Anne Frank (1929–1945) was a Jewish girl born in Germany during the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party. She and her family moved to Amsterdam, Netherlands, in 1934 because of growing anti-Semitism in Germany. After Germany captured the Netherlands during World War II, the Franks—along with four other people—went into hiding to avoid being sent to Nazi prison camps. During this time, Anne began writing in her diary about what day-to-day life was like in hiding, as well as noting her typical adolescent struggles. She also wrote about her hopes of becoming a journalist or writer in the future, but she never got the chance. The annex was discovered by the Gestapo (the Nazi secret police) in the summer of 1944; Anne and the others were sent to German prison camps, where she died at age 15.

Anne’s writing is important largely for its content, the fact that it expresses the thoughts and feelings of a young person caught up in a global war, and also its literary qualities. Her writing showcases the natural concerns of a person her age: interest in the opposite sex; conflicts between people and families in such close quarters; and concerns about herself, her future, and how she should get along with others. The excerpts from Anne’s diary, as well as the other selections in this volume, capture life in a larger neighborhood or community, mirroring everyday struggles as well as the extraordinary circumstances and specifics of her own situation.