When We Flew Away: A Novel of Anne Frank Before the Diary

by Alice Hoffman

That was the thing about being someone’s sister. You could hate her and love her at the very same time. You could tell her things you wouldn’t tell anyone else or tell her nothing at all. You could have a fight and say horrible things, and then forget all about it.

They were so very different, but they were sisters all the same. You can love someone who doesn’t understand you. That’s what Anne had decided. You can trust them more than anyone else.

“Anne, with a book you will never be alone.” And that was how she knew he sometimes felt as she did and that he understood that even when you were surrounded by people, sitting at the dinner table with your family or celebrating a holiday, it was possible to feel as if you were alone, and that when you felt that way, you could open a book and turn the page and feel known by someone you had never even met.

This book is perfect for people who love Anne’s diary. It fills in some interesting background about her life and the terrible events leading up to going into hiding. It is both well researched and well written.