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The Hiding Place
Corrie ten Boom was a woman admired the world over for her courage, her forgiveness, and her memorable faith. In World War II, she and her family risked their lives to help Jews escape the Nazis, and their reward was a trip to Hitler's concentration camps. But she survived and was released--as a result of a clerical error--and now shares the story of how faith triumphs over evil. For thirty-five years Corrie's dramatic life story, full of timeless virtues, has prepared readers to face their own futures with faith, relying on God's love to overcome, heal, and restore. Now releasing in a thirty-fifth anniversary edition for a new generation of readers, The Hiding Place tells the riveting story of how a middle-aged Dutch watchmaker became a heroine of the Resistance, a survivor of Hitler's death camps, and one of the most remarkable evangelists of the twentieth century.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1971
10783 people are currently reading
204513 people want to read
About the author
John Sherrill
41 books28 followersJohn L. Sherrill (born 1923, Covington, Tennessee) and Elizabeth "Tib" Sherrill (born 1928, Hollywood, California) are Christian writers. They have co-authored a number of best-selling books, including:
God's Smuggler with Brother Andrew
The Hiding Place with Corrie ten Boom
The Cross and the Switchblade with David Wilkerson
From 1944 to 1951 John Sherrill was a free-lance writer in Europe. John and Elizabeth Sherrill met aboard ship on their way to Europe and were married in Switzerland in 1947. From 1947 to 1963 Elizabeth was a freelance writer for magazines. In 1970 they founded a publishing company, Chosen Books, dedicated to searching "the world for books that would have two criteria. They would be interesting. They would be helpful." Their first title was The Hiding Place".
Elizabeth has authored more than 30 books - many co-written with her husband. Some of these books have been translated into more than 40 languages.
The Sherrills have three children: John Scott Sherrill, Donn Sherrill, and Elizabeth Flint. They live in Chappaqua, New York.
God's Smuggler with Brother Andrew
The Hiding Place with Corrie ten Boom
The Cross and the Switchblade with David Wilkerson
From 1944 to 1951 John Sherrill was a free-lance writer in Europe. John and Elizabeth Sherrill met aboard ship on their way to Europe and were married in Switzerland in 1947. From 1947 to 1963 Elizabeth was a freelance writer for magazines. In 1970 they founded a publishing company, Chosen Books, dedicated to searching "the world for books that would have two criteria. They would be interesting. They would be helpful." Their first title was The Hiding Place".
Elizabeth has authored more than 30 books - many co-written with her husband. Some of these books have been translated into more than 40 languages.
The Sherrills have three children: John Scott Sherrill, Donn Sherrill, and Elizabeth Flint. They live in Chappaqua, New York.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 15,693 reviews
January 9, 2019
If you consider reading this book, be warned.
When John and Elizabeth Sherrill wrote the memoir of Corrie ten Boom, they clearly had an agenda.
The first half of the book was okay. That's the reason I gave it 2 and not 1 star.
The second half, set during the war years and Corrie's imprisonment in Ravensbruck, was all about worshipping God and Jesus, praying, miracles and prophecies.
Even for all the cruelties that happened, there was a higher divine plan.
At some point, In Ravensbruck, they were thanking god for being naked (in front of SS guards) because Jesus was naked on his cross too. And they thanked god for the fleas and the lice, so the guards wouldn't enter the barracks and they could read the bible and worship god. Obviously they were ignorant of the diseases caused by the vermin.
There was also a miraculous, never ending bottle of vitamins, that allegedly was smuggled into the camp by Corrie, together with her bible.
The authors made saints of Corrie and her sister Betsie, instead of writing a believable memoir.
And in the appendix to the book, you can put this book to work in your own life.
I can only recommend this to deeply devout people. This is not a biography, it’s a hagiography.
There are over 7.000 reviews of this book and I have never seen that much 5 star ratings. But only a handful of reviewers understood the ultimate purpose of the book :
"it's rather insulting to the millions of Jews and others who died that fervent prayer to Jesus is all that was necessary to avoid death" ; "made me feel the tone was rather subtly supremist"
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Just one of many examples of how this book turns a story about World War II into a platform for evangelical tripe."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"The unspoken theme is that they were saved because they were Christian, unlike the Jews. This is definitely the Disney version of WWII."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Its problem is that throughout it pushes religion. Honestly, when an author expects me, as a reader, to actually believe that any religious doctrine is the truth I feel like my intelligence is being insulted and it is downright offensive."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"it seems to be a bit whitewashed in the veil of faith in Jesus to solve all, in prayers that constantly come through and in the miracle of the never ending vitamins. Call me a sceptic, but I found the constant references to Jesus annoying."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
4/10
When John and Elizabeth Sherrill wrote the memoir of Corrie ten Boom, they clearly had an agenda.
The first half of the book was okay. That's the reason I gave it 2 and not 1 star.
The second half, set during the war years and Corrie's imprisonment in Ravensbruck, was all about worshipping God and Jesus, praying, miracles and prophecies.
Even for all the cruelties that happened, there was a higher divine plan.
At some point, In Ravensbruck, they were thanking god for being naked (in front of SS guards) because Jesus was naked on his cross too. And they thanked god for the fleas and the lice, so the guards wouldn't enter the barracks and they could read the bible and worship god. Obviously they were ignorant of the diseases caused by the vermin.
There was also a miraculous, never ending bottle of vitamins, that allegedly was smuggled into the camp by Corrie, together with her bible.
The authors made saints of Corrie and her sister Betsie, instead of writing a believable memoir.
And in the appendix to the book, you can put this book to work in your own life.
I can only recommend this to deeply devout people. This is not a biography, it’s a hagiography.
There are over 7.000 reviews of this book and I have never seen that much 5 star ratings. But only a handful of reviewers understood the ultimate purpose of the book :
"it's rather insulting to the millions of Jews and others who died that fervent prayer to Jesus is all that was necessary to avoid death" ; "made me feel the tone was rather subtly supremist"
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Just one of many examples of how this book turns a story about World War II into a platform for evangelical tripe."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"The unspoken theme is that they were saved because they were Christian, unlike the Jews. This is definitely the Disney version of WWII."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"Its problem is that throughout it pushes religion. Honestly, when an author expects me, as a reader, to actually believe that any religious doctrine is the truth I feel like my intelligence is being insulted and it is downright offensive."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
"it seems to be a bit whitewashed in the veil of faith in Jesus to solve all, in prayers that constantly come through and in the miracle of the never ending vitamins. Call me a sceptic, but I found the constant references to Jesus annoying."
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
4/10
May 25, 2008
When I was adding every book I could remember ever reading to my Goodreads shelves, I automatically slapped three-star ratings on all the nonfiction books (unless I'd disliked them, or they were specially influential for me) without thinking much about it; I'm more apt to reserve four or five star ratings for fiction --and I'm miserly with the five star ones! But this was a case where, when I sat down to do the review, I decided to change the rating. Corrie's personal narrative of her World War II experiences genuinely are "amazing," in the true sense of the word --both in terms of what she and others went through, what they were called on to do, and the attitude that she and her sister were able to take toward it all. And while, other things being equal, I prefer fiction to nonfiction when I'm reading for pleasure, this book consists of narrative --"story," if you will-- that has the same intrinsic appeal as fiction (perhaps more, simply because it is true) and is every bit as gripping and engrossing.
Of course, Corrie's story is inseparably steeped with her deep Christian faith, and is impossible to understand apart from it. Obedient love for God and for other people created by God was the motivating force for Corrie and her family to do what they did, and for the spirit in which they did it. For a Christian believer such as myself, her story is an inspiration to the same type of self-sacrifice and loyalty, a testament to the ability of Divine empowerment to bring out extraordinary possibilities in "ordinary" people, and a record of God's saving and helping acts in the nitty-gritty world of daily life, such as Corrie's never-failing vitamin bottle. (Any attempt to explain all of these away as "coincidence," IMHO, stretches the long arm of coincidence out of its shoulder socket!).
Of course, Corrie's story is inseparably steeped with her deep Christian faith, and is impossible to understand apart from it. Obedient love for God and for other people created by God was the motivating force for Corrie and her family to do what they did, and for the spirit in which they did it. For a Christian believer such as myself, her story is an inspiration to the same type of self-sacrifice and loyalty, a testament to the ability of Divine empowerment to bring out extraordinary possibilities in "ordinary" people, and a record of God's saving and helping acts in the nitty-gritty world of daily life, such as Corrie's never-failing vitamin bottle. (Any attempt to explain all of these away as "coincidence," IMHO, stretches the long arm of coincidence out of its shoulder socket!).
November 17, 2008
Every human being should be required to read this book. I guarantee it will change forever the way you look at life.
The memoir is a true account of Corrie Ten Boom's experiences in German-occupied Holland during WWII (and afterward in prisons and concentration camps). The most amazing thing to me is that she was not Jewish. She was a Dutch Christian who freely sacrificed her own life, and the lives of those she loved most, to fight against cruelty and hate. I read the book aloud to my husband, taking a break at some point in each chapter just because I couldn't read for the tears. I can understand overcoming amid tragedy, but thanking God for the fleas that are eating your flesh? Praying for the guard who beats you? Two questions kept going through my head in the journey with Corrie: "Are there really people in the world who are this GOOD?" and "Why am I such a selfish, ungrateful, spoiled brat?"
I loved the paradox of a tragedy not told as tragedy. Unimaginably horrible things happen... and yet it's told as a wonderful story of forgiveness, faith, and gratitude for the constant miracles and mercies of God. Unbelievable. Probably my #1 recommendation for people who feel like they need an attitude adjustment - it certainly adjusted mine. Permanently.
And please don't say, "ANOTHER Holocaust book?" I hate it when people say that. As far as I'm concerned, I'll be terrified the day we STOP writing them.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"Corrie... do you know what hurts so very much? It's love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill the love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or, Corrie, we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel. God loves Karel--even more than you do--and if you ask Him, He will give you His love for this man, a love nothing can prevent, nothing destroy. Whenever we cannot love in the old, human way, Corrie, God can give us the perfect way."
"It is wrong to base faith upon wishes. There will be war. The Germans will attack and we will fall... Oh, my dears, I am sorry for all Dutchmen now who do not know the power of God. For we will be beaten. But He will not."
"Father held the baby close, his white beard brushed its cheek, looking into the little face with eyes as blue and innocent as the baby's own. At last he looked up at the pastor. 'You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honor that could come to my family.'"
"There are no 'ifs' in God's Kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don't let me go mad by poking about outside it."
MY FAVORITE STORY:
"One dark morning when ice was forming a halo around each street lamp, a feeble-minded girl two rows ahead of us suddenly soiled herself. A guard rushed at her, swinging her thick leather crop while the girl shrieked in pain and terror. It was always more terrible when one of these innocent ones was beaten. Still [she] continued to whip her... I was grateful when the screaming girl at last lay still on the cinder street.
"'Betsie,' I whispered when the guard was far enough away, 'what can we do for these people? Afterward I mean. Can't we make a home for them and care for them and love them?'
"'Corrie, I pray every day that we will be allowed to do this! To show them that love is greater!'
"And it wasn't until I was gathering twigs later in the morning that I realized that I had been thinking of the feeble-minded, and Betsie of their persecutors."
The memoir is a true account of Corrie Ten Boom's experiences in German-occupied Holland during WWII (and afterward in prisons and concentration camps). The most amazing thing to me is that she was not Jewish. She was a Dutch Christian who freely sacrificed her own life, and the lives of those she loved most, to fight against cruelty and hate. I read the book aloud to my husband, taking a break at some point in each chapter just because I couldn't read for the tears. I can understand overcoming amid tragedy, but thanking God for the fleas that are eating your flesh? Praying for the guard who beats you? Two questions kept going through my head in the journey with Corrie: "Are there really people in the world who are this GOOD?" and "Why am I such a selfish, ungrateful, spoiled brat?"
I loved the paradox of a tragedy not told as tragedy. Unimaginably horrible things happen... and yet it's told as a wonderful story of forgiveness, faith, and gratitude for the constant miracles and mercies of God. Unbelievable. Probably my #1 recommendation for people who feel like they need an attitude adjustment - it certainly adjusted mine. Permanently.
And please don't say, "ANOTHER Holocaust book?" I hate it when people say that. As far as I'm concerned, I'll be terrified the day we STOP writing them.
FAVORITE QUOTES:
"Corrie... do you know what hurts so very much? It's love. Love is the strongest force in the world, and when it is blocked that means pain. There are two things we can do when this happens. We can kill the love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or, Corrie, we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel. God loves Karel--even more than you do--and if you ask Him, He will give you His love for this man, a love nothing can prevent, nothing destroy. Whenever we cannot love in the old, human way, Corrie, God can give us the perfect way."
"It is wrong to base faith upon wishes. There will be war. The Germans will attack and we will fall... Oh, my dears, I am sorry for all Dutchmen now who do not know the power of God. For we will be beaten. But He will not."
"Father held the baby close, his white beard brushed its cheek, looking into the little face with eyes as blue and innocent as the baby's own. At last he looked up at the pastor. 'You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honor that could come to my family.'"
"There are no 'ifs' in God's Kingdom. His timing is perfect. His will is our hiding place. Lord Jesus, keep me in Your will! Don't let me go mad by poking about outside it."
MY FAVORITE STORY:
"One dark morning when ice was forming a halo around each street lamp, a feeble-minded girl two rows ahead of us suddenly soiled herself. A guard rushed at her, swinging her thick leather crop while the girl shrieked in pain and terror. It was always more terrible when one of these innocent ones was beaten. Still [she] continued to whip her... I was grateful when the screaming girl at last lay still on the cinder street.
"'Betsie,' I whispered when the guard was far enough away, 'what can we do for these people? Afterward I mean. Can't we make a home for them and care for them and love them?'
"'Corrie, I pray every day that we will be allowed to do this! To show them that love is greater!'
"And it wasn't until I was gathering twigs later in the morning that I realized that I had been thinking of the feeble-minded, and Betsie of their persecutors."
July 3, 2021
4,5 Sterne, aufgerundet auf 5
Dieses Buch ist eines der Bücher, die man nach dem Lesen (und auch während des Lesens) erst mal verarbeiten muss. Dabei lässt es sich schnell und flüssig lesen; der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm.
Aber der Inhalt geht tief. Das ist meistens so bei diesen Geschichten, die im Zweiten Weltkrieg und zur NS-Zeit spielen. Dennoch gibt es auch da Unterschiede.
Die Geschichte von Corrie ten Boom und ihrer Familie wird relativ ruhig erzählt, fast unspektakulär. Dennoch aber voller Emotionen; ich kann es kaum erklären.
Ich habe nur höchsten Respekt vor Corrie ten Boom und ihrer Familie, die zu Zeiten der Judenverfolgung so vielen Juden geholfen und bei sich versteckt haben im vollen Bewusstsein der Gefahr.
Ihr Glaube spielt hier auch eine sehr große Rolle. Auch davor habe ich Respekt.
Dieses Buch hat mich auf jeden Fall sehr bewegt, nachdenklich gemacht und es wird mir sicherlich noch einige Zeit im Gedächtnis bleiben.
Dieses Buch ist eines der Bücher, die man nach dem Lesen (und auch während des Lesens) erst mal verarbeiten muss. Dabei lässt es sich schnell und flüssig lesen; der Schreibstil ist sehr angenehm.
Aber der Inhalt geht tief. Das ist meistens so bei diesen Geschichten, die im Zweiten Weltkrieg und zur NS-Zeit spielen. Dennoch gibt es auch da Unterschiede.
Die Geschichte von Corrie ten Boom und ihrer Familie wird relativ ruhig erzählt, fast unspektakulär. Dennoch aber voller Emotionen; ich kann es kaum erklären.
Ich habe nur höchsten Respekt vor Corrie ten Boom und ihrer Familie, die zu Zeiten der Judenverfolgung so vielen Juden geholfen und bei sich versteckt haben im vollen Bewusstsein der Gefahr.
Ihr Glaube spielt hier auch eine sehr große Rolle. Auch davor habe ich Respekt.
Dieses Buch hat mich auf jeden Fall sehr bewegt, nachdenklich gemacht und es wird mir sicherlich noch einige Zeit im Gedächtnis bleiben.
July 11, 2021
If you haven’t read this book recently or ever, pick it up right now and read it. I know of no other book that demonstrates this well the depths of God’s love a grace to sinners nor his provision and kindness to use us for his kingdom.
Also you’re going to need some tissue.
Also you’re going to need some tissue.
April 18, 2008
By far one of the best and most inspirational books I've ever read. I've underlined so many parts of this book! I first read this with my first book club almost 10 years ago and read it back in October with my current book club -- still find it absolutely amazing and one I want to read and re-read.
One of my favorite themes of the book is stated by the author on page 31: "the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do." Goes along with my belief that all things will work together for our good. Not that only good things will happen to us, but that all things will work for our good. Even when our Father takes us, not to "the windmill ... or swans on the canal" but somewhere where we don't want to go and we howl and struggle all the way (p. 40). We can trust in Him that all things will work together for our good. Another favorite part is in the example of Betsie, the author's sister, who gives thanks in all circumstances, even for the fleas (p. 210). Several pages later, the author explains how even the fleas worked together for their good (p.220). Even when we may not always have the "whys", we can trust in Him that our experiences are for our good.
I found it amazing when Nollie is asked by if Annaliese is a Jew and she responds, "yes." Nollie's perfect honesty requires that she answer "yes" even when it may mean death for someone who has trusted them! Nollie has perfect faith that no suffering will come to Annaliese because Nollie obeyed Him in being honest in all things. Miraculously and sure enough, Annaliese is set free.
As a mother, I have always wondered how the Jewish people hid their children (crying babies etc.) from the Nazis when they were in hiding. I found it poignant and sad when the author noted that "even the youngest had developed the uncanny silence of small hunted things" (p. 114).
Above all, I love this book for its reminder to me of the eternal perspective. How true that He can give us His perspective when we feel trapped in the reality of filthy and cramped barracks, His way of seeing people who we cannot understand, His forgiveness for those who have hurt us, His love for those we think we cannot love, and His strength to replace our weaknesses. Which leads me to a final favorite quote and life-lesson I've learned: "When He tells us to love our enemies [or any other thing He has asked us to do], He gives, along with the command the love itself" (p. 248).
One of my favorite themes of the book is stated by the author on page 31: "the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do." Goes along with my belief that all things will work together for our good. Not that only good things will happen to us, but that all things will work for our good. Even when our Father takes us, not to "the windmill ... or swans on the canal" but somewhere where we don't want to go and we howl and struggle all the way (p. 40). We can trust in Him that all things will work together for our good. Another favorite part is in the example of Betsie, the author's sister, who gives thanks in all circumstances, even for the fleas (p. 210). Several pages later, the author explains how even the fleas worked together for their good (p.220). Even when we may not always have the "whys", we can trust in Him that our experiences are for our good.
I found it amazing when Nollie is asked by if Annaliese is a Jew and she responds, "yes." Nollie's perfect honesty requires that she answer "yes" even when it may mean death for someone who has trusted them! Nollie has perfect faith that no suffering will come to Annaliese because Nollie obeyed Him in being honest in all things. Miraculously and sure enough, Annaliese is set free.
As a mother, I have always wondered how the Jewish people hid their children (crying babies etc.) from the Nazis when they were in hiding. I found it poignant and sad when the author noted that "even the youngest had developed the uncanny silence of small hunted things" (p. 114).
Above all, I love this book for its reminder to me of the eternal perspective. How true that He can give us His perspective when we feel trapped in the reality of filthy and cramped barracks, His way of seeing people who we cannot understand, His forgiveness for those who have hurt us, His love for those we think we cannot love, and His strength to replace our weaknesses. Which leads me to a final favorite quote and life-lesson I've learned: "When He tells us to love our enemies [or any other thing He has asked us to do], He gives, along with the command the love itself" (p. 248).
March 26, 2017
Two stars. That's the best I can do on a book that came highly recommended and that I read with relish as I had just been to Amsterdam and surrounding areas, visited the Museum of the Resistance and the old Jewish Synagogue referred to in the book. So why two stars?
I just didn't believe a lot of what I read. Here's what I do believe. I think Corrie, her sister Betsy, her father and other family members were courageous, passionate, religious, pro-active and bold. They did what many in Holland did, but what many chose not to do. They put their lives on the line to help with a very unpopular cause. They risked their necks to hide jews, feed them, comfort them and resist the authority of their German invaders. In that I find them commendable. The father figure was an admirable man, a man of principle who lived truly an exemplary life and imparted his teachings to not only his family, but all who surrounded him. A man of peace, but of strong determination. A man of immensely strong faith which he passed along to his children. So far, so good.
So what's my squabble? The book was written a full 25 years after the facts, and I think it shows. Corrie was in her late 70's when the book was written, and it was written by two people who weren't there. The narrative at times becomes too convenient, too sugar coated. There were no fights amongst the throngs of people living in the beje. I think the old saying that "time heals everything" clearly applies to this book, as it seems to be a bit whitewashed in the veil of faith in Jesus to solve all, in prayers that constantly come through and in the miracle of the never ending vitamins. Call me a sceptic, but I found the constant references to Jesus annoying. I most certainly think we all believe in God when in the trenches, but I don't believe in the Santa Claus God who gave to Corrie, but perhaps withheld from others who were praying just as hard. It came across as preachy and childish all these years later. So many people were hurt, humiliated, beaten, and brutally murdered -- and I am sure just about each and every one of them prayed to their Jesus as well.
To end on a positive note -- the faith that this family had, the true faith in doing the right thing -- is admirable; when Corrie wrote "released" in her jail cell to signify the death of (blank), she showed a deep and profound faith in that death is not the end, only a fresh start in a better place. Her fortitude and strength were truly remarkable.
I just didn't believe a lot of what I read. Here's what I do believe. I think Corrie, her sister Betsy, her father and other family members were courageous, passionate, religious, pro-active and bold. They did what many in Holland did, but what many chose not to do. They put their lives on the line to help with a very unpopular cause. They risked their necks to hide jews, feed them, comfort them and resist the authority of their German invaders. In that I find them commendable. The father figure was an admirable man, a man of principle who lived truly an exemplary life and imparted his teachings to not only his family, but all who surrounded him. A man of peace, but of strong determination. A man of immensely strong faith which he passed along to his children. So far, so good.
So what's my squabble? The book was written a full 25 years after the facts, and I think it shows. Corrie was in her late 70's when the book was written, and it was written by two people who weren't there. The narrative at times becomes too convenient, too sugar coated. There were no fights amongst the throngs of people living in the beje. I think the old saying that "time heals everything" clearly applies to this book, as it seems to be a bit whitewashed in the veil of faith in Jesus to solve all, in prayers that constantly come through and in the miracle of the never ending vitamins. Call me a sceptic, but I found the constant references to Jesus annoying. I most certainly think we all believe in God when in the trenches, but I don't believe in the Santa Claus God who gave to Corrie, but perhaps withheld from others who were praying just as hard. It came across as preachy and childish all these years later. So many people were hurt, humiliated, beaten, and brutally murdered -- and I am sure just about each and every one of them prayed to their Jesus as well.
To end on a positive note -- the faith that this family had, the true faith in doing the right thing -- is admirable; when Corrie wrote "released" in her jail cell to signify the death of (blank), she showed a deep and profound faith in that death is not the end, only a fresh start in a better place. Her fortitude and strength were truly remarkable.
July 6, 2015
The Hiding Place is a story about how the depths of faith and spirituality can get a person through even the darkest nightmare. Corrie ten Boom and her family led the Dutch Underground during the Nazi occupation of Holland, aiding and hiding Jewish people in a secret room in their home above their watchmaker shop. Their efforts eventually cost them their freedom and in some cases, their lives. Corrie and members of her family are arrested and sent to a concentration camp. This is not exactly a new story; we have heard numerous inspirational stories of people who have suffered monstrosities beyond our imagination. What sets Corrie’s story apart from many, though most surely not all, is that her family had the capacity for allowing their faith to grow even more throughout these times of torment. They shared their love, their hidden Bible, and their love of God with all those who would listen. They looked at the smallest things as a gift. Most of all, they understood the true meaning of forgiveness and how it can set one’s soul free. Upon meeting one of her former S.S. jailers at a church service years after these events, Corrie struggled to eventually accept the hand held out to her by this man. “As I took his hand the most incredible thing happened. From my shoulder along my arm and through my hand, a current seemed to pass from me to him, while into my heart sprang a love for this stranger that almost overwhelmed me.”
What I struggled with the most in this account is the idea that Corrie and her sister Betsey attributed all of their strength to God alone. They did not personally take credit for any of their courage or capabilities. Corrie later states “If I had ever needed proof that I had no boldness or cleverness of my own, I had it now. Whatever bravery or skill I had ever shown were gifts of God – sheer loans from Him of the talent needed to do a job.” I don’t believe these gifts are taken away from us. I do believe she had these gifts all along and should congratulate herself on having the knowledge and strength to use these gifts in such a powerful way. Her feelings that these gifts were later absent were possibly a result of a bit of natural fear and vulnerability due to all she endured, not because something was given and then taken away from her. Despite the fact that I found this memoir informative and the ten Booms admirable, there was a bit something lacking in the storytelling. It fell a bit flat for me and was maybe due to the span of time between when these events occurred and when this story was written. It perhaps lacked a bit of the urgency and poignancy I have come to expect. On the other hand, it still remains a very interesting book. I gave this 3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars for the heroism shown by the ten Booms and for my admiration of their undying faith and the inspiration they offered to hundreds of individuals during their time of need.
What I struggled with the most in this account is the idea that Corrie and her sister Betsey attributed all of their strength to God alone. They did not personally take credit for any of their courage or capabilities. Corrie later states “If I had ever needed proof that I had no boldness or cleverness of my own, I had it now. Whatever bravery or skill I had ever shown were gifts of God – sheer loans from Him of the talent needed to do a job.” I don’t believe these gifts are taken away from us. I do believe she had these gifts all along and should congratulate herself on having the knowledge and strength to use these gifts in such a powerful way. Her feelings that these gifts were later absent were possibly a result of a bit of natural fear and vulnerability due to all she endured, not because something was given and then taken away from her. Despite the fact that I found this memoir informative and the ten Booms admirable, there was a bit something lacking in the storytelling. It fell a bit flat for me and was maybe due to the span of time between when these events occurred and when this story was written. It perhaps lacked a bit of the urgency and poignancy I have come to expect. On the other hand, it still remains a very interesting book. I gave this 3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars for the heroism shown by the ten Booms and for my admiration of their undying faith and the inspiration they offered to hundreds of individuals during their time of need.
July 12, 2017
I have read this book before many years ago., but reading about it here on Goodreads reminded me how much I had been absorbed and overwhelmed by the courage and utter dedication of this young woman (the author) and I valued it highly. Although Corrie is a deeply commited Christian you don't have be of any particular religion to read and appreciate this book. She risked everything including her life during World War II to save as many Jews as possible from the Nazi regime in Holland. She and her older sister Betsie lived through terrifying times to achieve this and endured starvation, torture and humiliation when captured by the Gestapo. The first half of the book is more about her daily life as the daughter of a man widely acclaimed as a watch and clock maker and repairer and a member of a loving family. The second part is all about how they devote their lives to the rescue of Jews from the enemy. Corrie and her sister have a powerful faith in God and the story is inspiring but heartrending. This book is for me a classic and supremely special whatever your beliefs might be or not be.
October 13, 2018
I read this book in honor of my mother. "The Hiding Place" was one of her favorite books; I remember her telling stories about it and reading passages aloud when I was a kid.
"The Hiding Place" is the story of a Dutch family who helped Jews hide from Nazis during World War II. Corrie worked in her father's watchmaking shop and used the store as a front to help with underground activities. A secret room was built in the family's home that allowed Jews to hide when German agents visited the house. Eventually, Corrie and her family were arrested and sent to prison, and later to a concentration camp. Throughout the ordeal, Corrie relied on her Christian beliefs to give her hope and strength.
After finishing the book, I can understand why my mother was so captivated by Corrie's story. My mom was also strong in her Christian faith, and she had a longtime fascination with World War II, always trying to understand how such a tragedy could have happened.
I am not a true believer, but I can appreciate why "The Hiding Place" was so meaningful to my mother. It is a powerful story of love and family and faith, and reading about Good triumphing over Evil should be comforting.
However, reading this book in 2018 was quite disturbing, especially with reports of immigrant children being arrested and held in cages, and the continuing problems of racism, white nationalism, violence and war. Perhaps if I had read this book before Trump took office I wouldn't have been so upset by it. But that's the slyness about books — they'll surprise you, catch you at odd moments and show you connections you didn't expect.
I wish my mother was still here so we could discuss this book. We could talk about the news, and try to understand why such tragedies are happening again.
"The Hiding Place" is the story of a Dutch family who helped Jews hide from Nazis during World War II. Corrie worked in her father's watchmaking shop and used the store as a front to help with underground activities. A secret room was built in the family's home that allowed Jews to hide when German agents visited the house. Eventually, Corrie and her family were arrested and sent to prison, and later to a concentration camp. Throughout the ordeal, Corrie relied on her Christian beliefs to give her hope and strength.
After finishing the book, I can understand why my mother was so captivated by Corrie's story. My mom was also strong in her Christian faith, and she had a longtime fascination with World War II, always trying to understand how such a tragedy could have happened.
I am not a true believer, but I can appreciate why "The Hiding Place" was so meaningful to my mother. It is a powerful story of love and family and faith, and reading about Good triumphing over Evil should be comforting.
However, reading this book in 2018 was quite disturbing, especially with reports of immigrant children being arrested and held in cages, and the continuing problems of racism, white nationalism, violence and war. Perhaps if I had read this book before Trump took office I wouldn't have been so upset by it. But that's the slyness about books — they'll surprise you, catch you at odd moments and show you connections you didn't expect.
I wish my mother was still here so we could discuss this book. We could talk about the news, and try to understand why such tragedies are happening again.
March 31, 2024
A testament on how to never let go of God no matter how bad it goes. Corrie ten Boom and sister goes through the Nazi camps and the horrific tortures they endured they leaned on God to see them through. To get them through. Crossing off one day at a time trying to fi d something daily to be thankful for. To live through.
February 23, 2025
I am glad I have embarked on an effort to re-read some of the books I read long ago and feel deserve a revisit. This was a wonderful choice.
I had not forgotten that I loved this book, and I had not forgotten what Corrie ten Boom had suffered or that her sister, Betsie, was as close to a saint as has ever walked this earth. What I had forgotten was all the details, the character of that suffering apart from the general knowledge of what goes on in concentration camps, the personal and moving way in which the faith of this family carried them through the unimaginable horrors they were forced to face together and alone.
Childhood scenes rushed back at me out of the night, strangely close and urgent. Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.
Most of us have probably wondered how we would have met such adversity, how we would have dealt with the insane cruelties, the unending tortures, the starving, the illness, the death--the constant death. Few of us would face it as Corrie ten Boom did, and even fewer with the compassion and selflessness of Betsie.
That God was present with these women, guided their paths and provided for them, is beyond question to me. Corrie details several instances in which only a miracle could have saved her life or guarded the Bible that she kept on her person throughout her imprisonment and transfer from jail to camp to camp.
”But if God has shown us bad times ahead, it’s enough for me that He knows about them. That’s why He sometimes shows us things, you know–to tell us that this too is in His hands.”
Love. How did one show it? How could God Himself show truth and love at the same time in a world like this? By dying. The answer stood out for me sharper and chillier than it ever had before that night: the shape of a Cross etched on the history of the world.
I am so in awe of anyone who can walk through this hell of man’s making and come out the other side still feeling forgiveness and hope; still loving their fellow man; hoping to heal even the hearts of those who carried out this abomination; not seeking vengeance, but seeking healing. We will never know how many hearts Corrie and Betsie ten Boom touched with God’s love in places where love seemed the least likely thing anyone would find.
This is a book of faith and of human endurance. I wept through much of it, and I hope I have drawn some permanent strength from the love it stands witness to.
I had not forgotten that I loved this book, and I had not forgotten what Corrie ten Boom had suffered or that her sister, Betsie, was as close to a saint as has ever walked this earth. What I had forgotten was all the details, the character of that suffering apart from the general knowledge of what goes on in concentration camps, the personal and moving way in which the faith of this family carried them through the unimaginable horrors they were forced to face together and alone.
Childhood scenes rushed back at me out of the night, strangely close and urgent. Today I know that such memories are the key not to the past, but to the future. I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do.
Most of us have probably wondered how we would have met such adversity, how we would have dealt with the insane cruelties, the unending tortures, the starving, the illness, the death--the constant death. Few of us would face it as Corrie ten Boom did, and even fewer with the compassion and selflessness of Betsie.
That God was present with these women, guided their paths and provided for them, is beyond question to me. Corrie details several instances in which only a miracle could have saved her life or guarded the Bible that she kept on her person throughout her imprisonment and transfer from jail to camp to camp.
”But if God has shown us bad times ahead, it’s enough for me that He knows about them. That’s why He sometimes shows us things, you know–to tell us that this too is in His hands.”
Love. How did one show it? How could God Himself show truth and love at the same time in a world like this? By dying. The answer stood out for me sharper and chillier than it ever had before that night: the shape of a Cross etched on the history of the world.
I am so in awe of anyone who can walk through this hell of man’s making and come out the other side still feeling forgiveness and hope; still loving their fellow man; hoping to heal even the hearts of those who carried out this abomination; not seeking vengeance, but seeking healing. We will never know how many hearts Corrie and Betsie ten Boom touched with God’s love in places where love seemed the least likely thing anyone would find.
This is a book of faith and of human endurance. I wept through much of it, and I hope I have drawn some permanent strength from the love it stands witness to.
August 2, 2016
Okay, so the many five stars all around on this here book page were warranted. It’s a heartbreaking, painful read. It’s also full of faith, strength, kindness and perseverance. I’m very glad I gave it a listen. The narrator is terrific and emotive and has the ability to draw you into the time and place instead of taking you out of it!
Corrie ten Boom is a 40 something spinster at peace with her quiet life. She is a watchmaker in her father’s shop and lives with her older sister and their kind father. She never expected to become embroiled in an underground revolution but when German soldiers invade her homeland and friends and neighbors start to disappear because they are Jewish or lending Jewish families safe harbor, she can’t stand by and do nothing. As conditions become increasingly worse for the unfortunate people in her beloved town, she decides to put her life in danger in order to save those of others. Her family has a hidden room built and they take in the desperate. Eventually she is imprisoned, along with most of her family. She recounts the long, grueling days of hellish conditions in prison and in concentration camps. The sickness, the starvation and the everyday cruelties inflicted.
I’m not religious but these characters are and they walk with a strong belief and unwavering (for the most part) faith and a gratitude for everything, even ants and fleas, yet I never felt preached at. Their faith makes up a big part of who they were and how they managed to make it through the inhumane conditions. If you read this account, it will leave a mark on you for certain. It’s not a book I will easily forget.
Corrie ten Boom is a 40 something spinster at peace with her quiet life. She is a watchmaker in her father’s shop and lives with her older sister and their kind father. She never expected to become embroiled in an underground revolution but when German soldiers invade her homeland and friends and neighbors start to disappear because they are Jewish or lending Jewish families safe harbor, she can’t stand by and do nothing. As conditions become increasingly worse for the unfortunate people in her beloved town, she decides to put her life in danger in order to save those of others. Her family has a hidden room built and they take in the desperate. Eventually she is imprisoned, along with most of her family. She recounts the long, grueling days of hellish conditions in prison and in concentration camps. The sickness, the starvation and the everyday cruelties inflicted.
I’m not religious but these characters are and they walk with a strong belief and unwavering (for the most part) faith and a gratitude for everything, even ants and fleas, yet I never felt preached at. Their faith makes up a big part of who they were and how they managed to make it through the inhumane conditions. If you read this account, it will leave a mark on you for certain. It’s not a book I will easily forget.
March 17, 2012
This is the story of Corrie ten Boom, a self-described "spinster" watchmaker who lived with her father and sister and was pushing fifty when she became part of the Dutch Resistance helping to hide Jews from the Nazis. Eventually betrayed, she wound up in a Gestapo prison for a few months, then doing forced labor in the Vught Concentration Camp, which harsh as it was, was paradisaical compared to where she next wound up until released, the notorious Ravensbruck Concentration Camp. This is her first person account, written decades after the fact with the help of John and Elizabeth Sherrill. It got off to what I found a slow start in the first four chapters which tells of the life of her and her family before World War II. I thought it picked up in pace a great deal in the later chapters once it began to tell of her involvement aiding Jews in the Underground, and from that moment I was completely engrossed--and indeed the story, particularly before they were betrayed to the Nazis, sometimes surprised me with its warmth and humor. Her father, for instance, never really understood why all the Resistance people were calling themselves "Smit" and kept asking whether they were related to this or that Smit family he knew.
I picked up the book because it was recommended on the Ultimate Reading List in the "Inspirational Non-fiction" section. For "inspirational" read "religious" and almost always "Christian" and I indeed found it in the "Christian Inspiration" section. Some reviews complained about the religiosity, but it really didn't bother me--and I'm an atheist with little patience when I feel I'm being preached at. Perhaps it's just that I took this in stride as part and parcel of Miss Ten Boom. That faith was just as much as the foundation of her thinking and deeds as Hinduism was for Ghandi or Buddhism for the Dalai Llama. There's nothing smug or self-righteous in her tone. Nor did she come across as "goodie two shoes" to me--she sometimes understandably struggled with anger and fear. She's human--although in my book still a hero. I even saw one review that called her a "bigot." That couldn't be further from the truth. The Ten Booms saved many Jews, hiding them in their own home at great risk to themselves, tried to serve them kosher food when they could, celebrated the Sabbath with them and Jewish holidays. I saw no sign of bigotry towards those of other beliefs. Having a strong faith that a person takes seriously in deciding how to act does not make one a bigot. Anyone who mistakes that for bigotry has their own issues with anti-Christian bigotry in my opinion.
On the other hand, I do agree with one reviewer that I suspect that her Christian faith did "sugar coat" things more than a little and probably colored her recollection. I don't think Ten Boom ever consciously shaded the truth, but especially given this was recounted almost thirty years later when Ten Boom was in her seventies, I do wonder if time put a gloss on memories such as the vitamin drop "miracle." Anne Frank's account of hiding in an Amsterdam annex from the Nazis came directly from her diaries written very close to events. Viktor E. Frankl's story of his experiences in four Concentration Camps including Auschwitz, Man's Search for Meaning, was written by him in nine days within months of his liberation. Elie Wiesel's story of his time in Auschwitz, Night was written in his twenties within a decade after his experiences there. The Hiding Place doesn't have the freshness and intensity of those accounts. Also, though it tells an extraordinary story, it's not always extraordinarily well-written when I compare it to the other books mentioned above. I read Frankl's account just before this book, and read Wiesel's book for the second time less than two months ago. Those are powerful accounts that deserve the name literature. This doesn't, which is why I haven't rated it nearly as highly as those other two books. But it's still a often gripping, at times moving book.
I picked up the book because it was recommended on the Ultimate Reading List in the "Inspirational Non-fiction" section. For "inspirational" read "religious" and almost always "Christian" and I indeed found it in the "Christian Inspiration" section. Some reviews complained about the religiosity, but it really didn't bother me--and I'm an atheist with little patience when I feel I'm being preached at. Perhaps it's just that I took this in stride as part and parcel of Miss Ten Boom. That faith was just as much as the foundation of her thinking and deeds as Hinduism was for Ghandi or Buddhism for the Dalai Llama. There's nothing smug or self-righteous in her tone. Nor did she come across as "goodie two shoes" to me--she sometimes understandably struggled with anger and fear. She's human--although in my book still a hero. I even saw one review that called her a "bigot." That couldn't be further from the truth. The Ten Booms saved many Jews, hiding them in their own home at great risk to themselves, tried to serve them kosher food when they could, celebrated the Sabbath with them and Jewish holidays. I saw no sign of bigotry towards those of other beliefs. Having a strong faith that a person takes seriously in deciding how to act does not make one a bigot. Anyone who mistakes that for bigotry has their own issues with anti-Christian bigotry in my opinion.
On the other hand, I do agree with one reviewer that I suspect that her Christian faith did "sugar coat" things more than a little and probably colored her recollection. I don't think Ten Boom ever consciously shaded the truth, but especially given this was recounted almost thirty years later when Ten Boom was in her seventies, I do wonder if time put a gloss on memories such as the vitamin drop "miracle." Anne Frank's account of hiding in an Amsterdam annex from the Nazis came directly from her diaries written very close to events. Viktor E. Frankl's story of his experiences in four Concentration Camps including Auschwitz, Man's Search for Meaning, was written by him in nine days within months of his liberation. Elie Wiesel's story of his time in Auschwitz, Night was written in his twenties within a decade after his experiences there. The Hiding Place doesn't have the freshness and intensity of those accounts. Also, though it tells an extraordinary story, it's not always extraordinarily well-written when I compare it to the other books mentioned above. I read Frankl's account just before this book, and read Wiesel's book for the second time less than two months ago. Those are powerful accounts that deserve the name literature. This doesn't, which is why I haven't rated it nearly as highly as those other two books. But it's still a often gripping, at times moving book.
March 3, 2015
This is a profound book, and one that will not leave you unmoved. I was even inspired to write a poem before I finished reading it (it does contain a few spoilers for those who don't know Corrie's story):
Victory Song
by Melissa M.
May 16, 2010
Golden glimpses of the sun,
Bits of clouds between the bars.
Coughing blood, matted hair,
Questions, memories, leaving scars.
Making friends with tiny ants,
Spilling crumbs to bring them out.
Crossing days off on the wall,
Wondering what this is all about.
Planned by God, even this?
Yes, and rejoicing still,
Corrie ten Boom lying there,
Knowing that this is God's will.
Father died--no, was released
To Canaan's fairer land above.
Jews in hiding did escape,
This the outcome of God's love.
Will we sing in trials now,
Fight the sin and lonely days?
Will we bravely others reach,
And remember God's holy ways?
Lord, we ask for strength and grace,
Love for others true and strong,
Love for You above all else,
And to sing Your victory song!
Victory Song
by Melissa M.
May 16, 2010
Golden glimpses of the sun,
Bits of clouds between the bars.
Coughing blood, matted hair,
Questions, memories, leaving scars.
Making friends with tiny ants,
Spilling crumbs to bring them out.
Crossing days off on the wall,
Wondering what this is all about.
Planned by God, even this?
Yes, and rejoicing still,
Corrie ten Boom lying there,
Knowing that this is God's will.
Father died--no, was released
To Canaan's fairer land above.
Jews in hiding did escape,
This the outcome of God's love.
Will we sing in trials now,
Fight the sin and lonely days?
Will we bravely others reach,
And remember God's holy ways?
Lord, we ask for strength and grace,
Love for others true and strong,
Love for You above all else,
And to sing Your victory song!
June 14, 2024
The Hiding Place is Corrie ten Boom’s story of her work to help Jews in World War II during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Her story demonstrates so clearly not only the darkness of the world, but the light and beauty of the Gospel that outshines the blackest night. God preserved Corrie’s life, time and time again, for her to be able to tell this incredible story of His faithfulness.
This book is difficult to read at times because of the heavy themes, but it is a true treasure and a must read.
This book is difficult to read at times because of the heavy themes, but it is a true treasure and a must read.
April 10, 2023
I wonder how many times I’ve read this book? How many times have I wished for Beth’s faith and compassion, Opa’s wisdom, or Corrie’s courage and compassion? How many times have I marveled at their peace in the face of incredible terror? I can’t remember, but if I had to guess, I’d put it as half a dozen easily.
It’s such a wonderful story of God’s provision and love. As I read it as an adult, I see more clearly that their faith didn’t spring up overnight. It was a quiet, daily, lifelong pursuit of the Lord and His ways. They saw incredible miracles, trustingly asked for miracles, but didn’t demand or even expect them. They were willing to obey despite the earthly consequences for they had their eyes on the heavenly reward. And that gave them an eternal perspective on the value of each life, Jewish or Nazi, giving, life, suffering, and death. It truly is beautiful even joyous against such a horrific background.
The first time I read it, I was very young, and would recommend it to even a young teen audience. The authors are very delicate. As a young reader, I fully understood that everyone’s lives were on the line, but I was not overwhelmed by a gruesome recounting of every horror of the camps. Then as I grew older, I understood in a deeper way what they suffered. Most uniquely there is the eternal focus of the heroes and heroines. That is what truly keeps this book appropriate for young readers. God’s truth and love permeate the book, and their suffering is always presented as suffering for Him and, as such, as worthy of reward. It’s a lesson that is important for all of us, but for a child or young believer it is vital. So read it and even reread it.
It’s such a wonderful story of God’s provision and love. As I read it as an adult, I see more clearly that their faith didn’t spring up overnight. It was a quiet, daily, lifelong pursuit of the Lord and His ways. They saw incredible miracles, trustingly asked for miracles, but didn’t demand or even expect them. They were willing to obey despite the earthly consequences for they had their eyes on the heavenly reward. And that gave them an eternal perspective on the value of each life, Jewish or Nazi, giving, life, suffering, and death. It truly is beautiful even joyous against such a horrific background.
The first time I read it, I was very young, and would recommend it to even a young teen audience. The authors are very delicate. As a young reader, I fully understood that everyone’s lives were on the line, but I was not overwhelmed by a gruesome recounting of every horror of the camps. Then as I grew older, I understood in a deeper way what they suffered. Most uniquely there is the eternal focus of the heroes and heroines. That is what truly keeps this book appropriate for young readers. God’s truth and love permeate the book, and their suffering is always presented as suffering for Him and, as such, as worthy of reward. It’s a lesson that is important for all of us, but for a child or young believer it is vital. So read it and even reread it.
September 18, 2007
I qualified the recommendation based on age because there are some difficult situations I think, for younger people. I have read many, many holocaust books, and this is by far my favorite. I wept and wept, not just for the suffering she endured, but mostly for the way in which she and her sister Betsie faced their suffering with such faith. For how they looked for opportunities to be selfless in a concentration camp, and how the women there were changed just by their example. I wept at my utter failure in faith. It made me reexamine everything I take for granted daily, and to thank God even for the fleas!
March 6, 2020
This book though. 333 😍💖
March 12, 2018
A breathtakingly moving account of a family's commitment to service of their fellow man during World War II.
January 15, 2022
I haven't read the Hiding Place in over 10 years and I have forgotten how wonderful this book is. The story of Corrie Ten Bloom and her family and what they did when Germany took over Holland during WW2. The Ten Bloom risk their lives to save Jews. They helped them and hid them in their beloved home. When they were found out all were arrested and sent to jail and then to extermination camps. Corrie lost a lot of her family during this time but as her sister Bestie and Corrie continued to preach the Gospel for all who wanted to hear it to a prison guard to many prisoners. I love this book so much. I wonder to myself could I have been like those two sisters to sacrifice my freedom for those who needed me the most. One story that will touch me to this day is when a prison soldier of hers came and ask for forgiveness. Corrie had a choice to make to not forgive him and walk away or to do what God wanted for her and forgive him. She choose the latter and shook his hand. Could I have done that? Not many of us could but Corrie ten Bloom is an example of God grace for us to live everyday by. All needs to read this book, to see God grace in action and what God will do for us when we need him the most.
May 23, 2024
it was pretty good. Corrie Ten Boom was a great role model for keeping faith even when things get hard ✨🙏🏼 I gave it three stars because it was for school and I didnt pay as much attention to it as I would’ve a leisure book, but nonetheless it was good
February 21, 2018
This book had such an impact on me. How would I respond if I was faced with such intense trials and persecution? Every Christian should read this book, so powerful and encouraging! <3
May 20, 2024
Amongst the pain and suffering Jesus is glorified! This book was so inspirational and puts so much in perspective. My heart is full and my faith strengthened! 🤩🔥RTC
April 13, 2018
The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom was actually a very good book, much to my surprise. I expected it to be very boring, very depressing, and very preachy. At times it did drag a little - especially at the beginning - and it was sad, but it could be called preachy, and the hope won out in the end. It won out through much of the book, actually; I never felt truly depressed. I just knew God was there. Corrie and Betsie both showed their belief in this truth in the way they dealt with difficult situations.
The story starts with a recount of important moments throughout Corrie’s childhood and young adulthood. It gives a history of her family’s business which is a watch repair shop. It gives a good viewpoint of where Corrie’s thought processes, opinions, and beliefs come from. Parts of it didn’t seem important at the time, but I became convinced later that it was important - because it all turned Corrie into the woman she grew into, the woman who lived through what she did.
At last the book arrives at the Nazi occupation of Holland. This is when the story really starts to pick up. In their own quiet way, the ten Booms stand up to the Nazis - first by keeping their radio from being confiscated … and slowly through becoming involved in the Resistance and saving people. They become deeply involved in the Resistance. The book gives us many examples of them risking their lives to save a few people.
After having helped many people escape Holland and kept many hidden in the special room behind Corrie’s bedchamber, the ten Booms are found out and raided by the Nazis. Though the people in their ‘Hiding Place’ stay safe, she and her father and sister and a few others are taken away to a prison camp where most of the remainder of the story takes place.
There, Corrie’s father and sister Betsie both die - her father shortly after they arrive and her sister just days before they are released. Over many months in prison and in concentration camps, Betsie and Corrie both minister to others. They are a support and guide to the women there - hosting a Bible study and prayer meeting of sorts, encouraging and lifting up others whenever they can.
I wonder if Betsie was a little white-washed in Corrie’s mind by her death, as she seems like one of those too-good-to-be-real characters - another Elsie Dinsmore, if you will. But she was definitely very noble - if a little too optimistic for her own good, methinks.
Corrie was the narrator and the main character, of course, and I found myself liking her more than other characters. She had a lot of common sense and gumption.
Later I found out that she was just released because of an error and the rest of the women in her group were killed shortly afterwards. Well, of course we know it wasn’t an ‘error,’ exactly. It was God!
The point of this book is, of course, that God is there even when things are dark - even when it seems like there is no life, there is no hope. He is our hiding place in time of trouble.
This book can teach you so much … about history, about people, and most of all, about God. It’s really an incredible work - and the fact that it’s a true story makes it even more impressive.
The author was very honest about the tough things she went through and the things she saw others go through. And yes, it was horrific … but the message of seeing God in it all was incredible! I wish everyone who had to go through anything traumatic or horrific could read this book. It would do them a world of good!
Since these are real life people, not characters, and since this is a real life story, not a plot, I won’t critique this book on those points. The writing style was excellent - it was plain and truthful while getting the point across without preaching.
My mom got emotional about this book. I did not. Not much upsets me. But it was very emotional what with everything they had to go through and then how it all wrapped up. I can see how some people might cry when they read it.
I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.
Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews
The story starts with a recount of important moments throughout Corrie’s childhood and young adulthood. It gives a history of her family’s business which is a watch repair shop. It gives a good viewpoint of where Corrie’s thought processes, opinions, and beliefs come from. Parts of it didn’t seem important at the time, but I became convinced later that it was important - because it all turned Corrie into the woman she grew into, the woman who lived through what she did.
At last the book arrives at the Nazi occupation of Holland. This is when the story really starts to pick up. In their own quiet way, the ten Booms stand up to the Nazis - first by keeping their radio from being confiscated … and slowly through becoming involved in the Resistance and saving people. They become deeply involved in the Resistance. The book gives us many examples of them risking their lives to save a few people.
After having helped many people escape Holland and kept many hidden in the special room behind Corrie’s bedchamber, the ten Booms are found out and raided by the Nazis. Though the people in their ‘Hiding Place’ stay safe, she and her father and sister and a few others are taken away to a prison camp where most of the remainder of the story takes place.
There, Corrie’s father and sister Betsie both die - her father shortly after they arrive and her sister just days before they are released. Over many months in prison and in concentration camps, Betsie and Corrie both minister to others. They are a support and guide to the women there - hosting a Bible study and prayer meeting of sorts, encouraging and lifting up others whenever they can.
I wonder if Betsie was a little white-washed in Corrie’s mind by her death, as she seems like one of those too-good-to-be-real characters - another Elsie Dinsmore, if you will. But she was definitely very noble - if a little too optimistic for her own good, methinks.
Corrie was the narrator and the main character, of course, and I found myself liking her more than other characters. She had a lot of common sense and gumption.
Later I found out that she was just released because of an error and the rest of the women in her group were killed shortly afterwards. Well, of course we know it wasn’t an ‘error,’ exactly. It was God!
The point of this book is, of course, that God is there even when things are dark - even when it seems like there is no life, there is no hope. He is our hiding place in time of trouble.
This book can teach you so much … about history, about people, and most of all, about God. It’s really an incredible work - and the fact that it’s a true story makes it even more impressive.
The author was very honest about the tough things she went through and the things she saw others go through. And yes, it was horrific … but the message of seeing God in it all was incredible! I wish everyone who had to go through anything traumatic or horrific could read this book. It would do them a world of good!
Since these are real life people, not characters, and since this is a real life story, not a plot, I won’t critique this book on those points. The writing style was excellent - it was plain and truthful while getting the point across without preaching.
My mom got emotional about this book. I did not. Not much upsets me. But it was very emotional what with everything they had to go through and then how it all wrapped up. I can see how some people might cry when they read it.
I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.
Kellyn Roth, Reveries Reviews
October 8, 2012
One of my all-time favorite books and huge in the formulation of my personal moral code. Last year, I got to tour the Ten-Boom home - because I knew the book so well, this was a highlight of my trip. Definitely recommend this to everyone!
March 7, 2018
Slow in spots but overall, a good, sad book.
November 20, 2019
"There's more work to be done..."
Corrie ten Boom's story is incredible, but her faith makes me even more awestruck. She endured so much, including the loss of her father and sister while imprisoned in a concentration camp. Yet, through it all, she held on to the only sure foundation she had left: Jesus Christ. Betsie, her sister, loved everyone: including the people who would whip her. She bore no hatred for anyone. What a wonderful person! I also bear a great admiration for their father, who was faithful until the end. A great man indeed.
Though Corrie struggled to trust and hope, she did not struggle in vain. Her story still lives on today, in the hearts of her readers, who were impacted by her story.
Betsie's dying words, "But there's still more work to be done.." hit hard for me. There IS more work to be done - the spreading of the gospel and the love of Christ. Even in her death, her words live on.
Corrie ten Boom's story is incredible, but her faith makes me even more awestruck. She endured so much, including the loss of her father and sister while imprisoned in a concentration camp. Yet, through it all, she held on to the only sure foundation she had left: Jesus Christ. Betsie, her sister, loved everyone: including the people who would whip her. She bore no hatred for anyone. What a wonderful person! I also bear a great admiration for their father, who was faithful until the end. A great man indeed.
Though Corrie struggled to trust and hope, she did not struggle in vain. Her story still lives on today, in the hearts of her readers, who were impacted by her story.
Betsie's dying words, "But there's still more work to be done.." hit hard for me. There IS more work to be done - the spreading of the gospel and the love of Christ. Even in her death, her words live on.
September 3, 2021
I read this in school. It was really a good book.
May 25, 2016
This is a personal memoir of World War II and as a personal memoir of World War II it is interesting and actually pretty good, but I am not really sure that that is the main point of the book. Its problem is that throughout it pushes religion. Honestly, when an author expects me, as a reader, to actually believe that any religious doctrine is the truth I feel like my intelligence is being insulted and it is downright offensive. While describing the hardships of prison camps and the horrors of the war on innocent people the book constantly returns to Jesus this and bible that. For pushing that kind of absurdity I want to give this book less than one star, even a negative number of stars. For the narrative of actual historical events and the poignancy of suffering in that period of history I want to give it four stars. For the latter I will give it two stars, but the reason I give it such a low rating is because of the religion. The religious preaching really detracts from the whole.
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