“We’re all alive, but we don’t know why or what for; we’re all searching for happiness; we’re all leading lives that are different and yet the same. We three have been raised in good families, we have the opportunity to get an education and make something of ourselves. We have many reasons to hope for great happiness, but. . . we have to earn it. And that’s something you can’t achieve by taking the easy way out. Earning happiness means doing good and working, not speculating and being lazy. Laziness may look inviting, but only work gives you true satisfaction.”
This book was one of my bookclubs’ read for the month of March and it was a very enlightening read.
I had been hearing of the holocaust but have never looked it up, since I’m not really a history buff😏, cheers to broadening my reading horizon I finally read Anne’s Diary😊 and it’s my second classic read of the year!!
Anne’s Diary was very insightful and reading it was very intimate. I went through a lot of emotions, sadness, happiness, anger, hope(God so much hope), strength and so on.
I can’t imagine what Anne’s family and some friends who joined them felt while hiding in a place for almost 3 years, no sunlight, no going outside. It was a really crazy situation.
We were taken through Annes’ growth in the Annex from an immature girl to one filled with so much wisdom.
My favourites in the house were Mr. Frank, Anne and Margot I did not like the Van Daans although I had no issues with Peter, as for Dussel😒, such an annoying man.
Lessons I learnt from this book were:
1) Learn to have compassion for one another, those who helped the Franks’ and their friends were so selfless, imagine taking care of 8 persons for almost 3 years, their feeding, care including birthday gifts😅, despite the fear of been caught and nags like Mrs Van Daans and Dussel, they really were the best people.
2) Parents and future parents should learn to be in touch with their children, do not pick favorites, teach your children all they need to know in subtle tones in order for them not to learn it from others and be misled. Connect with your children at all times.
3) Read! Read! Read!! These families in hiding used reading as their greatest companions, they learnt new languages just to keep themselves busy.
4) Finally war is never good, I remember 2 years ago I think, in Nigeria, The Biafrans were trying to fight for separation, especially the young ones, this would have led to a lot of deaths and loss, we have never lived through war, it’s a horrible experience.. That’s all for now😅😅, you can tell I liked this book right?
Here are some thought provoking quotes for you:
“Those who don’t know will have to find out by experience that “a quiet conscience gives you strength!””
Yass!! 🤩🤩
“In the book Soldiers on the Home Front I was greatly struck by the fact that in childbirth alone, women commonly suffer more pain, illness and misery than any war hero ever does. And what’s her reward for enduring all that pain? She gets pushed aside when she’s disfigured by birth, her children soon leave, her beauty is gone. Women, who struggle and suffer pain to ensure the con- tinuation of the human race, make much tougher and more courageous soldiers than all those big-mouthed freedom-fighting heroes put together!”
Oops😬 What do you think?!
“It sounded so cold when he said he didn’t need any friends. Oh, he’s so wrong! I don’t think he means it. He clings to his masculinity, his solitude and his feigned indif- ference so he can maintain his role, so he’ll never, ever have to show his feelings.”
Now why do men always do this?
“Mrs. van D. and Dussel continued their harangue: “You know way too much about things you’re not supposed to. You’ve been brought up all wrong. Later on, when you’re older, you won’t be able to enjoy anything anymore. You’ll say, ‘Oh, I read that twenty years ago in some book.’ You’d better hurry if you want to catch a husband or fall in love, since everything is bound to be a disappointment to you. You already know all there is to know in theory. But in practice? That’s another story!”
Huh! 🙄🙄 I don’t get this, is it wrong to know things?
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The Readers Hut 