TREASURES FROM THE ATTIC : THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF ANNE FRANK'S FAMILY
by Mirjam Pressler

In 2001, in the attic of a home in Basel, Switzerland, a treasure trove of over six thousand documents consisting of letters, photographs, poems, telegrams, drawings and postcards was discovered by Gertrude Elias, wife of Buddy. The historical significance was tremendous due to the fact that all of this correspondence had to do with the Frank family. Buddy Elias was Anne Frank's cousin. His mother, Helene or Leni, as she was known, was Otto Frank's sister.
The Frank family was very close-knit. There were four siblings: three brothers and one sister. They all enjoyed writing letters to each other and were quite good with composing poetry. Even as the family became separated and the children lived elsewhere, they all continued to correspond. Then, World War II began and the letter writing became one-sided. Whatever was sent to Amsterdam was not answered for two years. The Elias family had no idea that Otto Frank, his wife, Edith and their daughters, Anne and Margot were in hiding from the Nazis.
A year and a half later, when the war was over, Otto came to Switzerland for a three-week visit, alone. It was quite a reunion.
Treasures From the Attic is a fascinating read because you learn about the rest of Anne Frank's family that you never knew about. It actually starts with ancestors back in the 1700s (there is an extensive family tree in the back of the book), discusses their lives and how they influenced the generations to come.
When Otto Frank discovered Anne's diary in the Secret Annex and read it, he was stunned. He realized that he never really knew who his daughter was having always treated her like a child. Her diary revealed another side to her: maturity, intelligence, sensitivity and sympathy to all mankind. Otto decided to have the diary published to let the world see the gift that his daughter had.
There are many photographs of the entire family including Anne and Margot when they were young and when they became teenagers. When I look at the girls, I start tearing up. It was such a tragedy. Otto survived while Edith and her daughters were murdered in the concentration camps.
Being able to read the original letters, translated from German into English, you get a rich portrait of what shaped Anne Frank and you get to experience her warm, wonderful, tremendous family.
Recommended.