A true story of courage and compassion
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Millions of people around the world have been inspired and touched by the story of Anne Frank, the young Jewish girl, who spent two long years in hiding, with family and a few friends, in Amsterdam, from their Nazi persecutors, during the second World War, before they were discovered and shipped off tho their deaths in Auschwitz.
Twenty years ago Miep Gies (98 years old at the time of writing of this review) revealed her own courageous and generous role in hiding the Frank family and others, and providing them with food, companionship, and most of all hope.
She gives revealing insight into Anne's life and of her own.
Miep had been a hungry child refugee from Austria, just after the First World War, and passed her own experiences of generosity and compassion on.
We read of the Nazi ocupation of the Netherlands, the decrees and attacks against the Jews, and of the deportations and hidings.
Ultimately every man and women must ask what they would do, when a world goes mad.
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The wonderful unsung heroine, Miep Gies
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Recently I visited, for the first time, the annex where the Franks' and their fellow friends in hiding spent around two years avoiding the persecution of the Nazis. I then read the remarkable diary of Anne Frank, who writes with such skill and vitality for someone so young. I then got hold of Miep Gies' book - she being the one who looked after all eight occupants in the annex during those years. I thought it would be a minor follow-up on Anne Franks diary, but it is a remarkable story, told with no sentiment or hint of personal bravery, about what it was like to be helping Jews in hiding while the Nazis were trying to completely wipe them out. This is a stunning book and a great reminder of quiet calm, humanity and how good life can be when it is free from racism and hate. Her quiet confidence in recognizing that evil can never survive, for it is self-destructive, made her certain that the allies would win the war and the Nazis would be no more. It was all a case of time, and her disappointment is enormous when she discovers that the discovery of the secret annex came too soon - just two months later and it is likely all would have survived. A remarkable book. A remarkable human being. Even in her failing to rescue her friends (as she puts it), she was still able to rescue the diary and bring it, with Otto Frank, to the attention of the world.
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one of my favourite books
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I have read and re-read this book many times over the years.Miep Gies has had a fascinating life. This is an inspiring and engrossing story which gives another perspective to the diary of Anne Frank, and also the day to day life of someone responsible for hidden Jews during the war. How they risked their lives, how they found enough food for everyone, how they coped when the hiding place was discovered and the arrested people did not all return from the camps. I would recommend this book to anyone, you will not be ablle to put it down
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Very sad story that many Jews and others had to go through
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The Diary of Anne Frank was a very sad story. It was sad to see what the people like the poeple in the story had to go through for more than 2 years. I would like to thank you for having alot of info. on this b/c when my class was reading this in school i wanted to find more info. regarding it afterwards
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The stories brought me to tears they are so sad but good.
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The story is so good . When I first heard about Ann Frank I thought oh please but this book has made me ralize just what a good story it is.
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