BOOK REVIEW: Annelies: A Novel of Anne Frank by David Gillham

Synopsis

Anne Frank's extraordinary diaries have captivated millions of people around the world. But what might have happened if she had survived the war?

It is 1945, and Anne Frank is sixteen years old. Having survived the concentration camps but lost her mother and sister, she reunites with her father, Pim, in newly liberated Amsterdam. But Anne is adrift, haunted by the ghost of her sister, Margot, and the atrocities they experienced. Her beloved diary is gone, and her dreams of becoming a writer seem distant and pointless now.

As Anne struggles to build a new life for herself, she
grapples with overwhelming grief, heartbreak, and ultimately forgiveness. In this masterful story of trauma and redemption, David Gillham explores with breath-taking empathy the woman - and the writer - Anne Frank might have become.

My Thoughts

In 1945, Anne Frank, aged 16, died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp. Her diary, first published in English in 1952, was popular reading material when I was in high school during the mid-1960s. I was fourteen when I read it and my impressions have dimmed over time. I don't think I fully understood the horror of what happened to Anne, her family and others until I grew older and my interest in World War II developed.

In David Gillham’s latest novel, he speculates on what Anne Frank’s life would have been like if she had survived the concentration camp. At times, this is quite an emotional read.

As Anne tries to adjust to a post-war world, she is determined never to forget what she has experienced. She cannot understand the eagerness of others to move on and re-build their lives while she is still grieving for her mother, her sister and the life she once had. Her relationship with her father is strained. She believes, unreasonably, that he failed in his duty as a father to keep his family safe, and when he thinks of re-marrying, their relationship becomes even more fragile.

Anne also suffers from survivor guilt which manifests in her seeing and speaking with the ghost of her dead sister, Margot, but there is another reason that Anne is being haunted by her sister. Margot is often the voice of reason and bears the brunt of Anne's sharp tongue: " ... are you stupid as well as dead...".

A strong willed and outspoken girl, Anne was often accused of being spoiled and disrespectful to adults. She returns just as strong willed and determined to do as she pleases, only now her anger, entwined with thoughts of vengeance for those that betrayed them, threatens to alienate those closest to her. Her salvation is to leave Holland for a fresh start in America, away from all the reminders of the life she once knew, but her age and the reluctance of her father to agree to her plans become another contentious issue between them. Redemption comes in the form of her diary, believed lost, but saved from the Nazis by a family friend, Mies; the diary that will hopefully allow her to capture the post-war Anne.

At times throughout the story Anne is not lovable, but one has to admire her courage and remember that she is a teenager trying to make sense of what has happened and why. Gillham's portrayal of Anne before and after the concentration camp is well done; the girl she once was is recognisable under the layers of anger and grief.

While initially a happy occasion and cause for celebration, the reunion between father and daughter quickly degenerates into two people unable to find solace in each other. The sadness of Anne's father is palpable as he struggles with the unhappiness of his daughter and his own emotions.

Although Anne Franks' real fate hovered in the background, David Gillham's expertise in developing the story and the characters made it easy to believe that she did survive and go on to achieve her dreams and ambitions. He gives us a glimpse of what Anne's life could have been, which makes this novel all the more poignant.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Australia for a complimentary copy of this book.