“The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom Analysis Essay Example

Trust in the Lord. After reading the biography “The Hiding Place” by Corrie Ten Boom, that was the message that was conveyed. Throughout the book, Corrie and her family members were people deeply involved in their faith. It begins with Corrie, her sister Bestie, and her Father owning and living in a family watch repair shop. They owned this shop in the town square in Old Haarlem, Holland in the year 1937. This beginning chapter uses Corrie’s father’s 100th birthday party as an introduction to her Father (Opa), her other sister Nollie and her brother Willem. It then carries on to Corrie’s backstory.

It fast forwards to 1942 when the Dutch surrendered to Germany, Corrie had heard about the terrors afflicted upon the Jews, so Corrie got involved with the underground to help war efforts. It had become difficult to give food, so she talked to her connections with the underground and was able to secure rations not so legally, but she didn’t think of that. Fred Koornstra, a man who had helped with rations before and worked with the underground, was asked by Corrie if he could get her 100 ration card and was able to do so. Through this, she starts building connections and relationships with the underground. She eventually met a very prestigious architect who had asked if she had a secret room. 

Her house had now become a hub of intel for the underground and a haven for fleeing Jews. Alas, Corrie wakes up with a bad flu, and a raid happening to the hub. The Jews that were there hid in the secret room, but as for the family, they were all exposed. They were taken to the police station where there were only German soldiers in sight. Corrie and the rest of her family got captured and sent to the Scheveningen prison. They got separated and put into different cells. She then fell sick and got treated in a hospital where she met with a kind-hearted nurse who helped her by getting her some small supplies and a tiny Bible. When she was let out and diagnosed with pre-tuberculosis, she was put into solitary confinement. Then, Corrie gets sent a letter from Betsie with the unfortunate news that her Father passed away 10 days after their incarceration. Thereafter, Corrie and her sister Bestie get sent to Ravensbrück and try to survive. They do this by sharing the love they have for The Lord, for they began preaching in their barrack and saying readings from The Bible regularly. Eventually, her sister Bestie became severely ill and passed away, only leaving Corrie alive and a couple of family members who had been released when they were held at the prison. 

Corrie was released from the camp and wasn’t exactly sure where to go or how to act, but alas, she ended up going back to her original home in Holland. After her traumatic experience, it was difficult for her to go back to work, but after doing an underground request, she was inspired. She opened up her home to those mentally ill and did charity work such as remodeling an old concentration camp to be used as a relief center. Corrie rebuilt a life for herself and experienced the gifts of God with multiple accounts on multiple occasions, some being visions or physical occurrences. Nonetheless, her faith in God had been the most compelling factor of her life which, I believe, saved her from some of the mentally excruciating horrors of being captured. 

The main reason I chose this book is that I've always felt an interest in World War II. Ever since I was a little kid, I was fascinated by the historical aspect of the war, and the accounts of those held in the camps. My great-grandfather, whom I was very close to, fought in the war with the Allies, so naturally, that is what first drove me to read my first book about World War II. As I got older and more mature, I read more graphic and detailed books on the experiences of the war, so hearing the case of Corrie Ten Boom, her family, and their cause greatly perked my interest. It felt like when I was smaller and obsessed with this genre of books, so it was almost a feeling of nostalgia and familiarity. Being able to tie my interest in World War II and theology together is almost a perfect combination.

Additionally, I learned that it is possible to be so close to your faith, even during the most difficult times of your life. Not only that but God can make real miracles happen. Such as the time with one of Corrie’s miracles where she was able to prolong the use of vitamin droplets when it seemed empty till she was able to get another one. Also, when she was given a Bible in the prison, that itself was a gift of God because of its effects on the people around her and the overall gesture of kindness. God creates miracles and being able to read about those effects gives me hope and some faith to continue my belief in Him.

I’ve always been a lover of books and history in general, I read so many of them when I was younger. However, as time passed, I stopped reading as many books and until recently, I hadn’t picked one up in about a year. So when reading “The Hiding Place”, I felt challenged by the length and the overall motive of the story. Also, attempting to be able to relate to Corrie and her troubles as she was still close in faith was possibly the most difficult thing about reading this book. I have gone through some points in my life where it challenged the idea of having a strong faith in God and Christianity, so having the ability to see the same concept from a different perspective is interesting and almost astonishing to see.

As much as it challenged me, the most inspiring thing about the book was Corrie’s resilience and her strong belief in God. She went through some of the most horrendous experiences and one of the biggest betrayals of the human race in history, yet she still believed in God. If I was in Corrie’s shoes, I don’t think I would have still believed in Him if I am being one-hundred percent honest. The reason why I speculate this is that when someone is going through difficult points in their life, they mainly focus on the “ugly side” of things because there is so much of it and because it is so blatant to see., like spotting a huge coffee stain on a clean white tee. Seeing Corrie not go through that experience is shocking to see, making me inspired by her and challenging my thinking as I go through future difficulties.

After reading the story of Corrie Ten Boom, it made me realize the things we take for granted now in a post-war era. It was admirable how close she was to God and almost astonishing how she got to experience God’s ways. She went through so much hardship and difficulty, yet she still had faith in the Lord. She gave Him her trust, giving her reassurance during such troubled times. If there was one thing that I would take away from the book, it would be that no matter the situation you face, God will be there for you.