Did you love reading The Diary of Anne Frank? Author Sharon Dogar has crafted a hauntingly beautiful “same, but different” telling of the story from the point of view of Peter Van Pels, the young man Anne fell in love with during their 2 years in hiding. Peter is furious at having to go into hiding and thinks Anne is a flighty, annoying girl. He spends hours sleeping, refusing to study, work or help in any way. Whereas Anne’s diary was filled with her hopes and belief that things would get better, Peter has nightmares that fill him with anguish. His gradual transformation and growing love for Anne are heartbreaking because I knew the ending was not going to change. So why should you read Annexed? First, it’s beautifully written and gives another dimension to the diary that Anne kept. Second, I believe we need to remember what happened during the Holocaust and work to create a world where it can never happen again.
