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Summary: A woman of faith
Review: I admire people who really take a stand for what they believe in, no matter what the cost, and Corrie Ten Boom is one of those amazing people. The story of her family, pre-concentration camp, is inspiring, because they really are willing to give up everything so that God's children are not harmed. This is truly one of the best books I've ever read...I copied a lot of phrases out of the book and into my personal journal so they could touch me later like they touched me then. There's a lot of love in this woman, mixed with comapssion, honesty, and happiness that made me reconsider my own standards in the midst of the peacetime life I live, and makes me ask the question: Would I truly risk my life for another's? Everyone should read this.
Rating: 
Summary: Hope Out of the Holocaust
Review: Corrie ten Boom never knew that one day, her life would be dramatically different of that of a single woman who lived quietly with her sister and father in a Dutch town above their watch shop. In the start of the this book, Corrie affectionately chronicles her growing up and early adulthood years, showing us her loving family and introducing us the solid foundation of faith that made the next part possible. For soon enough, Germany invades Holland, and the country is plunged into the Second World War. And this is when the life of Corrie, her sister Betsie and their father undergoes a transformation. The ten Boom family has always lived out their beliefs, and now that means defying German laws by hiding Jews and stealing ration cards to feed the Jews. For a while, they stay safe, because of God's protection and their surprisingly large network of fellow "resistance" workers. Yet finally, the ultimate test comes, and Corrie and her family are sent to a depresing Dutch prison, and ultimately, a concentration camp. "The Hiding Place" is more than an account of Nazi terror, it is the inspiring story of Corrie's faith. It clearly shows how her faith grew as adversity did. She recalls with seeming fondness God's provision for "just the right person" to help with the resistance work, and lets us in on her constant prayer life. When prison experiences are described we are inspired by Corrie's love for the Bible and thankfulness in any situation. And at the concentration camp? Once again, Corrie and Betsie band together to minister to the women around them, and still giving thanks in every experience. It is a remarkable memoir, filled with real-life stories of faith and giving an example of how even existence in a concentration camp can be almost joyful. After reading this, I thought, "What I wouldn't do to meet Corrie and Betsie."
Rating:
Summary: a personal account of the holocaust as told by a Christian
Review: this is an amazing book. corrie ten boom and her family show an extraordinary amount of faith and service to their jewish friends. i highly recommend this book. one of the best i've ever read.
Rating:
Summary: MASTERFULLY WRITTEN!
Review: The story of Corrie Ten Boom was verbally passed on to me by my parents who served overseas during World War II. However, to read the actual account is an experience like few others. "The Hiding Place is a masterpiece and hopefully will remain in print for many years to come.Corrie Ten Boom was the daughter of a Dutch watchmaker. The lessons she learned from her father are likely the very lessons which helped her surivive the horrendous attrocities of Hitler's concentration camp at Ravensbruck. He taught her about love, humanity, courage and forgiveness. Corrie's father also taught her that happiness comes from within and not at the hands of others; a lesson which undoubtedly helped her come to terms with life as a survivor. As a leader of the Dutch Underground, Corrie and her family hid Jews from the Nazis up until the time the entire family was arrested and placed in a concentration camp. Corrie was the only member of her family to survive. The increcible story presented in this book is one of faith, courage, humanity and forgiveness. The book is well-written, emotional, far more deserving of a five-star rating and highly recommended reading. Another excellent account of personal life inside Hitler's concentration camps is "Children of the Flames," which tells the stories of how twins were treated inside the camps.
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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.
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Summary: A Lesson in Christ's Unbounded Forgiveness
Review: This classic work touches on so many feelings and thoughts. For me, the most interesting part was the one where she came across the SS man who had been at Ravensbruck (p. 238). Hatred and revenge came to Corrie's heart. She could not bring herself to shake his hand. She realized that she could not forgive him in her own power, and so she prayerfully asked for the Lord's forgiveness to flow through her. At once, her hatred melted away and was replaced by overwhelming love. She realized that the Lord, who commands us to love our enemies, also gives us the means to do this.
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Summary: Educational book that gives great insight to another side
Review: This book was excellent, I thought, in giving a great insight to those that tried to help out their neighbors in escaping from the Germans. This family continued even thought there was great risk. They paid with their lives and still held strong that they were doing the right thing. It gave a different feel for what happened to all people involved in the Holocaust. It helped me to understand a different side to all the hatred and gore that happened then.
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Summary: A Remarkable Woman with a Remarkable Story to Tell!
Review: I just finished reading "The Hiding Place" and was (and still am!) deeply inspired by Corrie's unfaltering faith in God and the Bible which, without question, helped her survive the horrific ordeal. The overall mood of the book is upbeat considering the emotional episodes throughout. I don't believe the lightness of the way in which Corrie tells her story undermines the seriousness of it but rather, the mood reflects Corrie's contagious personality as a good-doer, always finding the good in everything, even her enemies which Betsie taught her to do. Corrie's book taught me many valuable lessons about the human spirit and how much a person can endure in order to survive but the lesson that I struggle with the most is to love and forgive your enemies. The most powerful passage in the book is when the former S.S. man from Ravensbruck thrusts his hand out towards Corrie and she thinks to herself, "And I, who had preached so often to the people of Bloemendaal the need to forgive, kept my hand at my side." She later asks, "Jesus, I cannot forgive him. Give me Your forgiveness." Corrie eventually shakes hands with the man but makes sure the reader knows that it is the hardest lesson of all to accept, even for her. This passage doesn't diminish the importance of the message which is to learn from Corrie's mistakes as well as her achievements. I highly recommend this book to anyone, young and old, especially the young.
Rating:
Summary: Faith enriching
Review: I read this book to do a book report for my Chruch Confirmation class. I can easily and truthfully say that this is one of the best books I have ever read. I could hardly put it down, and it certainly brought me closer to God. And it's so iteresting- right in the middle of her life, Corrie starts to help protect Jews in her home, and later gets caught. When she's in prision, (and later in a concentration camp) she and her sister don't give up faith. They continue to spread God's will to all of the prisioners, and even some of the prision guards. The cozy family in the beggining is fun to read about, and the close sister relationship later brought me to tears. It also showed me how far God's love can reach, and how anything can happen with faith. In my opionion, this book is right up there with Anne Frank in the catagory of WW2 classics, and it is a must read for any Christion.
Rating:
Summary: A Heartwarming Piece of Literature
Review: The book made me wish for a better world history. This suspenseful tale takes place during the Holocaust from 1937-1983 and displays the true cruelty of our fellow human race. NSBers, (people a part of the National Socialist Bond,) show hatred and maliciousness towards the defenseless Jews, while the treacherous Hitler Empire expands. There is not one single strand of relief in sight; let alone hope. All simple human necessities were cut off for this nasty war, including: coffee, tea, and leather. So, in an obvious inference, this wasn't exactly the best time to live. The book made me hope that Germany learned its lesson. ---Never be apart of something that will hurt others, no matter what the consequences are. Many of the NSBers were shunned in the postwar era. Their community would not forgive them, nor would any other remaining Jews. Not only could they not find jobs, but they were turned out of homes and hooted at in the streets. So, even with the paid necessities and better working conditions, the gullible Dutchmen eventually got what they deserved. The book made me realize how lucky I am to be born in such a comparably peaceful time. The world was a pretty frightening place back then. If I were to be granted birth on a gloomy day in the Holocaust, my sacred life would have to be spent in constant hiding, furtively foraging for "food" and repeatedly praying for an end to the war. All external pleasure outside the walls would be shrouded in an utmost dreaded shadow. ---Flowers would be crushed, homes would be raided, and the beauteous, blue sky would adapt to a dullish grey color. Life as we used to know it would be stripped from our remembrance... The book made me see how courteous and understanding people can be. If it wasn't for the ten Booms, a loving family in Haarlem, none of the remaining Jews would have survived. They risked their lives for the sake of rescuing their fellow brothers and sisters of the great, power-hungry, continent. Corrie, along with her sister, Betsie, soon became political prisoners due to the wondrous warmth and security they had provided for the Jews. And after six months in the cold, concrete cell, they were finally released. But the stay was definitely worth it. The book made me believe that anything can happen. This family defied the odds and proved that even the least expected events are possible. With an entire terrorist network out to get them, these stowaways passed with flying colors. There was not one single house that wasn't raided in Holland, and yet somehow, no Jews involved in this underground scheme were caught. Although the price to pay for caring was rather infinite, it was all for a common cause. And in the end, there really was a happily ever after.
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