The Hiding Place Book Summary and Study Guide

At a moment they least expect, they are caught as a result of someone who betrayed them, and all are taken to various prisons. While in solitary Corrie befriends a prison matron who makes sure she gets a Bible and anything else she needs . She receives a letter which secretly states that all those who were in hiding are safe. She is interviewed by a German officer, who informs her that her father Papa ten Boom passed away in the hallways of a hospital in the area, to which she responds she knows where her father is. At one point in the book, there is an air raid siren, and all prisoners are rushed to a nearby train, where she reunites with her sister Betsy. They are taken to multiple prisons, but ultimately end up at a women's prison called Ravensbruck, which is the female version of Auschwitz. During one point Corrie learns from Betsy about the importance of responding to evil with love not HATE when a female guard beats Betsy. Corrie struggles with this hatred, and little by little learns to show this love. While in this prison, Betsy becomes gravely ill, and ultimately dies there. Not long after, Corrie is released from prison, and continues the work she did with the underground, but she also plans to follow Betsy's dream of converting one of these dreaded camps into a place of healing and refuge for those affected by the war. She also learns how she was released on a clerical error, because all women her age were executed in the gas chambers within weeks of her release. She ultimately follows Betsy's dream, and much more speaking to people everywhere on how “There is no pit so deep, that God's love is not deeper still.”

The Hiding Place is the story of Corrie ten Boom's life as a middle-aged woman in Holland during World War II. She was an active member of the resistance, harboring Jews in her home, the Beje. Her story begins when she is a child, but quickly progresses to her adulthood. The main plot is Corrie's work helping Jews. She took them into her home, usually for a short time, and then helped them find a better hiding place. She supplied them with false papers and ration cards. Corrie worked with a group of Dutch Christians and built a network in Holland to help whoever needed help. Her older sister hid Jews as well, and her brother ran a nursing home and was able to help Corrie.

Unfortunately, the Nazis find out that Corrie is active in the resistance and she, her sister, her father and many others are arrested in a night raid (miraculously, the Jews in her home are hidden so well they aren't found and all but one live through the Occupation). Even though she is elderly, Corrie survives prison and is transported to Ravensbruck, a concentration camp, with her sister Betsie.

The review of this Book prepared by Erin Thomsen

Published in 1976, a bestseller, and still in print, this is the famous autobiography of Corrie Ten Boom who lived through the Nazi occupation of Holland in WWII and formed part of the Dutch resistance in Haarlem. It tells how the Ten Booms smuggled Jews, and others sought by the soldiers, out into the countryside and abroad. Eventually Corrie and her sister Betsie were caught and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. Corrie miraculously survived to tell the tale and help in the post-war reconstruction of Holland and work tirelessly for reconciliation in Europe. Betsie died in the camp, not hating anyone. A powerful and moving story, this was released as a successful film and video and forms the middle part of her life story with 'In My Father's House' being the early part of her life, and 'Tramp For The Lord' being the latter part. Read it alongside the Anne Frank and Viktor Frankl stories.

The review of this Book prepared by Michael JR Jose