The Many Lives of Anne Frank: a fascinating work

The Many Lives of Anne Frank is a captivating biography by Ruth Franklin, delving into the story of the German Jewish teenager who became famous through her diary and its enduring legacy. Franklin's innovative approach to Anne Frank's life and the impact of her diary is both thought-provoking and engaging. The Diary of Anne Frank has been studied by students for decades and has sold millions of copies worldwide.

The annex where Anne and her family hid during World War II receives a million visitors annually, forming a long queue that snakes along a canal in Amsterdam. Published in 2025, the book begins with a classic biography, following the Franks from Germany to the Netherlands and their eventual exile. As the narrative unfolds, it explores the broader context of the Holocaust, such as the ongoing roundup of Jews by the Nazis.

The biography doesn't end with Anne's death in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, but instead focuses on her lasting legacy. Anne's father, Otto, edited and published her diary, following her own edits motivated by a 1944 appeal from the Dutch minister for education. The second half of the book examines the diary's journey to becoming a global phenomenon, raising questions about the concept of "authenticity."

After Otto's edits, the diary was published in Switzerland, with suggestions to cut certain passages to avoid offending conservative readers. A more critical edition was published in 1986, leading to the English-language version released in 1989. The German-language version altered a passage where Anne criticized Germany, changing it to "all civilized languages may be spoken."

The book's chapters are titled after different versions of Anne's work, concluding with "Pawn," which discusses her legacy. Franklin emphasizes that Anne intended her diary to promote peace and tolerance, but she did not anticipate the extraordinary fame that would result. The adaptation of the diary into a play in the United States faced challenges due to differing artistic interpretations and the iconic image of Anne being employed by various groups, including those protesting South African apartheid and later, Israel's war on Gaza.

Franklin's chronicle leaves readers with many questions about how to contextualize the diary of a teenage girl. A renowned literary critic and former editor at The New Republic, Franklin's first biography, Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, received multiple awards. The Many Lives of Anne Frank is deeply researched, well-written, and stimulating, suitable for purchase at the American Book Center.