© 2026
Donate
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
The Roundtable

Ruth Franklin's new biography is 'The Many Lives of Anne Frank'

By Joe Donahue
Published April 13, 2026 at 11:08 AM EDT
Ways To Subscribe

Biographer Ruth Franklin joins us to tell us about her new biography ‘The Many Lives of Anne Frank.’ Franklin explores the transformation of Anne Frank from ordinary teenager to icon shedding new light on the young woman whose diary of her years in hiding is now translated into more than 70 languages and is the most widely read work of literature to arise from the Holocaust.

Franklin’s book comprehensively researched but experimental in spirit chronicles and interprets Anne’s life as a Jew in Amsterdam during World War II, while also telling the story of the diary, its multiple drafts, its discovery, its reception, and its message for today’s world.

Tags
The Roundtable biographybiographerhistoryWorld War IIholocaustjewish
Stay Connected
Joe Donahue
Joe talks to people on the radio for a living. In addition to countless impressive human "gets" - he has talked to a lot of Muppets. Joe grew up in Philadelphia, has been on the area airwaves for more than 25 years and currently lives in Washington County, NY with his wife, Kelly, and their dog, Brady. And yes, he reads every single book.
See stories by Joe Donahue
Related Content
  • Josh Kaufman
    The Roundtable
    Speaking music fluently with producer and multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman
    Sarah LaDuke
    Josh Kaufman is a Grammy Award-winning Hudson Valley based record producer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist.
  • The Roundtable
    National Poetry Month with Poet Laureates of Saratoga County Jay Rogoff and Ulster County Mike Jurkovic
    Joe Donahue
    Launched by the Academy of American Poets in April 1996, Thirty Years ago, National Poetry Month is a special occasion that celebrates poets’ integral role in our culture and that poetry matters. Over the years, it has become the largest literary celebration in the world.These celebrations are taking place in our communities, and we talk with two Poet Laureates in our listening area about the public and personal responsibilities of the Laureate position, which include engaging the public with readings, workshops, and other poetry activities. Jay Rogoff is the Saratoga Springs Poet Laureate and Mike Jurkovic is the Ulster County Poet Laureate.
  • The Roundtable
    Genevieve Wheeler Brown at the Albany Institute of History and Art on 4/12
    Joe Donahue
    Genevieve Wheeler Brown is a decorative arts specialist and author of the new book ‘Beyond Blue and White: The Hidden History of Delftware and the Women Behind the Iconic Ceramic.’ She will be in discussion with a New Netherland Institute Director Dr. Deborah Hamer coming up on 4/12 at 2 pm at the Albany Institute of History and Art. They will discuss the women in the Netherlands who made the beautiful ceramics, the woman who brought it to New Netherland and New York, and the 19th Century Collectors who collected and championed it. In addition, selections of blue and white delft objects from the Albany Institute’s collection will be on display as well.