Kathleen March, children’s manager at Anderson’s Bookshop in Downers Grove, Ill., praises a novel she initially picked up somewhat skeptically.
In her preface to Annexed: A Novel, Sharon Dogar writes, “Anne [Frank]’s diary is a vitally important part of our history.” This is exactly why I approached Annexed with some hesitation. Could it do justice to Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl? Do we really need another version of that story? Would it have the same emotional kick that Anne’s own story has given to generations of readers? The answer is a resounding “yes.”
Annexed is a powerful story that transports us back to that famous attic room. Using Peter as an alternative point of view adds another dimension to this story. Not only do we see Anne from a completely different set of eyes, but now we consider what it was like for a teenage boy to spend two years living under one roof with two families. We watch as Peter mourns a lost love, struggles with the desire to stand and fight instead of hide, and lets his relationship with Anne grow from one of annoyance to friendship to love.
The emotion of this novel builds slowly as the families settle in to life in the annex. By the time they are betrayed and taken away, we have laughed and cried with each character. Although we know how this story will end, we cannot help but hold our breath and hope that maybe, just maybe….
Dogar has created a story that can stand proudly alongside The Diary of a Young Girl, but can also shine in its own light.
Annexed: A Novel by Sharon Dogar. Houghton Mifflin, $17 Oct. ISBN 978-0-547-50195-6
