The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom tells her family’s experience helping Jews in Holland escape the Holocaust during World War II. They were caught and sent to a concentration camp.
Unlike many, Corrie followed her sister’s example of love and forgiveness, which allowed her to move past bitterness and lead others to peace after the atrocities of the holocaust. The Hiding Place shows the best and the worst of humanity and is a story of using God’s love to bring peace to your life.
In this blog, I’ll introduce you to Corrie ten Boom and review her book, The Hiding Place.
MY INTRODUCTION TO CORRIE TEN BOOM
My mother introduced me to The Hiding Place years ago. Born in 1936, she was a young girl during World War II. During my growing up years, she took the opportunity to talk about rationing and her brother’s going off to war. She related how sad it was when someone in town got the news that their father, son, or brother would not be returning from war.
When the movie, “The Diary of Anne Frank” came out, we watched it together as a family.
Since that time, I’ve always been interested in WWII stories. As a young mother, Momma told me of Corrie ten Boom and how inspired she was by her. She related how, in her book The Hiding Place, Corrie and her sister, Betsie, found it possible to be thankful for fleas while in a concentration camp. Momma shared her copy of the book with me and I loved it. The story of love for all people and finding good in each circumstance has helped me in my life.
WHO WAS CORRIE TEN BOOM
Birth and Family
Cornelia Arnolda Johanna ten Boom was born on April 15, 1892 in Haarlem, Netherlands to Cornelia and Casper ten Boom. She was known as Corrie all her life. The youngest of four children, she lived with two sisters, Betsie and Nollie, and one brother, Willem, along with her parents and aunts in the Beje (bay-yay) – their home above their father’s shop. Her father was a jeweler and watchmaker.
Corrie also became a watchmaker after her mother’s death and a disappointing relationship. In 1922 she was the first licensed woman watchmaker in Holland. Their home took in foster children, and Corrie organized a young woman’s club that taught sewing, performing, arts, handicraft, as well as provided religious instruction.
As Calvinists in the Dutch Reformed Church, they felt it was their social duty to help and uplift their community. They provided comfort, food, and housing to anyone in need, even though they did not make a lot of money themselves.
The War
In May of 1940, Germany began their invasion of the Netherlands. Although the attitudes of people changed, the ten Boom family became a haven for Jews, students, and intellectuals. Their shop and home was perfectly situated as a front for the underground.
The ten Booms became active in the Dutch resistance. They helped find housing for those hiding from the Gestapo, providing fake identification papers and ration cards. Corrie became a leader in this movement, overseeing a network of safe houses. It is estimated they saved around 800 lives.
They built a secret room behind a false wall in Corrie’s bedroom to hide anyone in case of a search. There was room for six people to stand very quietly, after entering through a small opening low in the wall. The Resistance installed a buzzer system in the house to alert those inside of security sweeps, and they practiced till everyone could hide within 70 seconds.
Arrested
In February 1944, a Dutch informant told the Nazi’s about the ten Boom’s activities and a raid resulted in their arrest, along with 35 others. The six people who escaped to the hiding place remained there for three days until they were able to safely escape with the Dutch Underground.
The family was sent to prison where their 84-year-old father soon died. Corrie and Betsie ended up being sent to the notorious Ravensbrück concentration camp near Berlin. Betsie was an inspiration to Corrie, helping her see the good in every situation and person — even planning how to help people including the cruel prison guards recover from the horrors of war after it was over. Betsie died in December of 1944, and Corrie was released twelve days later due to a clerical error.
After the War
True to Betsie’s wishes, Corrie opened a rehabilitation center serving not only concentration camp survivors but those who had betrayed their countryman. In 1946 she organized a ministry that took her to more than 60 countries where she shared her message of love and forgiveness.
“She received many tributes during her lifetime, including being knighted by the queen of the Netherlands. The Yad Vashem Remembrance Authority honored ten Boom in December 1967 as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, or non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives to help Jews during the Holocaust.”
Biography.com
Books and Movies
In 1971 she released her memoir, “The Hiding Place” and four years later the movie came to theaters. Not until I was writing this piece did I realize that this month, the 2023 play adaptation of this book is being released as a movie.
She also went on to write another memoir called “In My Father’s House: The Years Before The Hiding Place”. Corrie ten Boom wrote other religious books making her total collection thirty publications.
Death
In 1977, Corrie moved to California. Within the next year, she suffered from several strokes that left her paralyzed and unable to speak, much like her mother. She passed away on her 91st birthday, April 15, 1983. This is significant in that the Jewish traditional belief is that only very special people are granted the honor of passing from this life on the day they entered it.
THE HIDING PLACE REVIEW
Get It
As stated previously, “The Hiding Place” was published in 1971, as the first of Corrie’s memoirs. She had the help of John and Elizabeth Sherrill as coauthors. You can purchase the Kindle version of the book or the paperback on Amazon. (I am not an affiliate at this time and do not earn a commission by your purchase.) You can also get one at any number of thrift stores, check out a nearby bookstore, or your local library. If you want to listen to the audiobook for free, check out YouTube.
The Story
This story does not cover Corrie’s childhood but starts at the 100th anniversary of their watch shop. It does backtrack a bit in time to give us a view of her life with her aunts and mother, as well as her experience with the man she thought she would marry. Since I’ve basically told you about Corrie’s life, you basically know the story.
She tells about her mother being sickly but serving others with joy. At one point, her mother becomes paralyzed and cannot speak. However, Corrie finds a way to communicate with her through yes and no blinks. It is not unusual for her mother to watch out the window and with her eyes indicate there was someone she saw. Turns out it was someone that was having a birthday and Corrie helped her write and send a card.
Life Lessons
I loved this because sometimes feel like a giant burden with ME. When I’m in a crash, there’s very little I can do, and others must tend to my needs. I am still capable of giving love and letting others know they are remembered and cared for. There are many wonderful life lessons in this book.
Corrie speaks of an experience she had as a young girl traveling on the train. She asked her father a question about sex. He answered it by asking her to carry his heavy traveling case off the train. When she tried to lift it, it was too heavy, and she said so. He answered,
“Yes, and it would be a pretty poor father who asked his little girl to carry such a load. It’s the same way with knowledge. Some knowledge is too heavy for children. When you are older and stronger you can bear it. For now, you must trust me to carry it for you.”
The Hiding Place, pg 26
I loved that answer. There are many things too heavy for our little ones to carry.
Being Thankful
When Betsie and Corrie were in the concentration camp, they found themselves overwhelmed with flea-ridden living quarters. Corrie and the other women were overcome with despair, but Betsie encouraged them all. They prayed and Betsie thanked the Lord for many things — one being the lice. Corrie was not sure she could ever be thankful for fleas.
Later, they realized that the only reason they could hide their bible and medicine and have freedom inside their living quarters was because the guards would not come in because of the flea infestation. Corrie remembered Betsie’s bowed head thanking God for creatures she could see no use for. How many times have I cursed something that has turned out to be a blessing? At the same time, because of this book, I have remembered to give thanks during trials.
Examples of Love
What inspired me most when I read the memoir again, is that Corrie didn’t naturally come upon this love and forgiveness herself. She watched her mother give love. Then Betsie’s example changed her. Corrie is very real about her own nature and how she did not automatically look for the good. I remember thinking, “Man, she sure is throwing herself under the bus.” But I loved how humble she was.
In this memoir, she mentions examples of her family members over and over. Her father’s gentle lessons, her mother’s continual serving, Willem’s involvement in the resistance first, and most of all Betsie’s love of God that transferred to everyone she met — and changed them for the better. Their fellow prisoners began bitter and angry, but everyone who came into contact with Betsie absorbed her goodness.
I strongly recommend this book and hope you will join me in discussing what you learned through it.
MORE INTERESTING LINKS
The ten Boom Museum.
The 1975 movie, The Hiding Place.
The 2023 stage adaptation, The Hiding Place.
YOUR TURN
Here’s how the DratherB Reading book club works. Read the book and leave your response to the discussion questions in the COMMENTS. Since there is no plot to give away, there shouldn’t be any spoilers in everyone’s comments. And if you’d like to check out more DratherB Reading book reviews, go here.
Discussion Questions
- What are your impressions of this book?
- What are the various hiding places, real and symbolic, to which the title of this book refers? How, for instance, do fleas lead to a “hiding place” for Corrie and Betsie?
- The ten Boom family’s faith in God led them to love all people, even those who persecuted them. Have you ever been put in a situation where someone hated you and caused you great pain?
- Several times, Corrie acted on faith when the situation looked impossible. What do you think of these situations? How does faith play a role in your life?
- Betsie and Corrie were amazing examples of kindness and courage. What other acts of kindness and courage were displayed in this memoir?
- Stories like these always prompt comparison to ourselves. What inner strength and courage do you possess? Would you risk your life or your family to help the Jews or someone else being threatened?
- When Corrie witnessed a feeble-minded girl being beaten, she said to Betsie, “What can we do for these people? Can’t we make a home for them and care for them and love them?” Betsie answered, “I pray every day that we will be allowed to to this! To show them that love is greater!” Corrie was referring to the feeble minded, and Betsie was referring to the Nazi’s. What are your thoughts about this?
- After Betsie’s death, Corrie is released and is restless even though she is busy and back to work. She realizes it is Betsie she is looking for. How does this realization change her? Has someone’s death changed you?
- After the war, Corrie comes across one of the former SS men from Ravensbruck. (pg 238) Think about her first reaction … and how she changed. What does this say about the principle of forgiveness—its difficulty and its healing power?
