Summary
The Hiding Place is Corrie ten Boom's autobiographical account of faith, courage, and resilience during World War II. Published in 1971, this remarkable book details how the author and her family risked their lives to shelter Jews from Nazi persecution in occupied Holland. The title refers both to the secret room where the ten Booms hid refugees and to the biblical concept of God as a refuge. Deeply suspenseful and powerfully moving, the book explores themes of forgiveness, divine providence, and the triumph of love over hatred. An international bestseller, The Hiding Place has touched millions of readers with its message of hope in the face of unimaginable adversity.
Plot
The Hiding Place tells the story of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker whose family becomes involved in the resistance against Nazi occupation during World War II. The book begins with the ten Booms celebrating the 100th anniversary of their watch shop, known as the Béjé, a family business which they run from their home in Haarlem.
As the Nazis invade the Netherlands in 1940, the ten Booms feel compelled by their Christian faith to help persecuted Jews. Their home is transformed into a center for underground resistance activities. Corrie becomes involved in black market operations and hiding Jews in a secret room built in their house. Despite her initial moral struggles with deception, she comes to accept lying as necessary to saving lives.
Eventually, the ten Booms are betrayed and arrested. Soon after, Corrie's elderly father dies in prison. Corrie and her beloved older sister Betsie are sent to Scheveningen prison, then to Vught concentration camp in the Netherlands. As Allied forces advance, they are transported to Ravensbrück, a women's concentration camp in Germany. Throughout their ordeal, the sisters use a smuggled Bible to hold worship services for fellow prisoners.
At Ravensbrück, Betsie's health fails, but her faith remains strong. She dies in the camp, while Corrie is released due to a clerical error. After recovering, Corrie returns to the Netherlands in early 1945. Following the war, she works to help both victims of Nazi persecution and former Nazis affected by the conflict, putting her faith into action.
Themes
Faith and resilience in the face of adversity
Moral courage and sacrifice
The power of forgiveness and compassion
Family bonds and loyalty
Resistance against oppression and injustice
The impact of war on ordinary people
Finding hope and meaning in suffering
Setting
The Hiding Place is set against the backdrop of the Holocaust, primarily in the Netherlands during the Nazi occupation. The story unfolds in the early 1940s, a time of intense conflict and persecution across Europe. Corrie ten Boom and her family experience firsthand the brutality of the Nazi regime and the courage of those who resisted it.
The narrative largely takes place in Haarlem, a city in the Netherlands where the ten Boom family lives and operates their watch shop. Their home, known as the Béjé, becomes a central location in the story, serving as both a residence and a hiding place for Jews fleeing Nazi persecution. As the war progresses, the setting expands to include various Dutch prisons and concentration camps, including Scheveningen prison and Vught concentration camp in the Netherlands.
The final and most harrowing part of the story occurs in Ravensbrück, a notorious women's concentration camp in northern Germany. This stark and brutal environment serves as the backdrop for some of the most powerful moments in the narrative, highlighting the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable cruelty. The book's epilogue briefly touches on the post-war period, as Corrie returns to the Netherlands and begins her work of reconciliation and healing.
Key Figures
Corrie ten Boom: The main protagonist and narrator. A Dutch watchmaker, she becomes involved in the resistance movement against the Nazis during World War II. Corrie demonstrates remarkable courage and faith as she helps hide Jews from the Nazis. She survives imprisonment in concentration camps and goes on to share her experiences and message of forgiveness worldwide.
Betsie ten Boom: Corrie's older sister and closest companion. Betsie is a gentle and deeply spiritual woman who maintains her faith and compassion even in the harshest conditions of the concentration camps. Her unwavering love and forgiveness towards their captors profoundly impacts Corrie and other prisoners.
Casper ten Boom: Corrie and Betsie's father, a well-respected watchmaker in Haarlem. A devout Christian, Casper unhesitatingly opens his home to Jews seeking refuge, despite the risks. His strong moral convictions and kindness inspire his family and others in their community.
Willem ten Boom: Corrie's brother, a minister in the Dutch Reformed Church. Willem is actively involved in the Dutch underground and helps coordinate efforts to save Jews. After being imprisoned, he suffers from jaundice, which leads to his death in 1946.
Nollie: Corrie's sister who is also involved in resistance activities. She helps convey coded messages about the safety of hidden Jews.
Peter: Corrie's nephew who assists in the family's efforts to protect Jews.
Kik: Another of Corrie's nephews who works for the Dutch underground. He is captured and killed, though the family doesn't learn of his fate until years later.
Mr. Moorman: A kind prisoner-foreman at the Vught concentration camp who oversees Corrie's work in the radio factory.
Quick facts
The Hiding Place was co-written by John and Elizabeth Sherrill, who interviewed Corrie ten Boom extensively for this autobiographical work.
The Hiding Place was first published in 1971, over 25 years after the events described in the book took place.
Corrie ten Boom was 78 years old when the book was published.
The title refers both to the literal hiding place for Jews in the ten Boom home and to Psalm 119:114 in the Bible.
Christianity Today included The Hiding Place in its list of 100 Books of the Century.
The Hiding Place has been translated into over 60 languages and sold over 23 million copies worldwide since its release.
A film adaptation was released in 1975, starring Jeannette Clift as Corrie ten Boom.
Focus on the Family produced a radio drama version of the book in 2007.
The ten Boom family's watch shop, known as the Béjé, still exists in Haarlem and is now a museum.
Corrie ten Boom continued to travel and speak about her experiences until her death in 1983 at the age of 91.
About the Author
Cornelia “Corrie” ten Boom, born on April 15, 1892, in Haarlem, Netherlands, was a Dutch Christian who became renowned for her heroic efforts during World War II. Along with her family, she played a crucial role in the Dutch underground resistance, helping to save an estimated 800 Jews from the Nazi Holocaust.
The ten Boom family's resistance activities included hiding, feeding, and transporting Jews and underground members who were being hunted by the Gestapo. Their home became a safe haven, complete with a secret room where refugees could hide. However, on February 28, 1944, the family was betrayed and arrested, though the individuals hiding in their home at the time managed to escape.
Corrie and her sister Betsie were sent to concentration camps, where Betsie ultimately perished. Corrie was released in December 1944 and went on to share her experiences through writing and public speaking. Her most famous work, The Hiding Place, details the family's ordeal and has touched readers worldwide.
Corrie ten Boom's contributions have been widely recognized. She was honored by the State of Israel with an invitation to plant a tree in the Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum. The Queen of the Netherlands knighted her for her wartime efforts, and a museum in Haarlem is dedicated to her family's legacy. Her life story continues to inspire people around the globe with its message of faith, courage, and forgiveness.
