The Lost Diary of Anne Frank

by Johnny Teague

The Diary of Anne Frank is a seminal piece of twentieth-century literature. It recounts the tragic and moving story of a young Jewish teenager faced with the horrors of Nazism. In it, Anne establishes a bond with her readers that transcends both time and space, making them her friends and confidants. Readers feel a connection with each dream she had, each fear she endured, and each struggle she confronted. Her diary ended, but her story did not. The Lost Diary of Anne Frank picks up where her original journal left off, taking the reader on a credible journey through the tragic final months of her life, faithfully adhering to her own, very personal, diary format in the process. In The Lost Diary of Anne Frank , Anne receives mysterious help from many quarters. A strange lady on the other side of the fence haunts her dreams. Her mom once vilified, becomes a hero. Anne struggles with the existence of God and His presence or absence in all of her ordeals. She contrasts the depravity of man with what she sees as mankind’s evident virtues. Her longing to experience sensual pleasures is numbed by forced over-exposure. She finds that in the Nazi efforts to extinguish the humanity of their victims, a chorus of unity evolves among the captives. Anne’s vaulted dreams for fame and notice are ultimately traded in for the true longings of life, love, and peace. The Lost Diary of Anne Frank follows her story to the chilling end. Dr. Johnny Teague is an author and historian, having earned five degrees, culminating with a doctorate in exposition from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. In preparation for writing this book, he interviewed many Holocaust survivors and studied at the Holocaust museums in Houston, Washington, D.C., and Yad Vashem in Israel. His studies have taken him to numerous historical sites, including Auschwitz, Dachau, the Corrie ten Boom House, and the Anne Frank House.

Genres: History, Classics, Nonfiction

234 pages, Hardcover

Published November 1, 2020

About the author

Dr. Johnny Teague is a historian, author, and pastor, He has five degrees – two bachelors, two masters, and a doctorate. He is also a patented inventor. He has had six books published thus far – Living Your Way Out of the Mess, small town BIG LESSONS, Preaching Your Way Out of a Mess (Preaching Magazine’s 2019 Book of the Year), The Lost Diary of Anne Frank (Association for Jewish Studies Honor Roll of 2021 books, available in hardback, softcover, eBook, and Audible), and The Lost Diary of George Washington, The Revolutionary War Years (Editors pick in The Manhattan, finalist for the Goethe Book Award), and The Lost Diary of Mary Magdalene which comes out November, 2024.

Reviews

[Dayna Linton · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m going to do something I rarely do. I’m going to give a negative review. It’s harsh, and I admit it. Please bear with me while I explain my position.

I read a great deal of WWII books and many of them about the Holocaust. I do this to remind myself that our freedoms should never be taken for granted and what can happen when good people do nothing. We must actively fight fascism and all forms of racism, inequality, and authoritarianism.

I picked up The Lost Diary of Anne Frank by Johnny Teague out of curiosity. I wondered how Anne Frank would be portrayed. But honestly, I was leery as I feel Anne’s diary doesn’t need to be embellished, nor augmented—especially by a non-family member and most especially not into a fictionalized account.

My thoughts run contrary to that of the author regarding the need for this book. In the introduction, Teague states that he feels The Diary of Anne Frank ended too abruptly (because the small group living in the attic were discovered by the Gestapo and subsequently sent to Auschwitz) and compared it to recording a movie and having it end at the climax. He felt Anne’s diary should have continued until her death and made his argument for that position.

I beg to differ. I think the abruptness of the diary’s ending and its starkness speaks volumes. We know Anne, her sister, and her mother were victims of Hitler and his Nazi killing machine. We know Anne wanted to be a journalist. We know she didn’t live to fulfill that dream. We also know her father lived to see her diary printed. Through The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne fulfilled her dream posthumously, and her name and her story are known throughout the world. Many people who knew Anne while she was in Auschwitz or Bergen-Belsen have come forward with anecdotes of her, and they are readily available if people wish to learn more of Anne’s time in the death camps. A fictional book like this isn’t necessary, and it pre-supposes far too much.

When I started reading The Lost Diaries of Anne Frank, I knew nothing about the author. I had zero preconceived notions of the author’s background, education, etc. However, as I continued to read, I realized Teague’s background was indeed an issue.

What made me pause reading and find out more about the man behind the book was when Teague had Anne reciting The Lord’s Prayer. You read that right. Teague had a 15-year-old girl imprisoned at Auschwitz for no other reason than she was born a Jew—surrounded by death every single day—invocating The Lord’s Prayer because it “brought her comfort.” Not a Hebrew prayer her mother or father may have said while Anne was growing up, but a Christian prayer she had never heard before. To say I was livid doesn’t even begin to touch on how I felt reading those passages (I’m Christian, by the way). The arrogance. The audacity. What sort of man does something so utterly disrespectful to not only Anne Frank but to the six million Jews lost in the Holocaust?

If I thought Teague’s insertion of The Lord’s Prayer would be his only attempt at injecting Christianity or religiosity into his book, I was sorely mistaken. It was continuous throughout the whole book. So much so, he should classify this book under “Christian” or “Spiritual.”

Teague’s constant proselytizing wasn’t my only issue with this book; he clearly has no idea how teenage girls think or feel. His writing was inauthentic at best and ludicrous to the absurd at worst. He seemed to forget Anne, his character, was supposed to be a 15-year-old immature girl, not a middle-aged man with a wealth of experience, knowledge, and education. Also, by “writing” in Anne’s head, Teague is contriving far too much and assuming thoughts that may or may not have ever occurred to Anne and passing them off as fact.

Which leads me back to my research on Dr. Teague. The author proudly claims to have five degrees and is a middle-aged, evangelical Christian pastor. As stated in Dr. Teague’s bio, he has extensively studied the Holocaust, interviewed survivors, and went to Yad Vashem in Isreal. Yet, he wholly lacks sensitivity to his Jewish brothers and sisters.

I can appreciate Teague’s time and attention to the horrors of the Holocaust. Had he used that knowledge to write a completely fictional tale, and not tried to co-opt Anne’s diary, I would perhaps be giving a slightly different review. But that’s not what he chose to do.

Teague did a great disservice to Anne Frank’s memory in The Lost Diary of Anne Frank, and I can’t help but ask why? What was the purpose of writing this book? Again, Teague could have used his self-professed vast knowledge of the Holocaust to write a standalone book. So why did he feel the need to write about Anne? And why co-opt The Diary of Anne Frank if not to profit off of it?

I have no qualms with Teague’s writing quality. He is a fine writer, and in my opinion, he should have chosen to write a fictional novel using fictional characters to depict the horrors of Auschwitz and Bergin-Belsen or any number of death camps the Nazis operated rather than piggy-backing off the success of The Diary of Anne Frank to make a buck and proselytize.

I bumped this book up to 2-Stars instead of 1-Star primarily due to the research Dr. Teague did for this book. While I can’t read Dr. Teague’s mind nor divine his intentions, to this reader, it appears the only goal for writing this book is to profit off Anne Frank’s name and her family’s tragedy and attempt to convert souls to his faith.

I was given a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Reviewed for NovelsAlive.com

[Bekka · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think that it's despicable that someone would co-opt Anne Frank's story and turn it into fictional fodder. I don't care how much research the author did, by writing and publishing this story he shows no respect for the Frank family and especially Anne herself.

Per another review, the author showed a lack of respect for the Jewish faith that Anne and her family shared by having her pray a Christian prayer. Furthermore, stories between Jewish victims and Nazis should not be encouraged.

I suspect that many of the people praising this book did so for the favor of a free book from the author.

If the author wanted to use all of his degrees and research to create a standalone story that is his business, but taking a beloved historical figure and bastardizing her life for profit and an apparent means to push his own differing faith is sick.

Please read the stories of actual survivors and Jewish authors. This book shows that this pastor just doesn't get it.

[Monroe S. · Rating 1 out of 5]

An evangelical preacher picking over the bones of a murdered Jewish child—I don’t understand how this book has such a high rating on here. May Anne’s memory be a blessing to those that knew her as she was.

[Sharon · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is so offensive on so many levels

[Pat Elias · Rating 1 out of 5]

What an appalling concept for a novel! If someone wrote a novel in which Jesus was a con artist who deceived the masses in order to steal from them (he called it "tithes") but was finally brought to justice, convicted, & sentenced to death, the uproar would be deafening. But unChristian nationalists think Teague's book is just peachy.

[Chris Kuder · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a travesty. A direct violation of the memory of Anne Frank. I am appalled that someone would do this. How dare you Mr. Teague.

[Johanna Van · Rating 1 out of 5]

2022, softbound, Histria Books – Addison & Highsmith
Teague’s novel supposedly is a sequel to Anne’s own work, which was cut off when she was deported to a concentration camp.

I have to warn you. This is not a positive review. I am going back to the original book, and what the REAL Anne Frank said in The Diary of a Young Girl, published postmortem in an English translation by B.M. Moyaart 1967 for Bantam Books, a division of Bantam Double Day.

What jumped out at me in the first few pages of Teague’s novel was the fondness the author seems to have for God, and dowsed Anne with it too. It started me on a counting hunt.
In the original novel written by Anne, I found 10 times a phrase in which she mentioned God in the whole 268-page novel, and I am quoting what exactly she said in her own words about God in this novel.

p. 65: “I would like to ask God to give me a different nature. . .”Jan 1943
p. 119: “. . . and I can only pray to God to send her (Lies) to us.” Nov. 297, 1943
p. 171: “Look at these things (like nature etc.), and then you can find yourself again, and God, and maybe then you regain your balance.”
p. 194: “God has not left me alone and will not leave me alone. March 31, 1944
p. 195: “. . . by the grace of God, occasionally turnip tops and carrots,. . . April 3, 1944
p. 197: “I am grateful to God for giving me this gift, this possibility to develop myself and of writing.” April 4, 1944
p. 207: “We Jews mustn’t show our feelings, must be brave and strong, must accept all inconveniences and not grumble, must do what is within our power and trust in
God. . . . It is God who has made us as we are, but is will be God also who . . .. . . , God has never deserted our people.” April 11, 1944
p. 208: “If God lets me live,…” April 11, 1944
p. 256: about Peter: “He has no religion, scoffs at Jesus Christ, and swears using the name of God.” July 6, 1944
p. 263: “. . . .and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God.” July 15, 1944.

In Johnny Teague’s novel, Anne mentions God literally countless times. In the first 50 pages of his novel of 231 pages, I counted 13 thirteen times a God-mention, more than in the whole novel of Anne’s own writing. He seems to have been impressed with a few of her comments, and repeatedly sows those gems throughout his copy, embroidering on it, and taking those into directions of his own making.
In Johnny Teague’s novel, I counted 61 times the word God, and then I counted the whole pages of a dialectical discussion Anne has with herself peppered with the word God throughout each as 1 count.

Teague has Anne writing about being Jewish: “. . . we are told that God works everything for good to them that love him.” That is again not a Jewish but an American Christian (evangelist?) view and is not likely expressed by any member of the intellectual and highly educated liberal-Jewish Frank family.
At one point, Anne feels the hand of God on her shoulder in Teague’s novel. That is such an evangelical view of religion, which sounds like a fancy American fantasy to me.

In Teague’s novel, Anne talks more like an aspiring evangelical preacher, not like a young girl who is now in a concentration camp with even less to believe in and pray for, and a lot of direct worries about survival.
It is very unlikely Anne would be preoccupied with the esoteric problems of religion.
In light of her last mention of God in her own diary, and what she believed on July 15, 1944, . . . and do not know whether to believe in truth and right and God. . . , I doubt that the author’s suggestion that she turned religious, can possibly be true.
Possibly he is making it feasible in his story that she was converted to Christianity by putting so many God-words in her mouth.

The name of God is not used in Jewish environments, they do not say the word God much, if at all. It seems that the author has completely forgotten that Anne is a Jewish girl, raised in the Jewish religion although not strictly orthodox. Even if the author quotes Jewish customs in his novel, he demonstrates no idea about the spirit of Jewish families of the time. The old testament is the base for belief. It would have been good if the author had been able to separate the American-Christian view of religion and God from Judaism.
A bit of education:

(https://embassies.gov.il/hanoi/AboutI...#)
“The Jewish people serve God by study, prayer and by the observance of the commandments set forth in the Torah. This faithfulness to the biblical Covenant can be understood as the “vocation,” “witness” and “mission” of the Jewish people.”

“Unlike some religions, Judaism does not believe that other peoples must adopt its own religious beliefs and practices in order to be redeemed. It is by deeds, not creed, that the world is judged; the righteous of all nations have a share in the “world to come.”

“For this reason, Judaism is not an active missionary religion. The community does accept converts, but this is at the decision of competent Jewish religious authorities. It is not simply a matter of personal self-identification.”
*
I find it quite astonishing that any author dared to write a sequel and had the audacity to think another book was in any way necessary and could be of use to the public. For information purposes, he could’ve written an article about how the lives of the Frank family ended for those who didn’t know that yet. As a literary work, its premise is redundant and offensive to a lot of people.

As a person born and raised in the Netherlands, I am flabbergasted. Anne Frank, a Diary of a Young Girl Anne was already completed. The sudden ending of the book perfectly demonstrated the shocking fate of many innocent Jewish Dutch people, as a matter of fact, 2/3 of Dutch Jews were murdered under the Nazi occupation.
Anne is an icon in the Netherlands. We are nationally educated ever since the end of the war about how antisemitism was slipped into being, how to recognize it and how to combat it, in schools, in public life and in our personal life. We stood by and did nothing. Our complicity and our guilt are the legacy, embodied in the Diary of Anne Frank.

Besides that, Teague converted Anne Frank—an icon of the Holocaust—into an American-evangelical martyr in his novel. That is beyond comprehension and to me, abhorrent. Yes, I can see that many of the rather uninformed Christian-American readers might eat it up. Lots of drama and horror in the camps, and he is a good writer.
I cannot help speculating that the author might have been thinking that the original was so popular. Had she been alive, it would have made her rich, and it could rub off on him somehow. Possibly, he thought of a series on Netflix (already done by the Anne Frank organization in the Netherlands) and he’d write the sequel. Or a Hollywood movie, although that was done too, but, please, NO SEQUEL.

It boggles the mind that the author wrote it as a middle-aged man of different ethnicity, religion, and culture. How could he possibly think he could competently write in the voice of a young girl of a different nationality, a different ethnic group, a different religion, and with the diverse experience of immigration in a different time in history? I have to wonder how it was passed to publication. Were objections raised at all or a second thought, or was a developmental edit by people in the know completed? Or was it the white-male privilege that overtook him, thinking there are no boundaries on what he can write about?

I wonder if the author consulted with the descendants of the father, Otto Frank, (there are nephews and nieces alive in the USA, the kids of Buddy Elias) as those would be the right people to be asked how they felt about a sequel. The novel has photos of Anne Frank, now in the public domain, and the author used them freely.

The author might have not known that an American research group tried to find out who were the traitors of the Frank family and came up with a rather speculative answer. They greatly upset the Jewish world by blaming somebody Jewish. Or worse: the author knew and decided to ride the coattails of the scandal, hoping for more free advertising: Anne is speculating in Teague’s novel about who gave their secret away.

With the sensitivity of the subject and in light of Anne Frank’s special position in the Holocaust memory and in the Amsterdam Jewish community, writing any work with Anne Frank as a subject demands special treatment before writing such a story. Did the author consult people in the field, the Jewish community in The Netherlands, or a sensitivity consultant?
Or the Dutch literary world or any literary consultants? It was a daring act, and in my opinion, it failed on ethical and the finer points of historical grounds.

I could go on and on, but you get the picture. I was angry and insulted when I first read it. Then I realized there is so very little space in contemporary American culture for debate and opposing opinions. That is how people become “protected” from opposing views. Mr. Teague may be in that lane and couldn’t get out of it on his own. Well, I am from another silo: that of fighting antisemitism, racism, and exploitation of others when I see it. Maybe Johnny Teague reads this and becomes educated by it.

Anne would have been turning in her grave (if she had a grave) hearing about this Christian American novel abusing her backstory in her voice.

Some might say my negative review of Teague’s novel is just sour grapes. Yes, I also wrote a novel about war and used my father’s backstory. It was also fiction, based on true events. I wrote the novel to honour my parents and give them overdue credit, and to educate the readers about how fascism operates. So be it. I sleep well at night.

Comment from a post by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency: (https://www.jta.org/2022/10/31/politi...).
“It’s common for evangelical Christians to engage in proselytizing, including toward Jews, and surveys have indicated that nearly half of American adults believe the country should be classified as “a Christian nation.” But the size and scope of Teague’s efforts to undermine Anne Frank’s Judaism in his book is unusual even in such circles.”

[Geovanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary: Her diary ended, but her story did not. The Lost Diary of Anne Frank picks up where her original journal left off, taking the reader on a credible journey through the tragic final months of her life, faithfully adhering to her own, very personal, diary format in the process.

She finds that in the Nazi efforts to extinguish the humanity of their victims, a chorus of unity evolves among the captives. Anne’s vaulted dreams for fame and notice are ultimately traded in for the true longings of life, love, and peace.The Lost Diary of Anne Frank follows her story to the chilling end.
(Genre:History, War)

My Thoughts: It's been awhile since I read the Diary of Anne Frank but it is a book that stayed with me. The Lost Diary of Anne Frank gave me the same feeling as her diary did. I always wondered what happened after and this was a great way to see what her last days could of been like. You can see the amount of research that went into this book as you read. I liked that it was still written like a dairy. Overall I highly recommend you checkout this book!

[Ofdreamsandstories · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fictional tale connects the story of Anne Frank to her final months in life as the Diary of Anne Frank had abruptly ended. I recently read The Diary of Anne Frank before reading this book and author Johnny Teague has done utmost justice and tremendous research to narrate the suffering and story of Anne Frank and how she received help from different quarters. Author writes the story in the voice of Anne Frank, which takes a while to get used to but It has done a marvelous job of picking up the story where Anne Diary had left off and the format is consistent with the original journal.

Thank you @thebookreviewcrew and @thelostdiaryofannefrank for including me in this amazing book tour!

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I can remember reading The Diary of Anne Frank when I was younger. Even many, many years later, I can still remember that book. Thus I was very curious to read this book on "what might have been" with Anne Frank.

I thought that Dr. Teague did a good job of writing this book. I could see Anne writing these entries as she spent her time in concentration camp. Although, I will agree with another reader that in the beginning, it really did not feel like Anne's voice. It felt like a "ghost writer" writing for her. Yet, the further I got into the book, it did feel more like Anne writing.

What I was missing was the sorrow that I got from The Diary of Anne Frank. It felt like the "dark" and "real" moments were glossed over to keep the vibe of this book kind of upbeat. Which, Anne's story is not that. Despite my feelings about this book, I did still like it.

[Sara Planz · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who holds Anne Frank dear to my heart, this book was a wonderful way to honor her and the way she gave voice to all who perished in the Holocaust. Historical novels like this allow us to not only reconnect with events that occurred long ago but bring them back to us in a new and impactful way.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lost Diary of Anne Frank is by Johnny Teague. The Diary of Anne Frank takes the reader through the Annex with the Frank family and reveals to us the dynamics of a hidden family. Anne tries very hard to live a normal life while in the Annex and her diary helps us follow that journey with her. Although her Diary ends, her life does not and The Lost Diary of Anne Frank begins where her Diary left off. Dr. Johnny Teague is a historian who has studied about the Holocaust at the USHMM and Yad Vashem as well as having interviewed Holocaust survivors. He has taken what he learned at these sources and created a fictional account of Anne’s last days. Through eyewitness accounts, the truth of what happened to Anne and Margot has been discovered. Dr. Teague took this information and chose to have Anne tell her own story through her Diary, Kitty. Since she would not have access to pencil and paper, he has her orally talk to her Diary and continue to tell what is happening as well as what she is thinking and feeling.
The Last Diary is well written and Dr. Teague does a really good job of thinking and writing as Anne, herself. At first, the tone is off and doesn’t sound like Anne; but as he progresses, the tone gets to be more and more like Anne’s in her Diary. At the same time, the reader, if they know Anne’s story, can distinguish that this is fiction. Part of me resists the idea that he would even try to recreate Anne’s writing and his using the diary format to get his point across. The teacher part of me feels that this book would be a good companion to the Diary as long as it is reinstated over and over again that this is fiction and Anne herself did not write it. It does follow the steps we have found out that Anne did follow in Auschwitz and in Bergen-Belsen. We get a taste of the horrific conditions under which she lived and died. If it is emphasized over and over that it is fiction based on truth, it could be a benefit to students. I do believe there are other sources that could be used to give students the same information in a better way.

[Jayanti Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

#TheLostDiaryofAnneFrank
#JohnnyTeague

Every reader would be familiar with “The Diary of Anne Frank”, the diary entries of #AnneFrank, written to her fictional friend Kitty. These diary entries held a true account of the months Anne Frank and her family spent in hiding in a tiny attic during the Holocaust. The book went on to become an epic read and remains relevant even today.

The book under review, “The Lost Diary of Anne Frank” begins where #TheDiaryofAnneFrank ends.

August 1, 1944 is the last entry in The Diary of Anne Frank, three days before their arrest. It says, “Anne’s diary ends here”.

Author Johnny Teague imagines and constructs what he thinks would have happened and what Anne Frank may have felt, while during her time at #AuschwitzBirkenau, imprisoned by the Nazis. His research is commendable and the fictionalised account, continuing in Anne’s voice, seems real. While the book is fiction, the context is not. Teague takes us to what could’ve been the horrific experiences of Anne, her sister Margot and their mother as they live a life where the Nazis dehumanise the prisoners being kind to none at the concentration camp. Teague, a historian himself, recounts the prisoners efforts to stay sane playing ‘Who Am I’ , sharing their lives prior to their arrest and the ways they try and bolster each other’s spirits. The read goes on in goose-bump inducing descriptions of the smell of acrid smoke and gas, the dreaded roll-calls of Tuesdays and of days as they toll by. Anne never gives up hope that some day the prisoners will be free and united with their families.

Reality was, of course, very different as we know from history.

The book is an honour to Anne Frank’s memory and seeks to bring a closure.

Teague writes what Anne Frank may have dreamt of:
“To be famous would be great. To be free would be even greater”.

Thank you @thebookreviewcrew and @thelostdiaryofannefrank for sharing the advance e -arc and a spot on the book tour.

I wish the book much success.

[Ada · Rating 3 out of 5]

A must-read: Non-fiction basis of Anne Frank's last months!

Now to The Lost Diary of Anne Frank...

Author Johnny Teague well integrates his extensive research of the Holocaust into this thin novel. Early on, on page 76, he writes these words, in Anne Frank's voice, of course, because the body of the novel is written in Anne Frank's voice: "Won't somebody stand up? Anybody? If not a Nazi, how about an SS man? If not an SS man, how about a German? If not a German, how about a Polish citizen who lives just beyond out wire do something? Don't get me wrong. I am told there is resistance even in this country, but why so few and where are they? If we could just stand together, evil would be outnumbered, outgunned, and outmanned?" This must have been the inner cry of many in the labor and extermination camps!

But the above-cited words would have, in my opinion, have been better placed as the end of Anne Frank's lost diary instead of using a fever-dream sequence to end the diary.

What author Johnny Teague fails to do overall is two-fold: (1) capture the voice of the adolescent girl who lived in the Annexe in Amsterdam, then was imprisoned in Nazi camps and (2) maintain Anne Frank's Jewish voice. The author, an evangelical Christian, time and again proselytizes for Christianity -- a bridge too far for me as reader. This proselytizing greatly distracts from the novel. And I say this as myself being an evangelical Christian!

Still, The Lost Diary of Anne Frank does convey to the reader accurate details about the Holocaust death camps and how being imprisoned there impacted some of the youngest members of the Third Reich's death camps.

A grim read, The Lost Diary of Anne Frank is recommended to those over the age of 16 who have first recently read Diary of a Young Girl.

Caveat: while Anne Frank's Diary of a Young Girl is a book that I highly recommend as a non-fiction essential read for all over the age of 16, The Lost Diary of Anne Frank is, in my view, a completely optional read for any age. For my part, I followed reading Anne Frank's actual diary with Elie Wiesel's Night, another non-fiction essential read for all over the age of 16.

[Chelsie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think part of the draw of Anne Frank’s diary is how abruptly it ended, but that in a way is the irony in that sadly that is also how her life ended at the camp. I was quite interested to read this book when I heard about it, as we knew everything leading up to them being taken and sent to camp but that’s where the reader is left wondering how does it all end and in the words of Anne Frank herself.

I think Johnny did a great job re-creating what potentially would have been her lost diary had she had the ability to continue to write about her days and time in the camp. History has given us some pieces of the puzzle about potentially how long she and her family were in the camp and sadly, what was more than likely her last day of life- but there still is that unknown. Keeping in the tune of how Anne wrote in her diary, Johnny continued in that dialogue in this novel as well and it did not read like a history book but that you were peaking into someones most inner thoughts and feelings.


I want to thank The Book Review Crew and the author for the invite to the tour and free ebook. I don’t know if I would have found this one otherwise. It gave a little more satisfaction in knowing what her last days could have very well been like.

[Navile Ponton · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was in school, History was my second favorite subject (English was the first one, duh, no surprises haha) and The Holocaust was always a fascinating topic for me. I was very drawn to this book because I have always felt protective of Anne Frank. Having read her story for the first time around the age she was when she wrote her diary, had an impact on me that I will never forget.

The abruptness with which her diary ended is very telling of her life and just life in general. Mr. Teague gave voice to all of our "what if" questions with his book. He kept to the diary entry format, which I appreciated, and gave Ms. Frank her voice back. Through extensive research intertwined with fiction, we the readers were able to obtain some closure and find peace on Anne's behalf.

I would like to just remind anyone reading this review and this is a work of fiction, but it was very well written and will stay with me for a long time.

[Jared White · Rating 1 out of 5]

Full disclosure, I did not read this book but when I found out my library had a copy I did a bit of investigating. Frankly, I'm surprised that we have it... for one thing, I think it would be a bold move for a Jewish female author to "continue Anne's diary" but I think it's absolutely awful that a non-Jewish white Christian MALE would dare such a thing. I'm Christian and my dad was a pastor (the author is/was)... but I still think this is horrid and presumptuous.

I put this on my "beware of/avoid" shelf and, as a librarian, I will NEVER be recommending this book to anyone.

P.S. I first read the REAL diary at 13 or 14 and it profoundly moved me. I've read it one or two times since then and it was also moving. Stick to the real thing... it's not happy but that's the truth and let us learn from the past... and, in Anne's case, also be a bit uplifted and made hopeful by it. Her book is ultimately very tragic but it's also beautiful and there are spots of hope to be found.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Extremely Moving Read

The Lost Diary of Anne Frank is such a powerful and heartbreaking read. This story brought out so much emotion in me. I was completely entranced as I read page after page. My heart was hooked. I truly enjoyed this gripping read.

I give this author so much credit, it shows that he did SO much research. This books shines as it all felt so very real. Tragic, but real. As an avid reader, I appreciate an author who does their research.

Johnny Teague gives us a truly harrowing and horrifying tale of the experiences of the Holocaust. A truly emotional read. I can’t wait to tell my friends to read this one.

[Anneliese Grassi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fictional book was written in a way that picks up from where Anne Frank’s diary left off and takes you on a journey of what she may have encountered up through her final days on this earth. It reads as if Anne Frank is writing to Kitty herself. Mr. Teague has perfected the grammar and style beautifully and paints a very vivid picture of the camp and the perils that they suffered. If ever you were curious as to what happened to Anne Frank, with the research that was done for this book, this has got to pretty darn close!

Thank you @thebookreviewcrew and @thelostdiaryofannefrank for including me in this amazing book tour! It is a real honor!

[Ernie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an assume book i could not stop turning the pages. I have not been abled to focus on a book since High School ! The book is so real i felt like i was right there every step of the way At times it brought tears to my eyes. I could feel the pain they were going thru in the Concentration Camp and the the starvation diet they endured. Including the skin desires they that kept recurring.
I hope everyone can get this book and enjoy it as much as i did. I have ordered copies for all of my children@

[Brianna · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Diary of Anne Frank was such an emotional journey about their 2 years in the Annexx, so I was definitely curious about this book by Johny Teague. We know the sad outcome of Anne, Margot, and her mother, but I enjoyed, as much as one can enjoy reading about concentration camps, mass murders, and brutality, how the writer kept Anne's journal alive. Sadly, I felt like I was living Anne's days at the camp. I like how he gave Anne a voice of what she may have been feeling or thinking during her time there.

[Deviant Quill Reviews · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johhny Teague put a lot of effort into his research to make it as plausible as possible. Despite being historical fiction, not the actual diary of Anne Frank, the story flows beautifully. Unfortunately, we all know the outcome, and her surviving father gave statements relating to living in the camp, but even so, imagining Anne's life after the abrupt ending of her diary is an odd comfort. The book NEVER says anywhere that Anne converted to Christianity, and people who actually read this historical fiction know that.

[BookTrib.com]

A unique historical novel built upon an abundance of research, THE LOST DIARY OF ANNE FRANK continues Anne’s would-be diary while imprisoned by the Nazis ... Teague reconstructs how he envisions Anne’s diary might read, ably inserting the tone and feeling of the narrator.

Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/04/14/the-l...

[Lance Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very touching story. We are all familiar with Anne Frank and what her family endured. This book continues that story and also shows hope. I've read some negative reviews on this book and those are obviously from people who didn't actually take the time to read the book but would rather personally attack the author than provide any review resembling any kind of substance.

Great read. I can't wait to read more from Johnny Teague!

[Bert Tielkemeijer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnny Teague takes us into the life Anne Frank during WW2 and I felt the fear of what was happening to her and the family that was shielding her from the Nazis. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in how the Jews were slaughtered. There is no mention of her uncle being spared because he changed to Christianity. Johnny Teague does not have a single molecule of Anti-Semitism in his body. Love the book.

[Sydney Fanning · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Diary of Anne Frank combines so many stories, resources, and accounts to finish where the Frank Family left off in Anne's original diary. The moving and heart wrenching stories continue to suprise and amaze at the trauma and strength shown by the families severely impacted by the holocaust, and will continue to be a book that I return to constantly.

[Andy Valadez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masterful. Brings closure to the plight of Anne's family and her ultimate demise by completing her story as lived out and confirmed by holocaust survivors.

Captures Anne's witty and fun style from the viewpoint of a young teen with great aspirations. This work helps the reader to understand what millions of people faced under the Nazis' death machine and the many concentration camps.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredibly moving story that picks up where Anne's diary left off. It seamlessly flows as an extension to Anne's diary, in her voice and format. It brought me to tears as I felt I walked through her experience with her.
I highly recommend this book.

[Starla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I would recommend this book to anybody. I haven’t read about Anne Frank since middle school. This book helped me remember everything she went through and how strong of a person Anne was. A MUST READ!!

[Jenny Masters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome book! Very captivating and accurate 😀 Everyone should read this book today! The author is smart, accurate, well versed, informative and intelligent ! So happy I bought this book !