The diary of Etti Gillesum reveals the profound internal change that took place with the author during the Second World War during the intensification of persecution of Jews in the Netherlands. Between 1941 and 1943, a 27-year-old Jewish woman with an incredibly intense emotional and intellectual life and uncertain aspirations became a mature person. In the midst of wartime hell, in the whirlpool of difficult personal relationships, with the support of friends and favorite books, Etty learns to cultivate the sprouts of love, faith and humanity, accept the fate of his people without complaint and resentment and in the depths of suffering to discover the beauty of life. Eventually, the reader witnesses how, while in the concentration camp, she strives to become "the thinking heart of the barracks."