Choosing to Love

Hello everyone! How is your week going?

Today, I have a Book Blurt that deals with a very sad and well-written book; Annexed by Sharon Dogar. The front cover reads, “The powerful story of the boy who loved Anne Frank.” That is exactly what it is; powerful. There is so much literature about the holocaust, and yet, every time I read another book or another story of that time, I can’t help but feel it. How could we do that to each other?

Sharon wrote this book largely based on Anne Frank’s autobiography. But, instead of telling Anne’s story which has been told and read the world over, Sharon chose to write about Peter. What did he feel while he was in hiding? What did he struggle with? What did his love for Anne look like? What was it like living with Anne Frank? These are questions that Sharon speculates on and writes very believably and convincingly. This book is a well-crafted story based on Anne’s diary, and on documentation from the death camps.

Unlike Anne, who was just writing her thoughts, Sharon has written a complete novel. We hear the story from Peter’s point of view while the events happen. But, we also get short commentaries from the Peter at the death camps. His italicized words hurt as you read them. Peter will be talking about hope and liberation and what he is going to do when the war is over. But then, we read a quick page from the Peter in the death camps, which reminds us that Peter didn’t make it. As Anne’s diary is so human, Sharon has done an excellent job writing a very real and human character in Peter who has his own take on the story.

While reading Holocaust literature it is so difficult not to feel anger. Why couldn’t Peter have made it? Why did so many innocents have to die? How could human beings do those things to someone? I was reading the epilogue that describes how the families died, and I felt angry. But, then I remembered Corrie ten Boom, who lived through the same time period and was able to forgive her captors. I think that is the point. This book is important, and actual Holocaust accounts are important, because they will hopefully help us to never make those mistakes again. But, it is also important that we don’t take on the hate that is shown in these pages, but rather choose to love like Corrie ten Boom.