called labor camps that the Franks realize they have no choice but to go into hiding; they live in fear for 2 years.
240 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2005
6 people are currently reading
202 people want to read
About the author
Barry Denenberg
47 books82 followersBarry Denenberg is the critically acclaimed author of non-fiction and historical fiction. His historical fiction includes titles in the Dear America, My Name is America, and Royal Diaries series, many of which have been named NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People. His nonfiction books have covered a wide array of topics, from Anne Frank to Elvis Presley. After the publication of An American Hero: The True Story of Charles Lindburgh, Denenberg was interviewed for various documentaries including ABC’s “The Century.”
Denenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Long Island, Binghamton, New York, and Palisades Park, New Jersey. “I was a serious reader from an early age and when I attended Boston University in 1968, majoring in history, I worked in a bookstore at night,” he says. “After college I was a book buyer for some fine, independent bookstores, some of the nation’s largest retail book chains and a marketing executive in publishing.
“At the age of forty I came to the startling realization that the glamorous world of power lunches, power politics, and power trips was not for me. I immediately went to work on the Great American Novel (since destroyed) and was rescued when my future wife, Jean Feiwel (then and now publisher of Scholastic Inc.) made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Scholastic had received a biography of John F. Kennedy that they deemed unacceptable: would I like to try and write one?
“The rest is history in more ways than one. I went on to write biographies of Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Voices From Vietnam, an oral history of the war.
“Writing some of the first books in the Dear America series was a turning point in my career. Its popularity and the resulting readers’ letters made a great impression on me. This in turn inspired my writing and fueled my research. With my bookstore background and the help of numerous knowledgeable booksellers I am able to assemble an extensive bibliography on each topic I write.
“I think there’s an art to both writing and research. I’m a good writer but a better researcher.”
Something that has added greatly to Denenberg’s perspective on writing for young readers is his volunteer work as Director of Creative Writing and Library Services at the Waterside School in Stamford, Connecticut. Waterside, established in 2001, is an independent school dedicated to educating gifted children of the communities’ low-income families.
Aside from writing and teaching Denenberg’s interests include listening to music, reading (books not related to his research), swimming, practicing yoga and spending time with his family.
Barry Denenberg lives in Bedford, New York with his wife and daughter.
Denenberg was born in Brooklyn, New York and lived in Long Island, Binghamton, New York, and Palisades Park, New Jersey. “I was a serious reader from an early age and when I attended Boston University in 1968, majoring in history, I worked in a bookstore at night,” he says. “After college I was a book buyer for some fine, independent bookstores, some of the nation’s largest retail book chains and a marketing executive in publishing.
“At the age of forty I came to the startling realization that the glamorous world of power lunches, power politics, and power trips was not for me. I immediately went to work on the Great American Novel (since destroyed) and was rescued when my future wife, Jean Feiwel (then and now publisher of Scholastic Inc.) made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. Scholastic had received a biography of John F. Kennedy that they deemed unacceptable: would I like to try and write one?
“The rest is history in more ways than one. I went on to write biographies of Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, J. Edgar Hoover, Nelson Mandela, Elvis Presley and Voices From Vietnam, an oral history of the war.
“Writing some of the first books in the Dear America series was a turning point in my career. Its popularity and the resulting readers’ letters made a great impression on me. This in turn inspired my writing and fueled my research. With my bookstore background and the help of numerous knowledgeable booksellers I am able to assemble an extensive bibliography on each topic I write.
“I think there’s an art to both writing and research. I’m a good writer but a better researcher.”
Something that has added greatly to Denenberg’s perspective on writing for young readers is his volunteer work as Director of Creative Writing and Library Services at the Waterside School in Stamford, Connecticut. Waterside, established in 2001, is an independent school dedicated to educating gifted children of the communities’ low-income families.
Aside from writing and teaching Denenberg’s interests include listening to music, reading (books not related to his research), swimming, practicing yoga and spending time with his family.
Barry Denenberg lives in Bedford, New York with his wife and daughter.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
July 14, 2025
Some books leave you speechless not because of how they end, but because of everything they refuse to forget. Barry Denenberg’s Shadow Life: A Portrait of Anne Frank and Her Family isn’t just another retelling of Anne’s story—it’s a solemn and necessary expansion of the shadows around her, particularly the devastating months after the diary ends.
I read this slim but powerful book on a quiet monsoon evening, the kind where the rain feels like a eulogy. And in those still hours, Denenberg’s project felt urgent: to humanize the footnotes, to give names, histories, and endings to those who often remain peripheral in Anne’s larger legacy.
Shadow Life begins with what most readers already know—the secret annex, the diary, the arrest. But where it differs is in its piercing focus on the aftermath: the transport trains, the forced labor, the systemic erasure. Anne is no longer just the eloquent young girl confined to an attic; she becomes one among millions—sick, shaved, dehumanized. But still, she remains Anne. Denenberg is careful to retain her humanity even in horror, presenting her as resilient, quick-witted, and heartbreakingly hopeful even as the camps closed in.
What sets this book apart is its family portrait. Otto, Edith, Margot—each emerge as real, rounded individuals with fears and flaws. The book also contextualizes their story within the broader Nazi regime and the specific persecution of Dutch Jews. It’s both personal and historical, both micro and macro.
Denenberg’s style is restrained yet haunting. He doesn’t dramatize what is already unimaginable. Instead, he uses archival evidence, survivor accounts, and historical documents to reconstruct what Anne likely endured in the final seven months of her life—from Westerbork to Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen.
There are no plot twists here. We know how it ends. And yet, the emotional weight is immense because the book gives that ending dimension, detail, and dignity.
If The Diary of Anne Frank gave us her voice, Shadow Life ensures we never silence it by closing the book too early. This is a must-read for anyone who thinks they already know Anne’s story. You don’t—not fully. Not until you follow her shadow into history.
I read this slim but powerful book on a quiet monsoon evening, the kind where the rain feels like a eulogy. And in those still hours, Denenberg’s project felt urgent: to humanize the footnotes, to give names, histories, and endings to those who often remain peripheral in Anne’s larger legacy.
Shadow Life begins with what most readers already know—the secret annex, the diary, the arrest. But where it differs is in its piercing focus on the aftermath: the transport trains, the forced labor, the systemic erasure. Anne is no longer just the eloquent young girl confined to an attic; she becomes one among millions—sick, shaved, dehumanized. But still, she remains Anne. Denenberg is careful to retain her humanity even in horror, presenting her as resilient, quick-witted, and heartbreakingly hopeful even as the camps closed in.
What sets this book apart is its family portrait. Otto, Edith, Margot—each emerge as real, rounded individuals with fears and flaws. The book also contextualizes their story within the broader Nazi regime and the specific persecution of Dutch Jews. It’s both personal and historical, both micro and macro.
Denenberg’s style is restrained yet haunting. He doesn’t dramatize what is already unimaginable. Instead, he uses archival evidence, survivor accounts, and historical documents to reconstruct what Anne likely endured in the final seven months of her life—from Westerbork to Auschwitz to Bergen-Belsen.
There are no plot twists here. We know how it ends. And yet, the emotional weight is immense because the book gives that ending dimension, detail, and dignity.
If The Diary of Anne Frank gave us her voice, Shadow Life ensures we never silence it by closing the book too early. This is a must-read for anyone who thinks they already know Anne’s story. You don’t—not fully. Not until you follow her shadow into history.
September 4, 2022
This book should really be titled "A re-creation of Margot Franks' Diary". The title lies.
The first 60 pages or so is about the whole Frank Family (which equals the title). This part was interesting because it gives us some details you never heard about.
On comes chapter two where the author began "Margot's Diary". Anyone who originally read Anne's diary will know that the author copied all the events which Anne wrote in her diary to Margot's.
I don't understand what the point of this book was. After the diary ends, the last chapters are details
about the discovery, deportation, and life in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen.
The only reason I gave this book two stars is for the chapters at the beginning and end of the book.
Aside from that, I didn't care for the "copy and paste" of Anne's diary to Margot's.
The first 60 pages or so is about the whole Frank Family (which equals the title). This part was interesting because it gives us some details you never heard about.
On comes chapter two where the author began "Margot's Diary". Anyone who originally read Anne's diary will know that the author copied all the events which Anne wrote in her diary to Margot's.
I don't understand what the point of this book was. After the diary ends, the last chapters are details
about the discovery, deportation, and life in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen.
The only reason I gave this book two stars is for the chapters at the beginning and end of the book.
Aside from that, I didn't care for the "copy and paste" of Anne's diary to Margot's.
February 23, 2021
I think this book deserves more than two stars, because of its subject matter and decent introductory material, but giving it three means that I "liked it" which isn't true, so 2.5 stars it is. From all appearances I thought this was going to be biography of the Frank family but the bulk of it is a fictionalized diary of Anne's sister Margot, which I found somewhat odd. In my opinion, it would have been more straightforward to just leave out the rest and title the book honestly.
The firsthand accounts of Anne and Margot's last days takes up a few pages near the end and I found it the most interesting part of the book, probably because it was new to me.
The firsthand accounts of Anne and Margot's last days takes up a few pages near the end and I found it the most interesting part of the book, probably because it was new to me.
October 11, 2018
It was a really good book and a suggested read to middle schoolers. It is coming from Margot's perspective, which is Anne's older sister. It is really showing how it felt living under the war conditions at the time. The description in her diary entries was phenomenal, and it made me really think I was listening to her speak about the war conditions.
October 9, 2014
Denenberg, B. (2005). Shadow Life: A Portrait of Anne Frank and Her Family. New York: Scholastic Press.
Kirkus Review 2010.
Biography-Informational choice.
This book was a good book that showed Anne Frank's life from beginning to end. It talked about her parentss and her family. It talked about how the family had to move when Anne was four because Hitler took over in Germany. Her life was good in Holland until Germany continued it's hatred against Jews. Anne and her family went into hidding when the war started. They lived in a part of Anne's father's business that wasn't being used. The book talked about the others who came and hid with Anne and her family. It talked about how the deteriorated while in hiding. Then it talked about the police finding them and everyone being forced to go to the concetration camps. While everyone was in the camps, the book described what happened. At the end, each camp was liberated. Only 1 of the 8 people who were in hiding in Anne's father's business, survived and that was Anne's father.
This book would be a good book for grades 7-12. This would give students another insight to Anne and how Jews were treated in WWII and the Holocaust.
Kirkus Review 2010.
Biography-Informational choice.
This book was a good book that showed Anne Frank's life from beginning to end. It talked about her parentss and her family. It talked about how the family had to move when Anne was four because Hitler took over in Germany. Her life was good in Holland until Germany continued it's hatred against Jews. Anne and her family went into hidding when the war started. They lived in a part of Anne's father's business that wasn't being used. The book talked about the others who came and hid with Anne and her family. It talked about how the deteriorated while in hiding. Then it talked about the police finding them and everyone being forced to go to the concetration camps. While everyone was in the camps, the book described what happened. At the end, each camp was liberated. Only 1 of the 8 people who were in hiding in Anne's father's business, survived and that was Anne's father.
This book would be a good book for grades 7-12. This would give students another insight to Anne and how Jews were treated in WWII and the Holocaust.
April 12, 2018
This is a well researched account of the family of Otto Frank and the others who hid with them. The book is divided into thirds. The first, "Living" is the background of the family and ends with the details of their going into hiding. The second, "Hiding" is a diary written by Margot, Anne's older sister, Margot did keep somewhat of a diary, but what is written here is the author's recreation of it. The final part "Dying" chronicles the arrest of the Franks, van Pelses, and Mr. Pfeffer. Their processing and the events that lead up to their deaths. This section included many eye-witness accounts from survivors. I found this book interesting. I think for those interested in the Frank family's ordeals there is some new information. As a teacher of WWII, I often used the play version of their story, and looking at their situation in hiding through Margot's eyes using details not included in the play was enlightening, as were the eye-witness accounts of the family after their arrest.
March 31, 2019
Recently I've been more interested in biographies and historical non-fiction. I completely forgot I had this book sitting on my shelf among other books I have yet to read.
I'm ashamed to say that I have not read The Diary of Anne from cover to cover; only a few pages during high school. However, if I may say, I would consider this book the next best thing to Anne's diary.
The book really dug in to the relationship between the members of the family and their friends who lived with them during the time in the second floor/attic of Anne's father's work building. It was interesting how the book focused not just on the war, but also on the small battles that went on between Anne's family and the others. How there was constant bickering among all of them; Anne and her mom, Anne and Mr. Pfeiffer, Mr. Pfeiffer and literally anyone who breathed near him. It showed how everyone changed when under stress and depraved of their civil rights.
I'm someone who, no matter what, always wants a happy ending to a story. Even though I already knew what would be the ending of this story, I still teared up. The description of Edith's days alone after Anne and Margot were sent away made me want to reach out to her. The final days of Anne and Margot almost sent me in to a crying fit.
Other than the time while in hiding, I loved how the author put in quotes from different Jewish people who came in to contact with the Frank family and their friends. Real perspectives from people who were in the camps and experienced the same treatment and torture as they did.
One section of the book is mainly written through Margot's perspective from her diary. It really gave you a glimpse of the bond between the sisters as well as the differences.
This was one of few books I would consider an eye-opener.
Interesting Quotes:
"Tuesday, October 6, 1942
Yesterday Anne and I were reading together and she talked about how anxious she is to start her period. I think my sister is too eager to rush through her youth, even though it's only just begun." (Margot's diary, page 69)
"Monday, October 19, 1942
Mr. van Pels has decided he doesn't want to sit next to me at dinner anymore because my eating habits, which are too discriminating for his tastes, are spoiling his appetite. I haven't seen any diminishment in his appetite. I'm surprised he can eat at all, given the fact that he never takes his cigarette rationing is the real source of his current irritable mood.
It's quite all right with me, the new seating arrangement, because now I sit next to Mommy, which I prefer." (Margot's diary, page 73)
"The end is the same - only the means are different. In Auschwitz it is a quick, ruthless procedure, mass murder in the gas chambers; in Belsen it is a sadistic, long drawn-out process of starvation, of violence, of terror, of the deliberate spreading of infection and disease." (Hanna Levy-Hass, page 180)
This quote is quite long, so I won't post the entire thing. I found it to be one of the strongest quotes out of the entire book for me. "...So when we talk about heroes, mind you, this was a hero: a woman who would not let a four-year-old child go by herself." (Esther Geizhals-Zucker, page 161-163)
I'm ashamed to say that I have not read The Diary of Anne from cover to cover; only a few pages during high school. However, if I may say, I would consider this book the next best thing to Anne's diary.
The book really dug in to the relationship between the members of the family and their friends who lived with them during the time in the second floor/attic of Anne's father's work building. It was interesting how the book focused not just on the war, but also on the small battles that went on between Anne's family and the others. How there was constant bickering among all of them; Anne and her mom, Anne and Mr. Pfeiffer, Mr. Pfeiffer and literally anyone who breathed near him. It showed how everyone changed when under stress and depraved of their civil rights.
I'm someone who, no matter what, always wants a happy ending to a story. Even though I already knew what would be the ending of this story, I still teared up. The description of Edith's days alone after Anne and Margot were sent away made me want to reach out to her. The final days of Anne and Margot almost sent me in to a crying fit.
Other than the time while in hiding, I loved how the author put in quotes from different Jewish people who came in to contact with the Frank family and their friends. Real perspectives from people who were in the camps and experienced the same treatment and torture as they did.
One section of the book is mainly written through Margot's perspective from her diary. It really gave you a glimpse of the bond between the sisters as well as the differences.
This was one of few books I would consider an eye-opener.
Interesting Quotes:
"Tuesday, October 6, 1942
Yesterday Anne and I were reading together and she talked about how anxious she is to start her period. I think my sister is too eager to rush through her youth, even though it's only just begun." (Margot's diary, page 69)
"Monday, October 19, 1942
Mr. van Pels has decided he doesn't want to sit next to me at dinner anymore because my eating habits, which are too discriminating for his tastes, are spoiling his appetite. I haven't seen any diminishment in his appetite. I'm surprised he can eat at all, given the fact that he never takes his cigarette rationing is the real source of his current irritable mood.
It's quite all right with me, the new seating arrangement, because now I sit next to Mommy, which I prefer." (Margot's diary, page 73)
"The end is the same - only the means are different. In Auschwitz it is a quick, ruthless procedure, mass murder in the gas chambers; in Belsen it is a sadistic, long drawn-out process of starvation, of violence, of terror, of the deliberate spreading of infection and disease." (Hanna Levy-Hass, page 180)
This quote is quite long, so I won't post the entire thing. I found it to be one of the strongest quotes out of the entire book for me. "...So when we talk about heroes, mind you, this was a hero: a woman who would not let a four-year-old child go by herself." (Esther Geizhals-Zucker, page 161-163)
June 12, 2020
This isn’t my favourite book about the life of Anne Frank and her family. Although I have read her Diary multiple times, it has been many years since the last one, so it isn’t the fresh subject in my mind. But the section of Margot’s reimagined diary didn’t feel very authentic to me. Would they really have known so much about what was going on and the actual fates of those rounded up and taken away? I thought the general public had no idea at the time. It’s such a shame her real diary didn’t survive (and the whole family with it). I have read a lot of different elements of this book in others. I suppose it’s a good summary of them. It’s also aimed at children, which is worth baring in mind for the adult reader. Still, it’s a good starting point for the next generation and will hopefully trigger a desire for for further reading. The author certainly points one in the right direction for that.
November 16, 2017
The book Shadow Life A Portrait of Anne Frank and Her Family by Barry Denenberg was a phenomenal book. The author does a fantastic job of explaining the Holocaust and what Anne and her family went through. It starts off by describing and telling us about the Frank family before going into hiding. How different their lives were but since the occupation of Germany they had to move. Running in fear, moving to a different place hoping to escape what was going on, but it didn't work. The Frank family had to go into hiding for two years into the "The Secret Annex". Anne's older sister Margot starts to write about their experience during hiding. How miserable it was and how they lived in fear each day. It wasn't until the German soldiers came and found them. Which then they were sent to a concentration camp. From here we start to learn what Anne and her family went through. The author combines everything and tells us about living in the concentration camp. Nobody should go through such a thing but to the Germans the only solution was to get rid of ALL the Jewish people.
April 26, 2020
Meant for middle schoolers, this gives decent info of the Frank family (both pre-wartime and after their arrest) but in more intimate details. It also adds the author's own thoughts on how he see Margot Frank as. Recommend this one for young readers and others who want to learn quick info on Anne Frank and her family before getting into more in-depth biographies about her.
April 24, 2019
This book is told from the perspective of the side of the Frank family and what they went through before they went into hiding and after they were caught. This has real journal entries from the girls and real quotes from people who knew the Frank girls.
November 16, 2017
This book was interesting, because you got to see the story of Anne Frank from her sister's view. I think it really expanded what I knew about Anne Frank.
March 15, 2019
This is a great book that gives you an inside look at history.
June 2, 2019
Wasn’t as exciting as I thought it would be
March 3, 2022
Excellent book. Really helps understanding the times and family dynamics of Anne Frank.
September 28, 2022
The last part is very informative about the lives of holocaust victims. The fictional margot's part was not bad. The intro was okay.
October 24, 2023
Another superb look at Anne Frank's life, and death, as well as a picture of the evil and insanity of Nazi concentration camps.
July 13, 2025
Unique presentation from Margot’s perspective and brilliantly researched and tied together.
January 14, 2015
Miguel Ramirez
12/30/14
Novel Review Essay
Shadow Life
"Like common criminals we are hiding. As if we did something we ought to be ashamed of. As if being Jewish were a crime."(Denenberg, 140) Shadow Life by Barry Denenberg is a portrait of Anne Frank and her family. The facts about World War II and the Holocaust and the creative fictional diary of Margot Frank tie the novel together. The frightened families, intriguing plot, and the theme of depression yet hope make Shadow Life an interesting novel.
The Frank family is at the heart of Shadow Life. In Margot's perspective, the story of the Frank's, Van Pels's, and Mr. Pfeffer is unraveled. The people of the Secret Annex must endure their limited freedom, fear of being discovered and try not to get on each other's nerves. The problems the residents have in the point of view of an often overlooked member of the Frank family, Margot Frank, gives great insight of what it was like to be in the annex during hiding. Different personalities conflict in the small territory which keep you intrigued in the terrified family's daily life. "We have sunk so low that now a mere pin can cause an argument."(Denenberg, 118)
Another important part to Shadow Life is the plot. Everyone in the annex has their own conflicts and personal battles which drive the plot forward. Every action has a chance to end them up in capture so they are careful, knowing that any mistake might result in their lives. Rules from keeping quiet at a particular time to when to use the bathroom roam in their minds. Unfortunate events such as robberies and captures haunt the people of the Secret Annex. The only thing holding them together is the dream of being free.
Furthermore, the theme of depression is strong in the novel, with a slight piece of hope. Through out the novel depression sets in. Anne Frank for example, is a very cheerful girl before going into hiding, and still is sometimes during her life in the annex. Yet, as World War II goes on and hope in being free goes down, she starts to be less of the joyful girl she was. Also Mrs. Van Pels was a normal Jew before hiding with no serious problems what so ever. As time flies by, she gets thought of suicide. By the end of the time at the Secret Annex, any joy had escaped and hope was on the verge of being lost.
All in all, Shadow Life is a great book which tells of the life of families during World War II and the Holocaust. The scared families, plot, and themes help the book be what it is. This book is worth reading if you want to learn more about World War II or history in general.
12/30/14
Novel Review Essay
Shadow Life
"Like common criminals we are hiding. As if we did something we ought to be ashamed of. As if being Jewish were a crime."(Denenberg, 140) Shadow Life by Barry Denenberg is a portrait of Anne Frank and her family. The facts about World War II and the Holocaust and the creative fictional diary of Margot Frank tie the novel together. The frightened families, intriguing plot, and the theme of depression yet hope make Shadow Life an interesting novel.
The Frank family is at the heart of Shadow Life. In Margot's perspective, the story of the Frank's, Van Pels's, and Mr. Pfeffer is unraveled. The people of the Secret Annex must endure their limited freedom, fear of being discovered and try not to get on each other's nerves. The problems the residents have in the point of view of an often overlooked member of the Frank family, Margot Frank, gives great insight of what it was like to be in the annex during hiding. Different personalities conflict in the small territory which keep you intrigued in the terrified family's daily life. "We have sunk so low that now a mere pin can cause an argument."(Denenberg, 118)
Another important part to Shadow Life is the plot. Everyone in the annex has their own conflicts and personal battles which drive the plot forward. Every action has a chance to end them up in capture so they are careful, knowing that any mistake might result in their lives. Rules from keeping quiet at a particular time to when to use the bathroom roam in their minds. Unfortunate events such as robberies and captures haunt the people of the Secret Annex. The only thing holding them together is the dream of being free.
Furthermore, the theme of depression is strong in the novel, with a slight piece of hope. Through out the novel depression sets in. Anne Frank for example, is a very cheerful girl before going into hiding, and still is sometimes during her life in the annex. Yet, as World War II goes on and hope in being free goes down, she starts to be less of the joyful girl she was. Also Mrs. Van Pels was a normal Jew before hiding with no serious problems what so ever. As time flies by, she gets thought of suicide. By the end of the time at the Secret Annex, any joy had escaped and hope was on the verge of being lost.
All in all, Shadow Life is a great book which tells of the life of families during World War II and the Holocaust. The scared families, plot, and themes help the book be what it is. This book is worth reading if you want to learn more about World War II or history in general.
October 27, 2013
Category (Informational)
Page 275 in the textbook
1. Description
In this chilling event, the horrors of WWII are unleashed as the reader is given a detailed account of what happened to the Jews during the third reiche. Anne and Margot Frank write as they go from peace to sheer chaos; they are Jewish and painfully retell the moment the German soldiers overtook their town in the country of Demark. The young girls are brought to the camp, which will be their fate.
2. Organization
The author, Denenberg, gives the reader an account, historical background of how the Hitler's army came to be. Before the reader is introduced to Anne's diary and writings, Denenberg builds the historical events, then allows the reader to understand the remainder of the story.
3. Style
Denenberg writes with interest as he retells the vividness of the war and the people who suffered. The reader can tell that Denenberg knows about the content for which he writes.
4. Designs
Although this book has no illustrations, the content speaks as loudly as pictures; descriptive language, such as the coldness and the stench that are described, are enough to build a mental image of what is really must have been.
5. Accuracy
Denenberg gives an authentic and detailed reoccurrence of the lives of the Jews during WWII. Although the content is sometimes disturbing, the reader gets the real story of how terrible it was to live anywhere near Germany, and the reader can certainly appreciate the freedom that many Americans sacrificed their lives for.
Page 275 in the textbook
1. Description
In this chilling event, the horrors of WWII are unleashed as the reader is given a detailed account of what happened to the Jews during the third reiche. Anne and Margot Frank write as they go from peace to sheer chaos; they are Jewish and painfully retell the moment the German soldiers overtook their town in the country of Demark. The young girls are brought to the camp, which will be their fate.
2. Organization
The author, Denenberg, gives the reader an account, historical background of how the Hitler's army came to be. Before the reader is introduced to Anne's diary and writings, Denenberg builds the historical events, then allows the reader to understand the remainder of the story.
3. Style
Denenberg writes with interest as he retells the vividness of the war and the people who suffered. The reader can tell that Denenberg knows about the content for which he writes.
4. Designs
Although this book has no illustrations, the content speaks as loudly as pictures; descriptive language, such as the coldness and the stench that are described, are enough to build a mental image of what is really must have been.
5. Accuracy
Denenberg gives an authentic and detailed reoccurrence of the lives of the Jews during WWII. Although the content is sometimes disturbing, the reader gets the real story of how terrible it was to live anywhere near Germany, and the reader can certainly appreciate the freedom that many Americans sacrificed their lives for.
March 6, 2011
Quick and enjoyable read, as I've always been into Anne Frank.
Book was broken into 3 main sections plus an afterwards. Only problem was the middle part (their hiding) was written as a faux diary of Margot's (Anne's sister). I usually hate it when authors do things like this, as it always seems to ring hollow. Especially when the diary entries were just basically reactions to Anne's, which were infinitely more interesting. Contrived. I would have enjoyed a straight up narrative on this time period instead.
Still, the rest of the book makes up for this and it's still engrossing, if often saddening.
Book was broken into 3 main sections plus an afterwards. Only problem was the middle part (their hiding) was written as a faux diary of Margot's (Anne's sister). I usually hate it when authors do things like this, as it always seems to ring hollow. Especially when the diary entries were just basically reactions to Anne's, which were infinitely more interesting. Contrived. I would have enjoyed a straight up narrative on this time period instead.
Still, the rest of the book makes up for this and it's still engrossing, if often saddening.
December 7, 2013
In a new perspective on the known tale of Anne Frank, hiding in an attack while under attack by the Germans, we here from her sister, who was also in hiding with her.
Curriculum Connection: History, Holocaust
This was an interesting tale on the sister of the infamous Anne Frank. She tells us that she is very different from her sister (does not sound too fond of her either), but we read her diary and feel the terror of what she went through. She shared her feelings only with her diary, so it is a very intimate experience. The truth in a biography always adds an element of emotion that sticks with the reader long after reading.
Genre: Biography/Informational
Curriculum Connection: History, Holocaust
This was an interesting tale on the sister of the infamous Anne Frank. She tells us that she is very different from her sister (does not sound too fond of her either), but we read her diary and feel the terror of what she went through. She shared her feelings only with her diary, so it is a very intimate experience. The truth in a biography always adds an element of emotion that sticks with the reader long after reading.
Genre: Biography/Informational
December 12, 2013
The author's preface was very informative and inspired me to search the New Yorker archives for the 1997 Cynthia Ozick article "Who owns Anne frank" that inspired him. I liked how the middle section was written in Margot's voice. The final section grippingly reminds us that Anne's story, for Anne, does not have a happy ending. It is sobering to realize that Anne might still be alive - and younger than my grandmother - if she had survived the war.
September 21, 2016
I personally didn't really like this book, I found this book very boring. The book shadow life was written by Barry Denenberg. The author is very good at putting a big picture in your head by using a lot of details. Most of the time she goes into to much detail and talks about one thing for to long. She goes on to say that the most inspirational holocaust story she has ever read was the diary of Anne Frank. The book is mainly about Anne Frank and her experience.
May 2, 2012
I love reading anything about Anne Frank as her diary inspired me as a young reader. Barry Denenberg writes this fictional diary from Anne's sister Margot's perspective. Denenberg provides interesting insights into what the family dealt with in hiding and how the sisters coped after they were discovered and forced to go to the Auschwitz-Birkenau and the Bergen-Belsen concentration camps.
October 11, 2009
This book is different from other books about Anne Frank because the author created a fictional diary from Anne’s sister Margot. Apparently Margot had a diary, too, although her diary was destroyed. Using this technique, the author is able to present a well-rounded, fuller picture of life in the secret annex. Denenberg also gives details about the deaths of the families.
July 17, 2012
Though it is a fictitious account of Anne Frank's sister Margot Frank, it brings to life the image and situations that the inhabitants of The Secret Annex underwent while in hiding. The book is very informative and enlightening. Details given are very helpful. Perfectly written and a must read for people who have read Anne Frank's diary.
October 29, 2012
After reading Anne Frank's dairy, this books adds few more details. This book which is well researched helps one understand the family of Anne Frank. Simple style of narration and the extracts form the dairies, really helps one to understand the situation of Second World War and the Germany. Those who are interested in history particularly war, this is a good book.
October 1, 2009
I loved this book in addition to reading the Diary of Anne Frank. Apparently Margo, her sister, kept a diary as well and this re-creates what her journal might have said and gives a little more insight into their situation.
August 16, 2010
I picked this up for my daughter and ended up reading it. It was good for a young adult pick about WWII from a kids point of view. It was interesting to have Anne's sisters "journal". I think the best part was at the end with actual peoples quotes about the camps.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews