This was the first personal account of a victim of the Holocaust that I ever read. I bet that is probably the case for a lot of people, because this was required reading in high school. I have read a lot more detailed books than this one, but one must bear in mind the author was a child facing the same things that all girls her age face, while also facing one of the most difficult times in history. This book is tragic for that fact alone, and then to learn that she died to close to liberation from illness. I think this is a good starting point for those who want to get into reading Holocaust memoirs.