We All Wore Stars

The Birth of an Idea Part I: Off to a new school - age twelve Part II: Going underground - age fourteen Prisoners for exchange Nanette's clock Arrested Reunion at Merwedeplein Going underground Anne Frank's admirers Inside and outside school The German invasion Escaped from German hands The first electric potter in the Netherlands Hiding in the forest A copied letter Visiting the Anne Frank House Westerbork Expunging memories Part III: After the war - age seventeen An unexpected reunion A future in Israel The queen's permission In a glass coffin In love in London A grim message Levels of suffering The importance of blond hair Epilogue The film

Theo Coster, Jahrgang 1929, besuchte zusammen mit Anne Frank das Amsterdamer Jüdische Gymnasium. Er ist einer der wenigen aus der Klasse, die überlebten. Mit falschem Namen fand er auf dem Land Unterschlupf. Seit 1955 lebt er in Tel Aviv, wo er mit seiner Frau Ora eine Spielzeugfirma gründete.

"Coster managed to track down several surviving classmates for reminiscing, revealing stories as freshly searing as when they first occurred. Several of the survivors who had also ended up in Bergen-Belsen, like Anne, actually spoke to her there, and were impressed by her conviction to survive the war. All speak of Anne's vivacity and spirit, although they reveal some resentment of her singular fame. Details reveal the enormous pressure on the children in hiding to be quiet and not make trouble, and the absolute lack of professional help after the war in easing the emotional trauma. The moving lore around the life of Anne Frank remains inexhaustible and eternal."--"Kirkus""This book introduces readers to a remarkable group of people who remember Anne as vain and generous, ordinary and creative, rebellious and precocious. Noting that the situation caused children to grow up quickly, this book becomes a tribute to their resilience. This is a wonderful chance for readers to learn more about Anne Frank as well as to meet other children who survived."--"Jewish Book World""A marvelous book which beautifully complements Anne Frank's diary. A must-read for anyone interested in the lives of Anne's Jewish contemporaries in Nazi-occupied Holland during World War II."--Dr. Efraim Zuroff, Chief Nazi-Hunter, Simon Wiesenthal Center, Author of "Operation Last Chance: One Man's Quest to Bring Nazi Criminals to Justice""By highlighting the experiences of those who shared her school days and survived the war, Theo Coster helps us to see Anne alive in her community, one child among the millions touched so dramatically by evil. Their tales of survival offer a poignant and inspiring contrast to Anne's horrifying death."--Ben Barkow, Director, The Wiener Library Institute of Contemporary History