The Hiding Place

 (329 customer reviews)

This is an absolutely extraordinary book. Never have I read a book in which the spiritual beauty of the author so resonated throughout the story. The purity of heart that manifests itself in this inspiring saga of a heroic, Dutch family in Nazi occupied Holland during World War II is stunningly beautiful.

This is the true story of the Ten Boom family who, during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands, upon seeing what was happening to their Jewish neighbors and friends, asked themselves this age old question "If not us,...who; if not now,...when?" They answered it, ultimately at great cost.

The Ten Booms were devoutly Christian and lived a simple life. The patriarch of the family ran a watch shop that had been in his family for a century. Some of the family members, the author among them, worked there, selling and repairing clocks and watches. They also lived in the house in which the shop was located.

When the Nazis occupied their country, the reality...Read more

This book stands so far above the pack that five stars is not a high enough rating.

Of all the books I've ever read, this is the one that has remained in my mind and my heart for many years. Corrie Ten Boom is a real life super-hero. This unforgettable lady survived the horrors of life in a concentration camp and went on to write a book that has reached out and touched hearts and souls around the world. I do not know or care if this book is "well written" because it is what she has to tell you that matters. You will weep as you read this book, you will look at your world with new eyes and you just may find the light of your faith rekindled. If you want a book that touches your very soul and just may change your life, read this one.

I've been aware of this book for a number of years, and finally read it when my friend Ann said I was missing a great story. Now, after reading it, I'm encouraging everyone to do the same.

The story begins in 1937 when a Dutch family is preparing for the 100th birthday of the family shop, Ten Boom: Watches. Flowers are being delivered and friends are calling to help celebrate the day. The conversation centers around Germany and the Jews who are coming to Holland for asylum. The Ten Boom's and their guests could not have foreseen what was to come. Their world had changed.

This is the autobiographical story of Corrie Ten Boom and how she and her family worked for the Dutch underground movement during World War II. The family were Christians and took a very strong stand against the Nazi persecution of the Jews. Corrie's father, a kindly, religious man, summed up his thoughts on the Nazis by saying, "I pity them Corrie. They have touched the apple of God's...Read more