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Rating: 
Summary: The Missing Link
Review: "A Hidden Life" A book is worth a thousand words, this is worth 10,000.
Mirjam Pressler has created a chapter book that includes the others who affiliate with Anne's story, and personalities through the whole book. This book is not just about how Anne suffered it's about everyone and what they had to do to survive. It gives deeper insight on whom Otto Frank was, Margot and other people I didn't even know, who also shared the same agony. This book is the final chapter to all books; it gives every event from beginning to end; past to present. You can easily tell this book took time to write, most books you read on Anne are usually just bits and pieces taken out Anne's diary, there is no mention of anyone else, any mention of who Anne was before the Secret Annex or as a person for that matter. This book was different. I know that the author's purpose for writing this book is the same reason I decide to read this book. She wanted to give everyone a chance to know the whole story, and not from one point of view. The story doesn't just surround the horrible event taken place it let us to know Anne before the Secret Annex, during the changing of the Jewish laws, and after, when all was done. To me it's the "missing link" to all Anne Frank biographies. Anne Frank herself could only write a better book.
Rating:
Summary: The Missing Link
Review: "A Hidden Life" A book is worth a thousand words, this is worth 10,000.
Mirjam Pressler has created a chapter book that includes the others who affiliate with Anne's story, and personalities through the whole book. This book is not just about how Anne suffered it's about everyone and what they had to do to survive. It gives deeper insight on whom Otto Frank was, Margot and other people I didn't even know, who also shared the same agony.This book is the final chapter to all books; it gives every event from beginning to end; past to present. You can easily tell this book took time to write, most books you read on Anne are usually just bits and pieces taken out Anne's diary, there is no mention of anyone else, any mention of who Anne was before the Secret Annex or as a person for that matter. This book was different.
I know that the author's purpose for writing this book is the same reason I decide to read this book. She wanted to give everyone a chance to know the whole story, and not from one point of view. The story doesn't just surround the horrible event taken place it let us to know Anne before the Secret Annex, during the changing of the Jewish laws, and after, when all was done. To me it's the "missing link" to all Anne Frank biographies. Anne Frank herself could only write a better book.
Rating: 
Summary: Biography & Analysis
Review: If you are looking for a book that is straight biography, then this is not the book for you. There is biographical material, of course, but there are better biographies of Anne out there. This is already a very slight book and Pressler has more on her mind than biography. She is also interested in analyzing Anne's life and, in particular, her relationships with the people she knew. Pressler is an "expert on the life of Anne Frank" so many of her observations clearly come from a solid basis in research. Much of it seems to be coming from the Critical Edition of Anne's Diary and from Miep Gies' book, Anne Frank Remembered. (These are two excellent books I would read before reading this.) Still, for someone who has already formed an idea about Anne some of Pressler's opinions can be disconcerting, particularly when it comes to her analysis of Anne's sexuality. This does not mean Pressler's opinions are not worthwhile. For someone truly interested in imagining a full picture of a real person, there is a lot of food for thought in this book whether you end up agreeing with Pressler or not. However, this book goes beyond the simple hero-worship in which Anne's memory usually finds itself. In my fairly wide reading on the subject of Anne's life, this book is unique in its attempt to understand Anne as a real person beyond the character she creates for herself in the Diary. Since this is an impossible task, all attempts are somehow tinged with futility, especially for someone who never knew Anne in life (unlike Gies and van Maarsen, for example). This casts a pall over this book which Pressler, unlike some highly talented biographers, does not quite have the ability to overcome. However, this book could be very important in opening up the field for a future analysis that may be better.
Rating:
Summary: Biography & Analysis
Review: If you are looking for a book that is straight biography, then this is not the book for you. There is biographical material, of course, but there are better biographies of Anne out there. This is already a very slight book and Pressler has more on her mind than biography. She is also interested in analyzing Anne's life and, in particular, her relationships with the people she knew. Pressler is an "expert on the life of Anne Frank" so many of her observations clearly come from a solid basis in research. Much of it seems to be coming from the Critical Edition of Anne's Diary and from Miep Gies' book, Anne Frank Remembered. (These are two excellent books I would read before reading this.) Still, for someone who has already formed an idea about Anne some of Pressler's opinions can be disconcerting, particularly when it comes to her analysis of Anne's sexuality. This does not mean Pressler's opinions are not worthwhile. For someone truly interested in imagining a full picture of a real person, there is a lot of food for thought in this book whether you end up agreeing with Pressler or not. However, this book goes beyond the simple hero-worship in which Anne's memory usually finds itself. In my fairly wide reading on the subject of Anne's life, this book is unique in its attempt to understand Anne as a real person beyond the character she creates for herself in the Diary. Since this is an impossible task, all attempts are somehow tinged with futility, especially for someone who never knew Anne in life (unlike Gies and van Maarsen, for example). This casts a pall over this book which Pressler, unlike some highly talented biographers, does not quite have the ability to overcome. However, this book could be very important in opening up the field for a future analysis that may be better.
Rating: 
Summary: The hidden psyche of Anne Frank
Review: In this book the author seems to have magical insight into Anne's hidden thoughts and desires. She also interprets one of Anne's passages to mean that Anne was describing her first orgasm during a petting session with Peter. I read all editions available as well as the newly released "missing pages" and I did not draw this same conclusion. She also believes that Peter did not love Anne. How would she know? I did find interesting little known information about the other members in hiding and do trust facts provided by eyewitnesses (Miep Gies for example)But overall I would recommend Melissa Muller's biography over this book. The biography provides a great deal more detailed facts about Anne's life and does offer a new theory as to who betrayed the Franks. Pressler's book is more like a psychoanalysis of Anne Frank's mind than a detailed account of her life.
Rating:
Summary: The hidden psyche of Anne Frank
Review: In this book the author seems to have magical insight into Anne's hidden thoughts and desires. She also interprets one of Anne's passages to mean that Anne was describing her first orgasm during a petting session with Peter. I read all editions available as well as the newly released "missing pages" and I did not draw this same conclusion. She also believes that Peter did not love Anne. How would she know? I did find interesting little known information about the other members in hiding and do trust facts provided by eyewitnesses (Miep Gies for example)But overall I would recommend Melissa Muller's biography over this book. The biography provides a great deal more detailed facts about Anne's life and does offer a new theory as to who betrayed the Franks. Pressler's book is more like a psychoanalysis of Anne Frank's mind than a detailed account of her life.
Rating:
Summary: Melissa's was better...
Review: Just have to tell you that - I read this first, found it okay. It IS a great and easy read - full of interest, don't get me wrong - but it's just not 'the best.' - for that check out Melissa's biography. It just REALLY puts you there and is amazing with detail!
Rating:
Summary: I could hardly put it down.
Review: This is a fine, well -written account of the famous diary and the writing thereof, including information that I have never seen before. She describes exactly what Anne used for her diary (the famous red and white checked book did not begin to hold it all), and describes life in hiding as it must have been for all of the people in the Secret Annexe, not just Anne. The author speculates on Anne's writing and some of the choices she made--to have a romance with Peter, for instance. I recommend this highly to anyone who loves Anne Frank, but it is definitely for older young adults and adults as opposed to children.
Rating:
Summary: I could hardly put it down.
Review: This is a fine, well -written account of the famous diary and the writing thereof, including information that I have never seen before. She describes exactly what Anne used for her diary (the famous red and white checked book did not begin to hold it all), and describes life in hiding as it must have been for all of the people in the Secret Annexe, not just Anne. The author speculates on Anne's writing and some of the choices she made--to have a romance with Peter, for instance. I recommend this highly to anyone who loves Anne Frank, but it is definitely for older young adults and adults as opposed to children.
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