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4.4 AVERAGE
4.4 AVERAGE
It's not as engaging or dramatic as [b:The Diary of Anne Frank|7864897|The Diary of Anne Frank, New Edition (Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations)|Harold Bloom|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1392797531s/7864897.jpg|11024007], but still a must read.
The foreword, preface and introduction of this edition were so overt about their evangelism and religiosity that I was concerned I would not be able to enjoy this memoir as it stood, but I see now that The Hiding Place offers a more common human experience than just Christianity, even if that part was overwhelmingly present. Those authors felt the depth of it through their religious similarities, whereas I enjoyed it by merit of a story about courageous deeds and kindness in the face of overwhelming adversity. Neither is wrong, but I was relieved that it is more even-keeled than I suspected. I can appreciate that people draw strength from different things.
If Corrie had not mentioned she was a spinster "of a certain age" (forty-five, to be exact) in the very beginning, I would have assumed she was sixteen at the very oldest. Her mein and comportment reminded me of an innocent young girl in literature, excitable about how her new party dress fit and riding a bike to her sister's house. Actually, it reminds me of a formulaic YA novel - innocent teenage girl faces unspeakable horror and tragedy, powering through it by virtue of inner strength and force of will (but no love triangle). Maybe this true story is where it all started, decades ago. Maybe I'm just a cynical modern woman.
Regardless, The Hiding Place does tell an incredible story of a kind-hearted family who aided dozens of displaced asylum seekers during WWII and faced the unjustifiable punishment for it with bravery. It's worth reading, because what happened must be remembered.
If Corrie had not mentioned she was a spinster "of a certain age" (forty-five, to be exact) in the very beginning, I would have assumed she was sixteen at the very oldest. Her mein and comportment reminded me of an innocent young girl in literature, excitable about how her new party dress fit and riding a bike to her sister's house. Actually, it reminds me of a formulaic YA novel - innocent teenage girl faces unspeakable horror and tragedy, powering through it by virtue of inner strength and force of will (but no love triangle). Maybe this true story is where it all started, decades ago. Maybe I'm just a cynical modern woman.
Regardless, The Hiding Place does tell an incredible story of a kind-hearted family who aided dozens of displaced asylum seekers during WWII and faced the unjustifiable punishment for it with bravery. It's worth reading, because what happened must be remembered.
Incredible, first hand account of the rhetoric and terror of WWII Holland. This should be required reading for every human on this planet.
I adore this book. This is one of the most beautiful books I have ever read and my absolute favorite book I have had to read for school. It is wonderful, raw, and optimistic. Such a lovely, beautiful book about an extraordinary woman and her equally extraordinary sister.
Corrie ten Boom is a skilled storyteller. Regardless of my religious inclinations, her writing truly made me want to listen and pay attention to her message. She doesn't come off as preachy, self-righteous or patronizing.
One of the best books I have ever read. Brought me to tears a couple of times.
One of the best books I have ever read. Brought me to tears a couple of times.
inspiring
sad
fast-paced
When the Nazis invaded her hometown in the Netherlands, Corrie was a fifty year old watchmaker living a quiet, full life with her sister and elderly father. As Jewish men and women began to flow through Haarlem in search of safety, Corrie and her family immediately joined the Dutch underground to provide shelter and safe passage. A betrayal of the family led to their imprisonment in a concentration camp.
There's so much to say about Corrie and her family's selflessness and love and courage, and not the right words to really express the way her story stirred my heart. You'll see words like "impactful" and "inspiring" used to describe it, but they just seem small and overused alongside the profundity of her sorrow and the aching hope that runs through her story - a light in great darkness.
I know that I recommend a lot of books to you - and I always mean them! But this one is different. This isn't a novel to be appreciated for its craft or characters, but a book that you need, as a human being, to feel quiet and thankful and humbled.
"There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”
There's so much to say about Corrie and her family's selflessness and love and courage, and not the right words to really express the way her story stirred my heart. You'll see words like "impactful" and "inspiring" used to describe it, but they just seem small and overused alongside the profundity of her sorrow and the aching hope that runs through her story - a light in great darkness.
I know that I recommend a lot of books to you - and I always mean them! But this one is different. This isn't a novel to be appreciated for its craft or characters, but a book that you need, as a human being, to feel quiet and thankful and humbled.
"There is no pit so deep, that God’s love is not deeper still.”