Dear Cara : Letters From Otto Frank; Anne's Father Shares His Wisdom

Dear Cara : Letters From Otto Frank; Anne's Father Shares His Wisdom
by Cara Weiss Wilson, Otto Frank

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Book Summary Information

Author: Cara Weiss Wilson, Otto Frank
Edition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2000-10-30
ISBN: 1880823233
Number of pages: 184
Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: North Star Publications (MA)

Book Reviews of Dear Cara : Letters From Otto Frank; Anne's Father Shares His Wisdom

Book Review: From Girl to Woman (With a Very Special Mentor)
Summary: 5 Stars

"I received your kind letter and thank you for it. It was very nice of you to send me your photo, so that I have a better impression of you as a person..."

So begins Otto Frank's first letter to a young American girl in 1957, a suburban California girl named Cara as much in the mainstream of American society as the pop songs she listens to on the radio. That girl had read Anne's diary, had been deeply moved by it, and had written to Anne's father.

He wrote back.

Cara wrote to him again. Otto wrote back. She wrote again. He wrote again. And so on and so forth...for decades. They grew close. Cara faced all the same questions we face, about school, love, marriage, child-rearing, politics, family. But she had a very, very special mentor.

This book is her story of that relationship. Yes, it's a remarkable pairing. But it's also a remarkable tour through the last half of the 20th century, through the Civil Rights movement and Vietnam, the Watergate days, too many wars in the Middle East; all reflected in a single woman's coming of age. The letters back and forth are always revealing and quite often gripping. They are about private troubles and public issues. And when Cara, as a woman, goes to visit an ailing Otto, by now an old man, it would take a reader with a hard heart indeed not to feel a lump in the throat, at least. Then, when Otto her a collection of something that takes us, the reader, completely over the edge, in the best possible way.

We recommend this book to anyone, of any age. It is just special.

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Summary of Dear Cara : Letters From Otto Frank; Anne's Father Shares His Wisdom

The Diary of Anne Frank taught the value of love and forgiveness and became a worldwide, enduring bestseller. In Dear Cara: Letters from Otto Frank, the story continues and expands. Through his letters, Otto, the only survivor in the family, became a treasured wise friend to thousands of young people around the world giving simple, honest responses to their questions. Cara, a young American girl, kept his letters, followed his advice, and honored Otto as her surrogate father. Nearly 20 years later, as a grown woman and mother, she journeyed to Amsterdam to see the home where Anne had been hidden in an attic for two years before her murder. Cara listened to some of the holocaust stories from the Dutch people who had sheltered the Franks, then traveled to Switzerland to fulfill a life-long dream to finally meet her mentor and his second wife in Switzerland. She embraced the tender, frail old man who had been able to live Anne's belief that "In spite of everything, I still believe people are really good at heart." He had not forgotten those who had betrayed their wartime hiding place, nor did he wish for revenge. He had managed, through his own radiant spirit and the poignant words of his dead daughter, to embrace the best in people and forgive those who had been the worst. Cara and Otto, generations apart, know love can bloom in every culture through the most painful of times and their brief coming together was the best of times. Dear Cara: Letters from Otto Frank captures the horrors of war in Europe and the tumultuous postwar decades in America. Most of all, it shares the treasures of love in all its manifestations. Otto is a beloved teacher, and Cara really listens from her heart: each is a blessing for the other. This story tells it honestly as their private letters reveal their true selves and bridges the gap between their ages, cultures and life experiences. Dear Cara: Letters from Otto Frank is a "keeper," a book for young and old readers. PUBCOMMENTS: The Diary of Anne Frank, one of our enduring inspirational books, was written by a young girl who died in a Nazi concentration camp in World War II. Otto Frank, her father and the only family survivor, motivated people all over the world to carry on Anne's message of love and hope in their own lives. Otto never wanted Anne remembered as a victim but as a living spirit through her words. A generation later, a young American girl began conversations with Otto through letters reflecting her own chaotic teenage years and the violence in America in the 1960s and '70s. His responses helped her mature into a loving, trusting woman. Cara Weiss Wilson wrote this book from her extraordinary correspondence with Otto and the inspiration she drew from it. He validated her need to be heard and respected; he became her mentor, her wise "grandfather," as he was for so many others. He taught the importance of tolerance and true spirituality, focusing on the power of love, not revenge. He said, "If the world were ending tomorrow, I would still plant a tree today." He truly lived his message. Cara's twenty-year correspondence with Otto culminated in a memorable meeting shortly before his death, and influenced the rest of her turbulent life. Her remarkable book helps others lead fulfilling lives and renews our faith in the possibility of forgiveness and optimism.

Jewish Books

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