The Hiding Place Book Analysis

The Hiding Place, an inspiring nonfiction novel written by Cornelia “Corrie” ten Boom with the help of John and Elizabeth Sherrill, describes Corrie’s personal experience as a prisoner during World War II. Over two million copies of The Hiding Place have been sold, and countless readers—myself included—have been inspired by this true story. This book tells of the trials and tests the God-fearing ten Boom family faced, and how they continued to do what they felt led by God to do despite their desperate situation. Much of the novel takes place in the early 1900s Haarlem, Holland. The story begins by painting the image of Corrie’s life before the Second World War with a number of flashbacks that are later proven to be relevant. During this part of the book, nearly everything takes place in the ten Booms’ watch shop and house, the Beje. The Beje was described to actually be two houses joined together: “The one in front was a typical tiny old-Haarlem structure, three stories high, two rooms deep, and only one room wide…its rear wall had been knocked through to join it with the even thinner, steeper house in the back of it” (2). The front door to the Beje brought you immediately into the watch shop, and from there you could proceed into the workroom, where watches were made and repaired. The work room led into the hallway (that could also be accessed by a door to the alley) which led to a winding staircase. Once the …show more content…
It seems that she wanted to inspire others, and also to commemorate her sister Betsie, who died in the Ravensbruck prison with her heart still singing praises to God and her eyes still seeing visions of helping others. If this was the author’s purpose, I think she most definitely succeeded. Corrie ten Boom traveled the world with her story, working in sixty-one countries. “She brought the truth they learned in Ravensbruck: Jesus can turn loss into glory”