The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

This is one of my favorite books. It mostly tells the story of Corrie, a woman living in Holland during the Nazi occupation, but also includes many rich details about her family: her father the best watchmaker in the city and well-renowned throughout Europe, her sister Betsie who has ill health and is Corrie's kindred spirit, her brother Willelm and family, as well as many other family and friends. Because of their love for the Lord and all people, they begin working with the resistance to place Jews underground or help provide ration cards and other such items for them. Soon they have also taken in a number of Jews who are unplaceable, due to reasons such as looking very Jewish, having a horrible cough and wheeze, and so on. Corrie's nephews try to train the older three, Corrie, Betsie and their father, how to be prepared for a raid, but Corrie is nontheless unprepared and tricked into revealing they are working for the resistance. Corrie, Betsie, and their father are taken prisoner, along with a number of other people who are in the house for a prayer meeting, but the Jews make it to the secret room and are not captured. It is their incredible faith for the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior that gives them strength to endure all they are faced with. Through little miracles, such as being able to keep their Bible, that they are able to minister to the other women around them, and through being grateful for the seemingly inconsequential things like lice, that they are able to make a difference in the camps they are in. To quote from the back: "Corrie ten Boom stood naked with her older sister Betsie, watching the concentration camp matron beating a prisoner. 'Oh, the poor woman,' Corrie cried. 'Yes, may God forgive her,' Betsie replied. Once again, Corrie realised that it was for the souls of the brutal Nazi guards that her sister prayer." They are both amazing examples of faith, love, and forgiveness.

In My Father's House by Corrie ten Boom
This book focuses on Corrie's life prior to The Hiding Place, and focuses on her work with youth organizations and with mentail handicapped people, work that is later described by her German interrogator as "a waste of time and energy," who continues by saying, "surely one normal person is worth all the half-wits in the world!" Corrie bravely tells him "The truth, Sir, is that Gods viewpoint is somewhat different from ours--so different that we could not even guess at it unless he had given us a book which tells us such things." Over the few days she is able to spend time with this German Lieutenant she is able to share her beliefs and touch his soul (pgs. 160-163 in The Hiding Place). In My Father's House also builds the foundation for Corrie and Betsie's incredbile faith they have in the concentration camps, by giving the reader a better glimpse into their religious education and beliefs. It shows that although both are single, living with their father, neither is idle, nor content to simply take care of their own tasks, but they reach out to all people around them.

I highly recommend both books, though I will say that I prefer the writing style of The Hiding Place over that of In My Father's House. It flows more smoothly as a story, but they are still both excellent books.

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