Anne wrote, ‘One

There were two shades of life in the hiding place: On one side, there was bad news Mr. Van’s arrest for hiding two Jews in his house. His arrest means no more potatoes for them. Then the awful food, the Jewish question, the tension, the miserable atmosphere. Windows could not be opened, unbearable heat, butter melting, not a cool spot anywhere, drying out the bread, the milk getting sour. On the other hand - the news of Bep’s engagement, Mr. Kugler’s birthday and the stories about cabarets, movies, and concerts Thus, if one day they laughed at the comical side of hiding, the next day they were frightened.