The Truth About Corrie Ten Boom (Review and GIVEAWAY)

"Corrie Ten Boom was a terrible, terrible person." The voice echoed on the other end of the phone line. I sat down. What was going to come next? Was this Christian hero who so diligently worked in the Dutch Resistance freeing hundreds of Jews not who she portrayed herself in her writings? 

Here I was, hearing from a relative who heard a firsthand account from my great-aunt the truth about Corrie Ten Boom. I had just found out on this phone call, while researching my family's involvement with the Dutch Resistance, that my great-aunt had bunked with Ms. Ten Boom in Ravensbruk concentration camp. Was this hero of faith going to be exposed? 

"All she did was proselytize. All she did was talk about Jesus." This was the response I heard causing a huge sigh of relief on my end of the call. In a dark and horrifying situation how would I respond? Would I focus on the darkness or the Word of God? Corrie clearly focused on the Word, but that doesn't mean she didn't struggle. What I've always appreciated about her firsthand account, The Hiding Place, was her vulnerability. She never claimed in that book to be a strong woman of faith. She never boasted or said she was an amazing woman of God. No. She admits her inner struggles and turmoil and always points to her sister Betsy as the one who carried her through and pointed her to God in the challenging times of life. 

The film Corrie Ten Boom's The Hiding Place coming only to theaters August 3 and 5, is an excellent depiction of this. Taken directly from the book, using beautiful artistic license, this play that was recorded to be viewed on the big screen is incredibly well-done. Tickets are for sale now. 

During the pandemic I hung a photo of my aunt that survived the holocaust on my refrigerator as a reminder that doing what is right is the most important thing. Many think comparing the two are ridiculous, but when you study the years before the Holocaust, the parallels are uncanny. I am currently reading Audrey Hepburn's account of her experience during WWII and she, like my relatives in the Dutch resistance said she didn't know what to think in the beginning. The German soldiers were friendly, amiable, and kind. It was all part of the act. It was part of the plan. Do I think that what we experienced in 2020 was part of a grater plan? A greater scheme? Absolutely. And I know I am not the only one that believes this.

Almost everyone who experienced this war of the past is gone. Only a handful are left. We need to teach the next generation about the history surrounding the war, Hitler, and the holocaust, Americans have never experienced war on their homeland. Other than 9/11, we simply don't know this tragedy and must educate ourselves.

I watched this with my soon to be eight-year-old. Is that crazy? My older kids have already studied this war. They had watched recorded accounts of my family sharing about their experiences. They know. This son didn't. I didn't skip a beat when he asked to watch it with me and I am so glad he did. Several times we would pause and look things up he asked about. Questions filled his mind. "What are ration cards?" "How much could one person get per ration card?" "Can you really eat tulip bulbs?" 

He could handle it, but I didn't let my five-year-old watch it. He wasn't ready. It doesn't go into the gory details like The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. I wouldn't let my kids watch that until they were 15+. This movie though is safe enough for kids 8+, in my opinion, depending on the maturity level of the child. There is one incinerator scene but it shows them throwing in a dead body, not the torturing of live ones. It's horrific and sad but presented in a way that causes you to think, not have nightmares. 

I loved the ingenuity of the stage, the way they presented the watch shop, the hiding place, and the concentration camp. It was done was well. Some of the play went back and forth between time periods which confused my son but I appreciated it and thought it brought a tremendous amount of depth to the play. 

My only issue with the play is I wish they did not have accents. The woman who played Corrie did well but the rest of them made the play a bit difficult to follow. The woman who played Betsy sounded Scottish at times and Australian at others. It was distracting. If this ever goes to Broadway or is used as a play in other arenas, I think it would be better received without the accents. It probably wouldn't bother someone who didn't grow up hearing Dutch accents, but it was a turn off for me who did.

This play couldn't have come at a better time. I am in the middle of studying my Dutch family's involvement with the Dutch resistance. I will share a portion of my research in an article A Single White Carnation (working title) in an upcoming 2024 edition of The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine. A full book on the Dutch Resistance and what we can learn from it in today's political climate is also in the works, which remains on hold as I homeschool my children. An article on the topic will also be found in the Fall 2023 edition of the magazine by a woman whose father survived WWII that sheds more light on the topic as well. 

This film does an amazing job showing Corrie's heart of struggle, faith, and ultimately forgiveness in a way that has changed so many people who have heard of her story.

 Share this with everyone you know. Excellent for homeschoolers and public schoolers alike. Don't let this piece of history escape American education. Keep it alive for the sake of freedom, forgiveness, and the power of the gospel. 

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Disclaimer: Many thanks to The Hiding Place LLC for providing a sample of the product for this review. Opinions are 100% my own.