Margot: a Novel

I doubt that there are too many people who haven't read A Diary of Anne Frank and not cried over the loss of Anne and her family in the concentration camps of Germany near the end of WWII. First the book and then a stage play and in 1959 a movie - the story is at the top of most people's list of books about the Holocaust. Jillian Cantor takes Anne Frank's story into 'what if' territory with her book Margot! What if....Anne's sister Margot was still alive....what if she lived in Philadelphia (the city of brotherly love) as a Christian woman called Margie....what if she was still plagued with nightmares and thoughts of her family during their last years but had never contacted her father to tell him she was alive. The novel Margot takes place in 1959 as Margot struggles with how to live her life by hiding out in plain site. She has told no one who she really is but as the movie version of Anne Frank is premiering and everyone is talking about it, she finds it more difficult to hide who she is from others but most importantly from herself. Can anyone really live a contented life by denying their history and hiding who they really are? I thought that Jillian Cantor did a fantastic job of combining real history with the 'what-ifs' of fiction to make this a truly memorable novel.

I was unable to finish the diary of Anne Frank. I found it too sad. But I read enough so that I could follow this story very easily. I wanted to rate this five stars but I didn’t because I thought Marjie Franklin‘s life needed to be more fleshed out.. We only ever see her at work or at the office and every now and then a bar when a work friend drags her there. But, considering that this young woman was not that far removed from terrible trauma, every day for her was about getting through. She might not have been able to handle any more than that, the office and then home. Of course when she stops hiding life opens up for her. I have read several true stories about Holocaust survivors and their lives are not easy. It doesn’t matter how much money they have or where they immigrated to, the terror of concentration camps and the sorrow for lost family and friends never goes away. And for almost all of them, there is survivor’s guilt. I think the author did a very good job of portraying what Margot Frank’s life may have been had she survived.

This is the fictionalized story of what might have happened if Margot Frank, Anne's older sister, had survived the Holocaust. While unfortunately completely fiction -- Margot perished in the camps as did her mother and Anne -- it was an interesting story. Margot has managed to end up in Philadelphia thanks to the kindness of her mother's cousin in Frankfurt and his relatives in America. She goes by Margie Franklin and denies her Jewish heritage out of fear and the misguided notion that it will help her move on. In fact, all it does is keep her reminded of her past and the survivor's guilt she carries with her, along with the ever-damning tattoo on her left arm. She keeps her tattoo covered by wearing a sweater no matter the temperature, but her internal struggles are ones she cannot deny. I am a firm believer in keeping this horrific period of history alive and in the forefront of peoples' minds in order that it never be repeated. In that vein, this story is a good reminder, is entertaining, and is definitely well worth reading.

Well, my book club voted on this book for our next meeting and though I found the premises enticing, it was not for me. I found the writer's voice to bit juvenile and then I realized (after I completed the book) that perhaps I was not the target audience for this book. Perhaps it is aimed at YOUTH readers? I don't know because the Hunger Games and the Harry Potter Series were also targeted at YOUTH readers, and I found those series quite lovely. If you'd like a quick, easy to comprehend read, this would fit the bill. If your young reader just finished "Anne Frank" and he/she would like to continue their reading journey, I would recommend this book.What I disliked about this book:--poor voice--lack of character development; the reader should feel compassion for the protagonist and I didn't feel that--so so story lineWhat I liked about the book:--a vision of the 'what ifs'--I think it would be a easy read for those YOUTH that parents/guardians/educators have a difficult time getting them to READ--the writer had a talent of ending each chapter so the reader would continue reading the story (I finished this book in a two days)--I found the additional information the writer placed at the end of the book (Q&A styled responses) fun to read; I personally love it when writers tell you how they went about on researching and writing their booksEven though I wasn't a fan of this particular book, I would not discourage you from taking a peek and establishing your own opinions.

I really didn't see how someone could write a book about Anne Frank's sister being alive and make me actually believe it could happen. I just thought it was an implausible story line. I am so glad I read the reviews and didn't listen to my misgivings. This was a wonderful story. If you're like me and not sure if you should read this, please do. You will not regret it. Ms. Cantor wrote a beautiful book! You know, I read a lot of books and like the majority of them so, sometimes, I have a hard time deciding between what ranks a '4 star' or a '5 star'. I've determined that if I remember the story and not just the story line but the characters, the writing, etc. (in a good way) then I know it was a book that deserves 5 stars. This book deserves 5 stars.

From the very moment I first heard about Margo, I wanted it in my hands. I've said it a hundred times, but Historical Fiction is the genre I grew up reading - I love the insights into life in the past, the characters, the atmosphere - absolutely everything about it. And although Margot is based on a non-fiction book, the fiction element was strong enough to have me obsessing about reading it.I admit that I don't remember reading The Diary of a Young Girl although I do own a copy - iconic books are often the ones that I don't choose to read because I'm so fearful of being disappointed, but I don't think it would be considered essential to have read it first - and in some ways I'm glad I haven't. Although it will be interesting to read it having read this, albeit fictional, book from Margot's perspective.I had an overwhelming sympathy for Margot right from the beginning - having lost her family and even her own identity, she has ensconced herself in a safe, comfortable life in Philadelphia, and has, for the most part, packed away her past and concentrated on just blending into the background and making it through the next day. As the story progressed, I really started to admire her as a character too - although cracks start to appear, she continues to hold everything together as best she can.Cantor's creativity in re-imagining Margot's story was fabulous - it really made me stop and think about how secondary characters in non-fiction and in first person perspectives in fiction are usually very one dimensional because their side of the story isn't told. I also wondered about Diary of a Young Girl, and how in becoming so famous, that book only tells part of the story of the Frank family as it is from Anne's perspective.The plot is not action-packed - when I finished reading and looked back on it, all that really happened was Margot's journey to confront her past and understand how it fit into her present. But it was a page-turner nonetheless - Cantor sucked me right in to Margot's story and whenever I had to stop reading, I couldn't wait to get back to it.Margot was incredibly creative, well thought-out and the characterisation was fantastic - I'd recommend this book to anyone.

Very good read, whould highly recommend it.