Tag: Anne Frank

Millie Perkins and Anne Frank

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn Anne Frank

I first learned about the short life of Anne Frank in school, probably about the time the 1952 English publication of “The Diary of a Young Girl” was released. Still, the movie engraved the story in my consciousness along with a brief schoolboy crush on Millie Perkins who portrayed Frank in the 1959 film.

Many things tore at my heart in Frank’s story: hiding from the Nazis, the betrayal of her family to the police, and her 1945 death from typhus so late in the war that had the Allies liberated Bergen-Belsen a little sooner than April 1945, she would have survived her imprisonment.

Millie Perkins had a long career–up to 2006–but whenever I saw her in a film or TV series episode, I thought of “The Diary of Anne Frank” and my crush on the young actress.

In many ways, this crush led me to read a lot about Frank and to applaud the diary and its publication while mourning her death which happened (between February and March 1945) when I was less than a year old. I saw the Anne Frank House in 1967 when I spent a month in the Netherlands volunteering on a school ship restoration project.

According to Anne Frank House website, “The Anne Frank House was established on 3 May 1957 in cooperation with Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father. We are an independent non-profit organisation that runs a museum in the house where Anne Frank went into hiding and we try to increase awareness of Anne’s life story all over the world.”

Just seeing that building flooded me with a lifetime of emotions about Anne, the story that has followed me for a lifetime.

–Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of contemporary fantasy novels and stories, including “Sarabande.”

‘When We Flew Away’ by Alice Hoffman

On By Malcolm R. CampbellIn books

I’ve read all, or mostly all, of Allice Hoffman’s novels. I like the subjects she tackles, her research, and her approach. This novel will increase readers’ understanding of a long-ago girl, an iconic name to most people. I read her diary ages ago, though I saw the Millie Perkins movie in 1959 first.

From the Publisher

“Bestselling author Alice Hoffman delivers a stunning novel about one of contemporary history’s most acclaimed figures, exploring the little-known details of Anne Frank’s life before she went into hiding.

“Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl has captivated and inspired readers for decades. Published posthumously by her bereaved father, Anne’s journal, written while she and her family were in hiding during World War II, has become one of the central texts of the Jewish experience during the Holocaust, as well as a work of literary genius.

“With the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, the Frank family’s life is turned inside out, blow by blow, restriction by restriction. Prejudice, loss, and terror run rampant, and Anne is forced to bear witness as ordinary people become monsters, and children and families are caught up in the inescapable tide of violence.

“In the midst of impossible danger, Anne, audacious and creative and fearless, discovers who she truly is. With a wisdom far beyond her years, she will become a writer who will go on to change the world as we know it.

“Critically acclaimed author Alice Hoffman weaves a lyrical and heart-wrenching story of the way the world closes in on the Frank family from the moment the Nazis invade the Netherlands until they are forced into hiding, bringing Anne to bold, vivid life.

“Based on extensive research and published in cooperation with the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam, When We Flew Away is an extraordinary and moving tour de force.

“Perfect for Alice Hoffman fans and readers of every age.

“‘Adding new poignance to a story whose ending we already knew, Alice Hoffman has deftly recreated the child Anne Frank with all her wit, mischief, and uncertainties. This fictionalized account of the increasingly desperate years that preceded the famous diary breaks readers’ hearts one more time. But it reminds us of how important it is to remember and honor all that was lost.'” — Lois Lowry, Newbery Award-winning author of Number the Stars

“’We can highly recommend Alice Hoffman’s novel of Anne Frank’s life, set in the dramatic and terrible circumstances of those first war years. We hope it will persuade young readers that contributing to a better world is both necessary and possible.’” –Ronald Leopold, Executive Director, Anne Frank House

—Malcolm

Malcolm R. Campbell is the author of contemporary fantasy novels and short stories, including “Widely Scattered Ghosts.”