Corrie ten Boom and her family operated an underground movement in Holland during World War II, providing safe passage to Jews during the German occupation. Corrie's father owned a watch repair business; Corrie and her older sister Betsie remained unmarried and assisted their father in the shop. They were well-known for their kindness and hospitality, so it was natural for neighbors to turn to them for help. As they developed connections with others involved in the movement, their operation increased in scope and required both more sophisticated methods and more caution. A secret room was built in the house to hide the occupants in case of a raid. A buzzer system was installed to alert occupants to a raid or other emergency, and drills were held to ensure people could hide without leaving evidence. Signals were arranged to communicate when it was safe to enter the house.

The ten Boom family performed an important ministry during the war, but eventually the authorities became aware of their work and the family was arrested and taken to a political prisoner camp. Corrie and Betsie ten Boom spent nearly a year in a series of prison camps, under appalling conditions. Their deep Christian faith was key to survival. After the war, Corrie set up rehabilitation centers in the Netherlands, lectured about her experience, and taught others based on the Christian Gospels and themes of forgiveness. Corrie ten Boom's faith and ability to forgive are an inspiration; it takes an extraordinary person to survive such a harrowing experience and be able to forgive your persecutors.

The Hiding Place was an interesting memoir from a dark time in the history of humankind. ( )

I'm really glad my book club picked this one to read, because otherwise I probably would never have read something shelved in the Christian Inspiration section. Unlike some of the other books I've read in that genre, this one actually was inspiring. I didn't feel like I was being preached at or pressured to think or act a certain way. The story Corrie ten Boom tells about her captivity during World War II was truly moving and well-told. ( )

This was an amazing Holocaust memoir. At it's heart is an entire family who put the teachings of the Bible into action every day, no matter what the cost to themselves may be. I was very saddened at the deaths which occurred within Corrie's family, because each member had become a member of my own family while I was reading. I high recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Holocaust or in ministry work. ( )

I found this book very inspirational. I am amazed at the faith of Corrie and her sister Betsy in enduring such hardship. In addition, this book is an awesome lesson in forgiveness.

"I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do." ~ Corrie ten Boom

After I had read about halfway through this book, I was telling my co-workers how good it was. One of them knew all about the book and the author, and had actually had the privilege of meeting Corrie ten Boom when she came to her church to speak. My co-worker mentioned the fact that this book and Miss ten Boom's experiences during WWII should make anyone feel grateful for what they have. She was totally right about that. When you're reading a true story that relates how concentration camp prisoners were forced to get out of bed at 3:30AM in the dead of winter and stand outside for an hour in the freezing cold for roll call, it kind of makes it impossible to gripe about, well, anything.

The Hiding Place is centered around the lives of Corrie ten Boom and her family, and how they were able to use their watch shop in Haarlem, Holland as a secret communication center and provided accommodations for those trying to avoid arrest by the Nazis while they occupied their country. Eventually, they were betrayed, arrested, and sent to concentration camps.

Some things from the book that stood out to me and are blessings to my heart:
- while planes flew overhead, bombing their country, Corrie's sister Betsie prayed for the Germans
- how long she and her family were able to provide secret assistance to those using the underground system to escape arrests during the Nazi occupation of Holland
- the recurring miracle that Corrie was able to keep a Bible with her through several camp inspections and transfers
- how lonely she was while in solitary confinement, so much so that she made "friends" with the ants that would crawl through the cracks in her cell
- that her release from Ravensbruck was yet another miracle (on Christmas Day), as she later found out it was due to a clerical error, and that all of the women her age in the camp had been killed just one week after her release

I have read other stories from survivors of concentration camps, but none quite as descriptive as this one, and from a woman's point of view. The cruelty and apathy of the soldiers and guards were quite apparent. The conditions in the camps were beyond appalling. But above and more important than all the horrific scenes and situations depicted in this book, it showed me some fine examples of the resilience of the human spirit, the love of freedom, and how those natural human qualities are further strengthened by faith in God. ( )