"The Hiding Place" Review

At one time Corrie ten Boom would have laughed at the idea that there would ever be a story to tell. For the first fifty years of her life nothing at all out of the ordinary had ever happened to her. She was an old-maid watchmaker living contentedly with her spinster sister and their elderly father in the tiny Dutch house over their shop. Their uneventful days, as regulated as their own watches, revolved around their abiding love for one another. However, with the Nazi invasion and occupation of Holland, a story did ensue. 

Corrie ten Boom and her family became leaders in the Dutch Underground, hiding Jewish people in their home in a specially built room and aiding their escape from the Nazis. For their help, all but Corrie found death in a concentration camp. The Hiding Place is their story. 

My Review:

   Wow. The Hiding Place was so much better than I had imagined when I first picked it up!! This is an incredible story of a life dedicated to Jesus. Cornelia Ten-Boom's story is one of courage, trust, and love in the midst of the hardest trials. She gave her life to Jesus, and suffered because of it. However, in the end she learned that "(nothing) shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." 

   It was very inspirational to read about her sister, Betsy, whose very life shone with love. She loved her enemies--when they were in the midst of taunting her. She could look around on her death bed and love them. 

   After reading the after-note where it explained how Corrie finally was reunited with her family in heaven, I knew at that moment that the earth had lost a great woman of faith. I felt personally sad that she had left...the earth needs more Ten-Booms like her and her family.

   Just as Corrie said, "There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still." 

   This book is perfect for anyone ages 13+ because of some content.

About the Author:

   Corrie ten Boom and her family were Christians who were active in social work in their home town of Haarlem, the Netherlands. During the Nazi occupation, they chose to act out their faith through peaceful resistance to the Nazis by active participation in the Dutch underground. They were hiding, feeding and transporting Jews and underground members hunted by the Gestapo out of the country. It is estimated they were able to save the lives of 800 Jews, in addition to protecting underground workers. 

On Feb. 28, 1944, they were betrayed and Corrie and several relatives were arrested. The four Jews and two underground workers in the house at the time of the arrest were not located by the Nazis and were extricated by the underground 47 hours after they fled to the tiny hiding place (located in Corrie's room).

   The ten Boom family members were separated and transferred to concentration camps. Corrie was allowed to stay with her precious sister, Betsy. Corrie's father (Casper), her sister (Betsy) and one grandchild (Kik) perished. Corrie was released in December of 1944.

   These acts of heroism and sacrifice became the foundation for Corrie ten Boom's global writing and speaking career after she was released.

   Ten Boom has received numerous awards for her writing and speaking. Notably, she was honored by the State of Israel for her work in aid of the Jewish people by being invited to plant a tree in the famous Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles, at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, Near Jerusalem. She was also knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in recognition of her work during the war, and a museum in the Dutch city of Haarlem is dedicated to her and her family.