The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom with John and Elizabeth Sherrill

"Thou art my hiding place and my shield: I hope in thy word."

        -Psalm 119:114

I thought I had read this book years ago but now I think I may have only seen the movie. I found it very touching and inspiring.

The subtitle of this memoir is The Triumphant True Story of Corrie ten Boom. Corrie lived the first 50 years of her life as pretty much an ordinary Dutch citizen and after that, it got extraordinary!

Corrie's whole family were devout Christians and at the time of the Nazi occupation of Holland they became leaders of the Dutch resistance and saviors to many Jews. Father Casper was a watchmaker and much-beloved by the townspeople. Corrie and her older sister Betsie were spinsters who lived with him above the shop and helped in the business. Married sister Nollie and brother Willem, a minister, lived nearby. The Ten Boom family made their home a hiding place for Jews and used their connections and resources to help them escape to safety. Their compassionate work eventually led to the their arrest by the Nazis and time in various prisons and camps. 

After a time of being separated, Corrie and Betsie were reunited and, I believe, survived a great deal of trauma by giving strength to each other---Corrie's physical strength and Betsie's strong faith. I have always thought of Corrie as something like a saint but after reading her story, it turns out Betsie was her mentor and inspiration. (And the apples didn't fall far from the tree, as both parents passed on their deep religious faith.)

This is a story of beautiful, profound Christian faith---of walking the walk, serving God. It is a story of resilience and miracles. I was so surprised to read some reviews that dismissed the book as being "too preachy" and unbelievable. As a Christian, I know that nothing is impossible with God. As I mentioned, I was touched and inspired, leading to my rating of 5. Now I want to see the movie again!