Many Lives of Anne Frank

Ruth Franklin is the author of A Thousand Darknesses: Lies and Truth in Holocaust Fiction, a finalist for the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature, and of Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography. She lives in Brooklyn, NY.

“Ms. Franklin has done a wonderful thing here. While giving an analysis of the obliterating phenomenon of ‘Anne,’ she continually points back to the real-life girl in a way that feels fresh and persuasive. . . . [Her] technique . . . gives verve and texture to this fine book.”—Meghan Cox Gurdon, Wall Street Journal“With sensitivity and assiduous research, [Franklin] constructs a vivid cultural history that advocates for a reevaluation of Frank, not as a symbol or a saint but as a human being and a literary artist.”—New Yorker, “Best Books of the Year”“Clearly and powerfully told. . . . One of the best accounts of the many lives—and afterlives—of Anne Frank.”—David Herman, Times Literary Supplement“Humane, generous . . . a rare combination of lightness and equanimity. . . . It is unusual for a book to have a companion as faithful and elegant as the one Frank’s diary finds here. Franklin has performed an invaluable service—or, to put it another way, a mitzvah.”—Alexander Nazaryan, Los Angeles Times“Trenchant. . . . An essential look at the diarist’s legacy.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)“A book that should be read and discussed for generations. . . . Read this book. You won’t regret it.”—John Warner, Chicago Tribune“Superb and subtle. . . . Franklin writes with enormous intelligence about the many ‘cultural products’ that have grown from Anne’s legacy, and, just as importantly, she gives us a human, sympathetic and honest picture of the girl herself.”—Bart van Es, The Spectator“At the heart of Franklin’s superb biography is her disarming, touching and vivid portrait of a young Jewish girl attempting to make sense of cruelty, isolation and genocide.”—Anne Sarzin, Jwire“More than a biography, The Many Lives of Anne Frank doubles as a cultural history of the Diary’s reception. As no one has done so thoroughly, Franklin shows how Frank became a testament to readers around the world, inspiring their art, politics, and personal experiences.”—Yeshua G. B. Tolle, Jewish Review of BooksShortlisted for the Rabbi Sacks Book Prize, sponsored by Yeshiva UniversityReceived an honorable mention from the Sophie Brody Medal, sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA)Finalist for the 2025 L.A.Times Book Prizes, biography category“With comprehensive research and stunning clarity of thought, Ruth Franklin has peeled back all the layers that lie between life and art, memory and history, icon and human being. This tour de force sets the standard for anyone thinking about Anne Frank for years to come.”—Dara Horn, author of People Love Dead Jews“This brilliant, meticulously researched, and deeply engaging portrait of Anne Frank is more than a biography—it is cultural history, investigative journalism, literary criticism, and, ultimately, a moving, clear-eyed tribute. A triumph.”—Heather Clark, author of Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath“Ruth Franklin meets Anne Frank incisively on her own terms, first and foremost as a writer. She executes a difficult balancing act with subtlety, returning the diary to its context while also amplifying the voice of its author.”—Stacy Schiff, author of The Revolutionary: Samuel Adams“With great narrative feeling, Franklin brings to life not only Anne but the entire canvas of her life, deepening our understanding of her, her legacy, and the times she lived in. Anyone who has read the diary will be fascinated and edified by this stirring, important companion biography.”—Sheila Heti, author of Alphabetical Diaries