The Diary of Anne Frank (Het Achterhuis)

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When I was at senior school I never really showed any interest in school or in particular, in English lit lessons until we used the Diary of Anne Frank one term. The impact the book had on me was all the greater because she was about the same age as me at the time she was doing her writings. I was amazed at how articulate she was, the way she was able to capture the events as she lived through that, what must have been, an unbelievably scary time. It made me feel ashamed to some extent, because here I was, living in a time of peace, wasting my education. She undoubtedly had a natural talent for writing and maybe a future as a writer could have been hers, but sadly, she perished like so many others unable to fulfill her future. A few years ago I went to Amsterdam and one of the places I visited was the Anne Frank house and museum. As I was learning Dutch at the time I bought the Dutch language copy of her book 'Het Achterhuis'. When I read it again it made me sad because it made me think of what might have been for her and so many others. I was wondering if anyone who has read this or any other book, which has made a lasting impression on them like this one has had on me?