Victorious: Corrie ten Boom and The Hiding Place

by Stan Guthrie

"Stan has given us a book that is full of insight—about the life of one great woman, yes, but also about some of the most complicated, nuanced, and significant questions of our time. The life of Corrie ten Boom is compelling testament to God’s power and presence in the life of one of his beloved servants, and it is also a powerful inspiration for our journeys of faith and calling.” — Ruth Haley Barton , founder, Transforming Center and author of  Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership 

This is the story of how Corrie ten Boom’s 1971 classic, The Hiding Place , came into being, sold millions, and helped shape the faith of a generation.
 
Some books have such an impact on people that they become more than a book – they influence a generation, and beyond. Guthrie tells the story of Corrie ten Boom’s The Hiding Place . Ten Boom was a simple watchmaker in The Netherlands when World War II began, and soon, by faith and determination, she became a heroine of the resistance to Hitler and the Nazis. She survived the concentration camps and became one of the twentieth century’s most important evangelists.
 
Nearly half a century after it was first published, The Hiding Place still thrills and challenges readers with its portrait of Corrie ten an imperfect servant of Jesus, who was determined to defy evil, defend the weak, and endure hardship.

The cover photo of Corrie ten Boom is used courtesy of the Corrie ten Boom Fellowship, Inc.; for information about the Corrie ten Boom Fellowship, visit  . 

 

176 pages, Paperback

Published November 1, 2019

About the author

Stan Guthrie is an editor at large for Christianity Today magazine and hosts a weekly podcast with John Wilson of Books & Culture. Stan writes for BreakPoint.org and ChristianHeadlines.com and is author of All That Jesus Asks, A Concise Guide to Bible Prophecy, and Missions in the Third Millennium. He is coauthor of The Sacrament of Evangelism. He lives near Chicago.

Reviews

[Melody Schwarting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Victorious considers the story of The Hiding Place (book and film) and the life of its heroine, Corrie ten Boom. Guthrie looks at the historical context of ten Boom, American Christianity when the book was published, and ten Boom's later life.

Some of the information in here was really neat to learn. The premiere of the 1975 movie was interrupted by a tear gas canister in the theater, so the attendees evacuated outdoors, where Billy Graham, Pat Boone, George Beverly Shea, and Corrie ten Boom led a street meeting, ultimately premiering the film the following night. We get a more human glimpse of ten Boom here, with a clearer picture of her physical suffering, and the few controversies in her life. I did not know ten Boom had such a close working relationship with Billy Graham, and now I want to know more.

Victorious is not scholarly, making it a quick read, but it does frequently reference scholarly secondary sources in lieu of primary sources. Most of these are fine, but some lack nuance. Guthrie spends the last third or so of the book drawing parallels between ten Boom's emphases and current issues (at least, current for 2019). This just felt...hollow. Perhaps it was because I went into Victorious expecting something slightly more scholarly, but I didn't feel trusted as a reader to draw my own conclusions. This section also feels quaint and small compared to the issues we are facing as a globe today. Of course, there's no way of knowing how the world will change when one writes a book, but one can at least future-proof a book by choosing timeless questions over hot-button issues. Maybe that's the crotchety old historian in me speaking, the self that considers anything since 1837 "recent history." Maybe this section really does it for some readers, and if so, that's great. I was disappointed here by my own expectations, and I don't hold it against the author.

I plan to pass Victorious along to someone in my life who will enjoy it more than I did. I'm still hankering for a good scholarly tome on ten Boom (and if a scholar out there translates her brother Willem's pre-Hitler-era, prescient thesis on antisemitism in France and Germany, 'twould be greatly appreciated). Quite a bit of the book rehashes ten Boom's writings, often in long quotations, so I'd recommend this for skimming by anyone who is very familiar with her work and life. And to anyone who wants to know what the hype is about without reading the work itself, Victorious is ideal.

[Gary Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having once heard Corrie ten Boom speak, at our church many years ago, she has always been of interest to me. So this book, which told a great deal of her life and ministry, was personally very interesting. Having also grown up in the jewelry and watch industry, I understood far better than most what an achievement it was for her to become the first female German certified watchmaker. The great level of skill required. She could have lived a quiet, successful life, kept her head burned until after the war and then continued to prosper. Her family did the very reverse.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I did learn a few new insights from this book, esp about the making of the movie and the premiere, much of the book is covered in Corrie's books and the book itself is a bit redundant. I was disappointed when the author chose to talk about more current events and his commentary on them. There was a time when I was convinced this would be my first 2 star review, but the book ended on a high note so we redeemed to 3 stars.

[Marie Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a powerful adjunct to Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place," filling in gaps, adding historical context, and other insights.

[Carol Castillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating bio of Corrie ten Boom, including both her many virtues and her few flaws. There is also an excellent description of the reasons why The Hiding Place Struck such a nerve with audiences. The books ends with a thoughtful call to action for our times.