Rating: 
Summary: Soooo beautiful.
Review: 'The Hiding Place' primarily covers the wartime period of Corrie's life ('In My Father's House' covers the pre-war years,whilst 'Tramp for the Lord' covers the post-war years - all three books are wonderful).
I am hard-pressed to adequately convey how powerful and moving 'The Hiding Place' is - it would take a heart of stone not to be thoroughly impacted and melted by this incredible combination of beauty,tragedy and victory.
Right from the getgo Corrie draws you into her world.By the time you have been taken from the warmth of her childhood,through her family's courageous wartime efforts,and onto the horror of her and sister Betsie's experience at Ravensbruck you will have been on an overwhelmingly emotional rollercoaster : a certain point in the book had the tears running down my cheeks,and by the end i gave a repeat performance !!!!
I think this book goes hand in hand with 'The heavenly man' by Paul Hattaway,in being two of the most beautiful,powerful and life-changing biographys available.
Rating:
Summary: G-d is our true Hiding Place
Review: As a grandson of Holocaust survivors and the great-grandson of Holocaust victims, as one who attended only Jewish schools until college, I grew up reading books about the Holocaust. Yet it wasn't until I read Rabbi Daniel Lapin's book, America's Real War, that I had ever heard of Corrie ten Boom and her righteous family. Referring to The Hiding Place and Tante (Aunt) Corrie's other book, In My Father's House, Rabbi Lapin writes: "I personally see it as a mark of shame for the Jewish community that these books are not mandatory reading in every Jewish high school." That's all I needed to read, as I shortly thereafter purchased both of these books, the first of which, The Hiding Place, I finished last week. I am indebted to Rabbi Lapin for the recommendation.
This heartwrenching story of a Dutch Christian family responsible for saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust is one of courage, heroism and faith. But the Ten Boom family's commitment and love for the Jewish people is firmly rooted decades prior to these events as Tante Corrie (1892-1983) elsewhere writes of the regular prayer meetings her grandfather would make for the sake of the Jewish people in the Beje (the family home and watchmaker shop) beginning in the 1840's. Tante Corrie explains: "In a divine way that is beyond our understanding, G-d answered those prayers. It was in the same house, exactly one hundred years later, that Grandfather's son, my father, and four of his grandchildren and one great-grandson were arrested for helping save the lives of Jews during the German occupation of Holland."
We read of Tante Corrie's childhood and the righteous home in which she was reared wherein the reader gets some glimpse into her saintly father, the family patriarch Caspar ten Boom. As Hitler takes over Holland and anti-Semitic regulations become commonplace, Tante Corrie resolves in her heart: "Lord Jesus, I offer myself for Your people. In any way. Any place. Any time." That Tante Corrie and her family most certainly did, becoming part of the Underground and harboring Jews in the specially constructed "hiding place" in the Beje. The "hiding place" takes on a deeper symbolism in keeping with Tante Corrie's conviction that the One Above must become our ultimate refuge in life.
I will never forget some of these Jews, like Cantor Meyer Mossel, known as Eusie. I laughed out loud at his interactions and well received "Psalm 166" joke with Father ten Boom. "Father beamed. Of course there is no Psalm 166; the Psalter stops with 150. It must be a joke, and nothing could please Father better than a scriptural joke." Eusie was quite a character.
Tragically, the Ten Boom's operation of saving Jewish lives was discovered by the Nazis and Tante Corrie and her unusually righteous sister Betsie were sent to concentration camps. Tante Corrie survived to dedicate her next four decades of life to sharing her life changing story of triumph through faith. Somewhat disturbing to me, however, is Tante Corrie's attitude of forgiveness toward her evil captors and her sister Betsie's consistent prayers for them. However, this has less to do with Tante Corrie personally as it has to do with the fundamental differences between Judaism and Christianity in their understandings of forgiveness in general. As Dennis Prager has written in an essay appearing in The Sunflower, "More than a decade of weekly dialogue with Christians and intimate conversations with Christian friends have convinced me that, aside from the divinity of Jesus, the greatest-- and even more important -- difference between Judaism and Christianity, or perhaps between most Christians and Jews, is their understanding of forgiveness and, ultimately, how to react to evil."
Tante Corrie, now in Heaven, thank you for everything you did for my people. We love and cherish you.
Rating:
Summary: A true account of love for God and the Souls of Everyone
Review: Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsie showed absolute compassion for everyone. Even though her family was thrown into prison, and later the 'camps', she was able to forgive the man who turned her in to the Nazis. She and her sister were the only members of her family to enter the concentration camps, everyone else was freed shortly after their imprisonment. Betsie died, but Corrie never lost hope. She knew inside that Betsie was in Heaven waiting for their reunion sfter death. Their faith was astounding, and surprising. They shared their faith with others, including Nazi guards, and the Jews in Ravensbruck. As you read through the book you begin to wonder, 'do I do help others enough.' Corrie's life was dedicated to the service of her Father in Heaven, even though tragedy and anguish struck her at every turn in her life
Rating:
Summary: THE best book you'll read this summer
Review: First written in 1971, The Hiding Place has, through both critical acclaim and word of mouth of the masses, achieved both certifiable classic status and a revered place in the hearts of its readers. And, I might add, for good reason. Although written in 1st person novel form from the perspective of the selflessly valiant Cornelia ten Boom, it is, of course, the true story of one family's almost unfathomable degree of limitless giving and unwavering altruism that saved many of lives during the nihilistic hate-filled Nazi regime in Holland, where the Gestapo as well as Dutch collaborators were pervasively ubiquitous and inexorably replete with hate and ineluctably devoid of both reason and love.While reading, I felt a veritable melange of emotions running the gamut from sadness, anger, despair, and hope. Thanks to the wonderful writing, you feel like you're reading a novel -- although one that is all too harrowing and real. As Betsie quotes the Bible and says, "Give thanks in all circumstances," she subsequently says "Thanks for the fleas" -- a moment that demonstrated that God DOES work in mysterious ways. Without giving away anything that happens, I strongly exhort you to read The Hiding Place -- a book that stays with you long after you have turned the last page. "No pit is so deep that He is not deeper still."
- Betsie ten Boom
Rating:
Summary: A beautiful,moving,emotive book.
Review: I have read a number of autobiographys,and expect to read more still.
I think i shall be hard-pressed to find another one as beautiful as Corrie's.
Rating:
Summary: A veritable laugh riot
Review: I was walking my dog and reading The Hiding Place and I thought why I am being sad. I should be glad and happy because the story is happy if you think about it you know. So I started laughing at the awesome stuff that Corrie does and says when she's helping the Jews. In summation, it's better to laugh than to cry. At least, that is, to Joseph O'Brien.
Rating:
Summary: Inspiring True Story - Faith Building
Review: Inspiring true story of a simple Christian family who placed their trust in God and changed the world as a result. They not only protected Jews during WWII, they worked for reconciliation of Jews and Nazis after the war, even to their own abusers. Only God make that sort of thing happen, and for the many years since, Corrie Ten Boom has been preaching that God. Read only if you want your faith in God deepened.
Rating: 
Summary: Sad, but Good...from a 13 year old reader
Review: My English class was assigned to read this book, and I wasn't too excited about it. I thought it would be a boring non-fiction book about somebody's problems in some war. Well, was I wrong! I read the first chapter, and I was hooked. I couldn't put it down!
This book is mainly about Corrie TenBoom, who lives in a strong Christian family that illegally helps hide Jews right on the break of World War 2. It's about how she goes through all types of trials, and how she depends on Jesus Christ to help her get through them, even though they seem impossible to get through(raids, jail, and even death).
Corrie is a person of many flaws, as all humans are, and she freely tells the reader of them as her story continues. But, even though some things seem hopeless, she still has determination and relies on God to help her get through all of her problems. A lesson we can learn from her very down-to-earth character is that even though we seem endlessly flawed, there's still hope to improve.
I recommend this book to anyone who likes to read books that are exciting, and you don't mind sitting on the edge of your seat the whole way through the book. But, I wouldn't recommend it to people who get very emotional about those poor people being mistreated and unfairly.
This exciting book is not a boring old school novel, it's a book that you can learn from, so don't turn it down, if you are ever made to read it.
Rating:
Summary: THE OLIVE TREES THAT STAND IN SILENCE-N. Shemer
Review: THE POWER OF DARKNESS-Luke 22:52-53 Christ's words at His arrest in the garden of Gethsemane: "Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves? When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: BUT THIS IS YOUR HOUR, AND THE POWER OF DARKNESS." Corrie Ten Boom has a tree planted in her name along the avenue of the Righteous of the Nations at Yad Vashem, Israel's Shoah Memorial. The avenue and trees are all dedicated to non-jews who saved jewish lives during the Nazi regime. Holland was invaded by Hitler's troops on May 10, 1940. The Ten Boom family lived in Haarlem and spent several years hiding jews, working to get them safely out of Hitler's occupied territory. Her sister Betsie urged her sister before dying at Ravensbruke "...must tell people what we have learned here...They will listen to us because we have been here." Let's hope that those who still refuse to listen, will reconsider the testimonies of these silent trees.
Rating:
Summary: The Perfect Hiding Place
Review: The ultimate "Hiding Place" is within God. Such a short and simple statement, that holds great power. This simple fact was divinely revealed during the Holocaust for Corrie Ten Boom and her family, and in this book, HIDING PLACE, she shares what happened.
Corrie, a native of Holland in her early 50's, became involved in the underground movement to hide Jews and others persecuted by the Germans. Holland was invaded by the Germans which made it very difficult to hide the refugees, as well as hide Corrie's role in their protection. While hiding several refugees in a false room in her bedroom, Corrie and her sister Betsy, as well as their aged father are taken prisoner by the Germans.
Corrie is ill, while Betsy has suffered from an ailment since childhood and has always been frail. They are separated and do not see each other for quite some time.
While being moved to another prison, the sisters are reunited and Betsy, by example only, helps Corrie cement her faith in God as well as learn to rely on him and trust solely in him.
Again and again, Corrie is able to hide her small bible that a kindly nurse was able to slip to her. She hid it through numerous, supervised showers and naked inspections. God's Hiding Place was in action.
Fleas that disgusted the guards became another thing to thank God for, as they created a "Hiding Place" for Corrie and Betsy as they revealed God's word to other captives and were able to give new life and hope in God.
The sisters endure many humiliations and hardships that no human being should ever have to even dream about. Throughout all, their faith in God is strengthened and the book gives example after example of how this faith is met by God.
I wept while reading this book, and I was ashamed that I complain about small things: Whether or not my neck hurts today, or I'm put out because my favorite TV show isn't on. I fear that I would have died a very bitter person if I were in that circumstance. If I am faced with tribulation, I hope that I would not, but that I would instead remember and be inspired by Corrie's story.
Recommended
Yes
Pros
Honestly and humbly, reveals God's power in the worst of circumstances.
Cons
None
The Bottom Line
Get this book and read it. Buy multiple copies and give them to everyone. We should all be so humble and take refuge in the Hiding Place.
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