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96th out of 8,316 books
—
39,458 voters
The Hiding Place
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 regulate...more
Paperback, 241 pages
Published
October 1st 1984
by Bantam
(first published 1971)
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May 29, 2008
Abigail
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Readers Interested in Holocaust Memoirs
Review Temporarily Removed.
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 gi...more
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 gi...more
24 likes · like · see review
May 25, 2008
Werner
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Any reader interested in the Holocaust, or in Christianity
Shelves:
history-biography
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...more
35 likes · like · see review
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:
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,
Know...more
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,
Know...more
3 likes · like · see review
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...more
I LOVE this book. I love Corrie's heart, I love her strength. I learned so much reading this book. It inspires one to want to be better. Her love for God was evident. She was an amazing writer of her own story. Definite read.
Mar 03, 2009
Rachel
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
again-and-again,
like-enough-to-own
What a fabulous book! This is the kind of book that changes the way that you see the world. It's given me so many things to think about.
Corrie and several members of her family are imprisoned in several different Nazi camps throughout the end of WWII for helping run the "underground" operation in Holland. The perspective that is offered throughout this book is absolutely incredible. I'll share with you just a couple of the things that stood out to me.
As a young woman, Corrie is totally and compl...more
Corrie and several members of her family are imprisoned in several different Nazi camps throughout the end of WWII for helping run the "underground" operation in Holland. The perspective that is offered throughout this book is absolutely incredible. I'll share with you just a couple of the things that stood out to me.
As a young woman, Corrie is totally and compl...more
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,...more
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,...more
18 likes · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
8 likes · like · see review
This book is...how do you say it? If not life-changing, it at least affects your vision, the way you see things, for ever! I was so moved by the sweetness of each story, the love of each family member, the courage of so many. It certainly brought perspective to my own life. I also admired Corrie for being able to recognize the good things she had in her life and for her abilty to express that in writing.
I have not read any other hollocaust books on purpose. I have a very sensitive spirit and I'...more
I have not read any other hollocaust books on purpose. I have a very sensitive spirit and I'...more
5 likes · like · see review
If you have not read the book, it is the true account of a Dutch woman in her 50s who sets up an underground Jewish haven during the Nazi rule over Holland. I love reading about the Holocaust, but this was the first time I could sense such a chasm between a sweet, elderly, epitome-of-Christian woman and the cruel hatred of the Nazi camps.
Even before the war, the family's charity and service was inspiring. During the war, their optimism, stalwartness, and charity was amazing. Corrie would trust h...more
Even before the war, the family's charity and service was inspiring. During the war, their optimism, stalwartness, and charity was amazing. Corrie would trust h...more
Apr 19, 2008
Alisa
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone who wants to be inspired
Shelves:
favorite
This book was incredibly inspirational to me. The horrid things they went through because they did the right thing - and through it all they were able to express gratitude and find the good in their situation. They were able to bless so many people. This is truly a story about how faith triumphs over evil. At one point she and her sister talked about helping others after their release, and they say that there is no pit so deep that God's love is not deeper still. My other favorite part is after...more
Reading this book, I had to ask myself, what is it that makes some people so much stronger than others? And I think that love is the answer. I just finished reading Man's Search for Meaning, and taken with that one, I found myself so impressed by the strength and faith of these people. I was just so inspired.
I love to read Corrie Ten Boom. She makes me feel like I can do more, I can be better. Another thing I noticed about this book and about Viktor Frankl's is that neither one of them spent muc...more
I love to read Corrie Ten Boom. She makes me feel like I can do more, I can be better. Another thing I noticed about this book and about Viktor Frankl's is that neither one of them spent muc...more
Oct 13, 2008
Angela
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone,all ages
Recommended to Angela by:
my grandmother
Shelves:
auto-bio-memoir,
ww2-era
At the same time and in the same town that Anne Frank and her family were in hiding in the attic, Corrie Ten Boom and her family were hiding Jews and dying in a prison for their actions. In my opinion, Corrie ten Boom was possibly one of the most inspirational and wonderfully uplifting women who truly showed her Christian faith in the way of Jesus by sacrificing herself for "The Watches in the Closet". With humor and humility, Corrie tells of how she and her family joined the Dutch Resistance in...more
Sep 01, 2012
Kelly Maybedog Hawkins
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Shelves:
what-biography-or-memoir,
what-non-fiction
What makes this particular book different from other (better) stories about the Holocaust is that it's from the perspective of a Christian woman who was interned. While it's extremely important for us not to forget that one group of people was specifically targeted (Jews) it's also important for us to realize that this horrible thing went beyond that. This horrible thing didn't just affect "them"/"those other people" (oh isn't that sad?, what's for dinner?") but it affected the whole world. But...more
12 likes · like · see review
May 12, 2011
Tammy Walton Grant
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-as-a-kid,
nonfiction
I'd forgotten all about this book until I saw an update on GR today.
My church sent a busload of us to see the movie when it came out in 1975. I was 8 or 9 I think and the appeal was more the day trip to the big city with my friends and without my parents. It was my first introduction to the Holocaust - it disturbed me, made me terribly sad and frightened all at the same time. Thinking back I was probably too young to have seen it (but what the heck, I saw "Jaws" that year too.)
I read the book a...more
My church sent a busload of us to see the movie when it came out in 1975. I was 8 or 9 I think and the appeal was more the day trip to the big city with my friends and without my parents. It was my first introduction to the Holocaust - it disturbed me, made me terribly sad and frightened all at the same time. Thinking back I was probably too young to have seen it (but what the heck, I saw "Jaws" that year too.)
I read the book a...more
I read this book in collage and just now again for book club. I thought it was amazing before, and I still do! I had forgotten a lot of it, mostly what had stood out was the last part where she is at the concentration camp. But I was warmed and inspired by all the lessons Corrie learns and uses in the situations she finds herself in. I think that is the key...so many of us say, "I'm a Christian" and yet so often forget that to be so is to follow Him every day, in every circumstance. She was trul...more
2 likes · like · see review
Mar 17, 2012
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Those Interested in the Dutch Resistance or the Nazi Concentration Camps
Recommended to Lisa (Harmonybites) by:
The Idiot's Guide to the Ultimate Reading List
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 fir...more
6 likes · like · see review
Its not often that a book changes your life. This one will stay with me always. This is the story of an amazing woman and her family who helped hide Jews during the German occupation of Holland. Corrie and her family were eventually arrested and imprisoned. While she was in the camps, she recalls all the small and large miracles of the way God made Himself present. Corrie's father and sister, Betsie, died in the camps, but she was released and went on to devote her life to making real the vision...more
It's been somewhere between 20-25 years since I read this book. The one question it raised for me is "Would I have the courage to do what this family did? Would I risk my family as well as myself to save others from such evils?" That question still haunts me. In many ways, I think this book is much more powerful than Anne Frank's diary because we are much more likely to be in the position of the Ten Booms than the Franks.
It would be fair to say that the most famous story of the Holocaust is the story of Anne Frank. Yet, in many ways, we are taught the incomplete story of the Frank family and thier hiding mates. While we know in great detail about the risk that the Frank helpers took by hiding and protecting their friends, the helpers seem to get short shift. While everyone knows of Miep, not that she seemed to have wanted it, many forget that Victor Kugler (Mr. Kraler in the diary) and Johannes Kleiman (Mr. Koop...more
2 likes · like · see review
May 20, 2008
Jeanene
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
anyone and everyone
Recommended to Jeanene by:
my mother
This is a very inspiring true story. It is about the evolution of spiritual strength, faith, and endurance. It is about looking for God's tender mercies towards His children in the midst of unspeakable horror. I learned to count my blessings reading this book.
3 likes · like · see review
There is found within these pages more than the story of a woman who dedicated much of her life to the humanitarian pursuits of rescuing, preserving, and enhancing life. This is more than the story of someone who simply survived Nazi imprisonment. It is the story of a woman who struggled through immense hardship and found at the end that she was not strong enough to make it through alone, that she needed the strength only God provides. His love carried her through and reshaped her perception of...more
1 like · like · see review
I have been interested in stories of the Holocaust since I was in High school and I read a book called, "Man in search of Meaning". I of course knew of the Holocaust, and the concentration camps. But until then I guess it never really HIT HOME, the hell these thousands and thousands of people had gone tthrough,I could not and still cannot understand or phantom that kind of evil,except as a believer in God when you have such almighty LOVE, it is only right to believe there will also be the same a...more
Wow! I can't believe I hadn't read this amazing book until now. It was our Feb. 2009 Book Club pick and will now go on the shelf with very favorite books. It's the true story of Corrie Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who is part of the underground movement to help and hide Jews during World War II. While much of the story is terrifyingly real and heartbreaking, this is a story of hope, and forgiveness in the face of true evil and hatred. Corrie has such a beautiful style of writing and uses language...more
1 like · like · see review
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
I did not realize that I have read an excerpt from this book that was circulated via email. When I came to the spot, it was unmistakable and powerful.
The Ten Boom family was remarkable the way they read scriptures and prayed both night and day. They were religious about time, too. I can't imagine eating breakfast at exactly 8:10 am every morning. This spoke volumes to me about the pace of life back in the day. The father was endearing and I was impressed by the way he taught his daughter. In one...more
The Ten Boom family was remarkable the way they read scriptures and prayed both night and day. They were religious about time, too. I can't imagine eating breakfast at exactly 8:10 am every morning. This spoke volumes to me about the pace of life back in the day. The father was endearing and I was impressed by the way he taught his daughter. In one...more
2 likes · like · see review
At no fault of the book, but it took me a while to get into this story. Once the occupation of Holland took place the story became riveting and I didn't put it down until I read through the last page. What a horrific setting, but nevertheless a beautiful true story of faith and even love through adversity. A friend suggested having tissue close by, and I agree, especially through the last few chapters.
One part that I'm sure was not a major point in the book, but that struck me was near the end w...more
One part that I'm sure was not a major point in the book, but that struck me was near the end w...more
2 likes · like · see review
This WWII survival book is excellent. This was another book I read for a book-of-the-month in my Phoenix book club. I found it inspiring in spite of the seriousness of the characters circumstances. The war's victims were deep and these courageous people refused to let evil continue unabated if they could within their sphere of influence thwart it, and rescue people. The Christian themes are so relevant for today. Corrie's sister's attitude sometimes felt unrealistically optimistic, but I think i...more
I am ashamed at how little I knew of this book and Corrie ten Boom before reading. For some reason, I thought Corrie ten Boom was African African and her story had something to do with slavery. Uh, I couldn't have been more wrong. She was a Dutch woman who, during World War II, helped Jews flee to safety and then she and her family ended up enslaved in a concentration camp for betraying the Nazis.
And all through it, Corrie kept her faith in God. The big question raised during this book was, "How...more
And all through it, Corrie kept her faith in God. The big question raised during this book was, "How...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| How has this book impacted you? | 22 | 93 | Jun 12, 2013 09:10pm | |
| Anymore books like this | 54 | 187 | May 29, 2013 08:44am | |
| One of the Best Books Ever! | 46 | 195 | May 22, 2013 05:42pm | |
| Free book for your Kindle on Wednesday, February 27th. One day only! "Chapter 29 Revisited" | 1 | 18 | Feb 26, 2013 09:00am |
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 e...more
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“This is what the past is for! Every experience God gives us, every person He puts in our lives is the perfect preparation for the future that only He can see.”
—
545 people liked it
“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 that love so that it stops hurting. But then of course part of us dies, too. Or we can ask God to open up another route for that love to travel.”
—
284 people liked it
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Oct 09, 2010 02:04pm
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