Tales of the everyday

On this day in 1942, a girl called Anne Frank received a diary for her 13th birthday.

That diary captured her thoughts, hopes and wishes through the years that she and her family hid from the Germans and left a lasting legacy for readers around the world about a period of our history we can't ever forget.

But it wasn't just a record of the times.  The most appealing things about the diary are the little moments of the everyday and the glimpses into a teenager's head as her body and mind begin to prepare for adulthood. 

In her wildest dreams, I can't imagine that Anne ever thought that her diary would be such an enduring legacy of a teenage girl's life - but perhaps that's the reason why it is still so popular today.  The simple tales of day to day life in unusual circumstances, and the hopes and dreams of a girl on the verge of womanhood are the tales of humanity that speak to us on a very personal level.

From Samuel Pepys to Helene Hanf - and even the fictional Bridget Jones - diaries, journals, letters,  and blogs provide us with a glimpse into the everyday world of people we may never know or meet - but can still connect with.