The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom

This story is about Cornelia, or Corrie ten Boom, and her family, the ten Booms. They are a Christian family living in Holland during WWII. They own and operate watch/clock making and repair shop. However, the Nazis have taken over much of Europe, including Holland, and they have begun to send Jewish people into concentration camps or even to execute them. Although they are not Jewish and although it is illegal to do so, Corrie and her family begin to take in Jews who come to their door for help and safety. This is a big risk because the Nazis come after the people that work in the underground, who are people like the ten Booms who help the Jews. This is because their Christian beliefs tell them to love others and help people in need. Working with other family members and people in the underground, they hide Jews using secret rooms, and using their contacts to get what they need. They also practice hiding in case someone comes, so it looks like no one else is there. They also use special codes that sound like they're just talking about work when people call.

 The Hiding Place is a good book that I think a lot of people would enjoy reading. I would recommend this book to people who are interested in history, or about ages 11 and up because it deals with difficult subject matter such as war and concentration camps. I liked that it showed the close relationship between Corrie and her sister Betsie and how they rely on each other and their faith through challenging situations. I didn’t like that there were a lot of sad or scary parts, such as them not having any contacts with their family members and not knowing what is happening, as they are sent to concentration camps when they were discovered harboring Jews. However, it did keep me interested by having a cliffhanger each time I stopped. This book surprised me because the ten Booms had such a strong faith, even though they helped the Jews which could cost them their lives.

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Reviewed by Hope C, Grade 5

Glendale Central Library