In the darkest years of Nazi occupation and genocide, Dutch writer Etty Hillesum celebrated life and, through her insight, compassion, and courage, developed a form of inner resistance against the horrors of war. Hillesum, reminiscent of Anne Frank, invokes moral consciousness and empathy in defense of humanity under the most adverse conditions. She died in Auschwitz in 1943 at the age of twenty-nine.

"Eight notebooks, densely written, with nearly illegible handwriting: Since I read them, the life of Etty Hillesum, a twenty-seven-year-old woman from Amsterdam, has captivated my interest. The notebooks cover the years 1941-1942, years of war and oppression for the Netherlands, but for Etty, years of personal growth and, paradoxically, personal redemption. It was precisely during these years that the extermination plan for the Jews across Europe was being enacted. Etty Hillesum, herself a Jew, counters this through her notes with her own plan." From the introduction by J.G. Gaarlandt.

"Anyone who has encountered the life and work of Hillesum will give their own answer to the content of this precious book, but I think most would agree that it is this simple: life is beautiful, it has meaning, and it is worth living. And she herself believes this about her mission, that she is 'a witness to the beauty and significance of this life.'" From the epilogue by Stavros Zouboulakis.

"An unusual book, written by such a tender and sensitive being, which I read with unflagging and unusual interest." Primo Levi.

"An amazing book, a hymn to moral courage and the joy of life." François Mitterand.

"A rare story of spiritual development, with the deep interiority and rich texture of Henry James's novels. A wonderful gift." Terrence Des Pres, The New York Times Book Review.

"Outstanding. Etty found meaning in life through the combination of her emotional, spiritual, and intellectual passions—this rare combination that constituted her 'reflective heart.' A truly great book." The Washington Post Book World.

"An astonishing achievement of the human spirit." San Francisco Chronicle.

"Etty Hillesum's diary expresses the essence of the human spirit, the indomitable power of hope." The Philadelphia Inquirer.