The Hiding Place: a Graphic Novel

by Corrie ten Boom, Elizabeth Sherrill, John Sherrill

It's World War II.

Darkness has fallen over the world as the Nazis spread fear and hatred.

No one feels safe.

But on a quiet city corner in Holland one woman fights against injustice and darkness. In her quiet watchmaking shop, Corrie ten Boom and her close-knit family risk their lives to hide hundreds of Jews and others hunted by the Nazis in a secret hiding place they built into the old building.

Until one day when Corrie and her family are betrayed. They're captured and sent in cattle cars to the notorious Nazi concentration camps to die. Yet even in that darkest of places, Corrie still fights.

This is her true story, now a graphic novel.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Biography, Middle Grade, History, Childrens, Christian

240 pages, Hardcover

Published April 9, 2024

About the author

Corrie ten Boom and her family were Christians who were active in social work in their home town of Haarlem, the Netherlands. During the Nazi occupation, they chose to act out their faith through peaceful resistance to the Nazis by active participation in the Dutch underground. They were hiding, feeding and transporting Jews and underground members hunted by the Gestapo out of the country. It is estimated they were able to save the lives of 800 Jews, in addition to protecting underground workers.

On Feb. 28, 1944, they were betrayed and Corrie and several relatives were arrested. The four Jews and two underground workers in the house at the time of the arrest were not located by the Nazis and were extricated by the underground 47 hours after they fled to the tiny hiding place (located in Corrie's room).

The ten Boom family members were separated and transferred to concentration camps. Corrie was allowed to stay with her precious sister, Betsy. Corrie's father (Casper), her sister (Betsy) and one grandchild (Kik) perished. Corrie was released in December of 1944.

These acts of heroism and sacrifice became the foundation for Corrie ten Boom's global writing and speaking career which began after she was released.

Ten Boom has received numerous awards for her writing and speaking. Notably, she was honored by the State of Israel for her work in aid of the Jewish people by being invited to plant a tree in the famous Avenue of the Righteous Gentiles, at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum, near Jerusalem. She was also knighted by the Queen of the Netherlands in recognition of her work during the war, and a museum in the Dutch city of Haarlem is dedicated to her and her family.

Reviews

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a heroic story of faith during persecution. The story adaptation was good and I very much enjoyed the artwork. I could feel the emotions coming from the characters. This is a unique way to experience the story of The Hiding Place.

[Kristina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So well done 👏🏼 If you have a kid who isn’t quite old enough for the original, this is perfect. And if you’re an adult who just happens to pick it up you’ll love it. The illustrations make the characters come alive in a new way. Favorite part: thanking God for the fleas.

[Kimaroo32 Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great retelling of Corrie ten Boom as a graphic novel!

[As You Wish · Rating 5 out of 5]

It has been more than a few years since I read the original book--I was likely 11 or 12. Honestly many parts of it stuck with me, and it was great to relive it in this graphic novel. My kiddos are also reading it now, and one thing stuck with me--my 10-year-old mentioning this is the first book about the Holocaust written by a non-Jewish person. So many people were victims of the Nazis--Germans, Dutch, Austrians as their countries were taken over--it's easy to forget that so much of Europe suffered in this time and a many brave souls stood up for Jews and the resistance. I don't think I had even heard much about the resistance in various places until I was in my late teens. Another great addition to the learning library.

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent adaptation of the 1971 The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom and Elizabeth and John Sherrill!

Having loved the original work and read it repeatedly, I found myself nervous when I began this graphic novel but soon found myself, once again, drawn into the true story of Corrie ten Boom and her family as they worked with Holland’s underground during World War II hiding Jews, protecting young men who would be forced into Hitler’s army and doing whatever needed to be done to help defeat the Nazi army. Along with their activities as members of the Resistance, the ten Boom were strong witnesses for their faith in Jesus Christ and when they were betrayed by a fellow Hollander and ended up in concentration camps, it was this faith that enabled them to endure and help others to put their trust in a God who is bigger than any army.

Writer Mario DeMatteo kept the events from the ten Boom’s wartime experiences complete and much seemed to be almost word for word from Corrie’s work. Details that are missing do not detract from the overall tone or importance of the sacrifices made by the whole family. Debut illustrator Ismael Castro’s panels are dynamic and realistic and manage to convey the horror of the concentration camps without being overly graphic. Text states that female prisoners were forced to strip but illustrations do not display nudity. The abuse of guards on prisoners is described and illustrated as are shootings but in a manner that is appropriate for the target age of 10-14. Mention is made of those who were sent to gas chambers and smokestacks are pictured.

School libraries should be aware that the faith of the ten Booms is their motivation for the choices they made and their reliance on Christ is their strength. Scripture is included as well. However, I believe this graphic novel would find an audience in public, school and home libraries among those who enjoy hearing inspirational stories of the heroes during WWII.

Final note: Adult readers should investigate the original Bantam work and teens and adults might enjoy the illustrated, unabridged version from Tyndale House.

[Faith Spinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this graphic novel version of The Hiding Place to check it ahead of giving it to an 11 year old. I was inspired by the Hiding Place and by Corrie Ten Boom and her family when I was a girl. This version still holds all the power to challenge and inspire a new generation! So glad I picked it up for the 11 year old and I pray she too will be inspired.

[Suzanne Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really well done. A great way to get Corrie TenBoom’s story into the hands of younger readers.

[Clara · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an honor, to get to read a story like this again and again.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first read The Hiding Place at about 13 years old and loved the book for its adventure and its glimpse into World War II Europe. I read the biography again in my early 30s and loved it for what I learned about God and His sustaining presence through excruciating circumstances. I visited the Ten Boom house in Haarlem last summer and found myself in awe of God’s work through this extraordinarily ordinary family. So, when I found the graphic novel version of the book at a church conference this fall, I almost didn’t buy it. The Hiding Place was perfect. It needed no improving upon. I’m also not much of a graphic novel reader. But flipping through the book, I was gripped by the illustrations. They looked just like the real-life Beje and the real-life St Bavos and the real-life Haarlem I had recently seen. I didn’t think there was a need for a graphic novel version of The Hiding Place, and yet, the visual version of this already familiar story gripped my heart and my mind in a completely new way. Different parts of the story stood out to me. The characters jumped from the pages, and the setting was so real. The graphic moments inside the camp were covered in a respectful and appropriate way. This is an incredible, moving, faith-building read. I have been recommending it to everyone I know, and when they reply with “I don’t really like graphic novels,” I simply tell them “I’m not sure what that has to do with this book.” This book is hands-down the best book I’ve read all year. I finished it in awe of God and His power and His ability to work through His people in spite of their weaknesses. So, if you haven’t already, buy this book. And go ahead and buy 5 copies because everyone you know needs to read it.

[Becky B · Rating 5 out of 5]

A graphic novel adaptation of Corrie ten Boom's memoir of being part of the underground in the Netherlands during WWII, providing refuge to Jews and young men in danger of being rounded up by the Nazis, her family's imprisonment by the Nazis, how God worked throughout these events, and what God led her to do after the war.

This is a fabulous adaptation of The Hiding Place. The adaptors stayed very true to the original, and having illustrations of the people and places helped make the story come to life even more. They were also tactful with the illustrations and conveyed horror without anything graphic. This, like the original, does a great job of pointing out to the reader again and again how God was at work, even in the midst of horrible circumstances. An exceptionally inspirational memoir.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: Deaths are mentioned, both from violence and illness. Beatings are mentioned (a punch being thrown is implied in the illustration and then you just see someone cowering or laying on the ground, very minimal blood). Shootings are also mentioned. Nothing gory shown.
Ethnic diversity: Most of the people are Dutch, Jewish people from a variety of places in Europe, German, and some other Europeans.
LGBTQ+ content: None
Other: Oppression by the Nazis, racism, and wrongful imprisonment shown.

[Rachel Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was curious to see how the graphic novel compares to the original Hiding Place and was very pleased with the result. The courage of the Ten Boom family and others who protected others at great personal cost is inspiring. I particularly appreciated the reminders that love is more powerful than hate, and that if someone has been taught to hate then they can also be taught to love. It’s really easy to become hopeless when we look at how others have been mistreated. God’s love can change a broken world.

I do not recommend this for sensitive readers. The violence that happened in the prison camps is not unnecessarily graphic, but the illustrations do hint at some of the atrocities that took place there.

[Summer Beecher · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE the original book and have read it many times but I wanted my youngest daughter to have some context for this story in preparation for our trip to Amsterdam where we will visit the TenBoom’s house.
This graphic novel version was a remarkable adaptation for younger readers that beautifully preserved this spiritually powerful story. This was my 8yr old daughter’s first exposure to anything about the Holocaust and it was represented sensitive

[Marisa Maloney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fantastic graphic novel version of The Hiding Place.
Nothing left out or changed. A perfect version of this book to pass off to your teen readers.

[Kaci Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic Christian graphic memoir. My ten year old loved it. If you enjoyed The Hiding Place, I would recommend sharing this with a tween or teen.

[Lily · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.6 stars ⭐

This graphic novel was a very quick read! Corrie Ten Boom's story is so inspiring! Her courage and faith is so strong. It is a good reminder that God is with his people all the time: in the hard times and in the joyful ones too.

[Heirloom Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

The secret of the Shadow of the Almighty is revealed in Corrie Ten Boom’s inspiring and, at times, harrowing testimony of World War II survival. Since the war’s end, Ten Boom’s writings have impacted generations of readers, young and old. Her first work, and the most widely known, is “The Hiding Place,” the true story of Corrie’s journey from a gifted Dutch watchmaker to the leader of an underground resistance and, finally, to a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp.

Corrie is captured in her home country of Holland for the offense of bribing a local police officer. The Nazis suspect there is more to Corrie’s story, however, and in truth, there is. Corrie and her family have built a fake wall in their home in Haarlem—a wall to conceal a secret room, the Hiding Place, where they protect Jews from the Nazis. The Ten Booms themselves are not Jewish, but devout Christians who have taken it upon themselves, with God’s help, to be a light in a city where there is none.

While imprisoned, Corrie never admits to smuggling Jews to safety, and she never gives up the names of those with whom she worked. As a middle-aged woman, Corrie often talks her way out of these interrogations, playing the role of a sweet lady none the wiser. But Corrie’s real gift lies in how she can pray her way through any situation, a remarkable feat and an applicable testament of dying to self as her circumstances switch from bad to worse.

Thankfully, the day Corrie is captured, the Jews she is hiding all manage to escape. As for Corrie and her sister Betsie, their troubles have only just begun when they are transferred from a Dutch federal prison to a notorious German concentration camp of unspeakable horrors, Ravensbrück. There, in the deepest, darkest pit of mankind, Corrie and Betsie have managed to sneak in a Bible, a miracle in and of itself. The revelation of God’s Word comes to life as they slowly begin to realize that they have been sent to preach the Gospel in their harsh surroundings. Corrie is determined to bring God’s love into the camp, but the most profound revelation of all is revealed when Betsie’s heart begins to burn with compassion not only for their fellow prisoners but also for their cruel captors.

Those familiar with Ten Boom and “The Hiding Place” will find a faithful adaptation through this graphic novel, brought to vivid life by Mario DeMatteo and illustrator Ismael Castro. Much of Ten Boom’s original words have been left intact, and not a historical fact has been missed. With great reverence and care, DeMatteo and his team have successfully translated Corrie’s incredible story of endurance and faith into a stunning hand-drawn world. Warm characters clash against their icy, cold environments in a beautiful display of contrast and light.

The true story lends itself so well to a visual medium, it’s hard to imagine it now without it. Corrie’s Bible glows in the dark of the barracks. There’s an open vision of Jesus being whipped and beaten beside them in the concentration camp. And best of all, the handshake of forgiveness years later between Corrie and her former Nazi guard sparks to resurrection life through the love of Jesus.
Through richly drawn illustrations and powerful, life-changing moments, kids will learn what it means to hide in the Shadow of the Most High. A commemorative achievement for one of the most important books of all time, “The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel” by Corrie Ten Boom earns our highest recommendation.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This graphic novel adaptation of the bestselling memoir The Hiding Place is incredibly powerful. It will introduce a new generation to Corrie ten Boom's powerful testimony of faith, perseverance, and resistance against evil, and the graphic novel medium works very well here. The text boxes and dialogue are based in what Corrie ten Boom originally wrote, and even though I haven't read the original book in years, I recognized lots of details and can tell how faithfully and carefully Mario DeMatteo adapted the story. The illustrations also greatly enrich the reading experience, since they vividly picture the characters, setting, and time period. Ismael Castro clearly did a lot of research to visualize everything so well.

The publisher is marketing this book for children ages eight to twelve, but I would also recommend this to teens and adults. Even though this story is simplified and told in a different medium to help children engage with it, this book represents the full story of The Hiding Place and does not dumb anything down for younger readers. An adult could read this and never even realize that it's a children's book. However, I want to make a few content notes for young, sensitive readers. The illustrations accurately depict violence, Nazi abuse against Jews and their helpers, and moments of terror, and women are forced to disrobe in concentration camps in front of Nazis, although those panels are closely cropped and don't show nudity. Nothing about this book is explicit, but it involves many scary moments and heavy themes.

The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel is an incredibly engaging, faithful adaptation. Readers of all ages can enjoy this immersive, visual, and fully dramatized retelling of Corrie ten Boom's story, and Christians will appreciate her example and the story's messages about making costly moral choices to protect others in the midst of oppressive, unjust circumstances. This book powerfully attests to God's faithfulness in the midst of great darkness, and even though this book may be too intense for some younger, more sensitive readers, I highly recommend it to kids, teens, and adults.

I received a free copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

First sentence: It was 1937, just three years before Hitler and his Nazis invaded Holland. It was the 100th birthday party of ten Boom Watches--our little watch shop in Old Haarlem. Although the party was for the shop, the affection of a city was for father. Casper Ten Boom. They called him Haarlem's Grand Old Man.

This book adapts Corrie ten Boom's autobiography The Hiding Place into a graphic novel of the same name.

Is The Hiding Place memoir worth reading? Yes. Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes.
Is The Hiding Place movie adaptation worth watching? YES. Definitely.
Is The Hiding Place graphic novel memoir worth reading? Definitely. Especially, especially if it helps readers envision the times and events. Some readers respond more to graphic novels, find them easier to read, to digest. It may be "easier" to "hand-sell" (think Reading Rainbow) a graphic novel than a traditional book, a nonfiction memoir at that.
Does the graphic novel do a good job adapting the original? While I haven't read them close together in time to compare perfectly, as I was reading the graphic novel, I was reminded of scenes from the memoir. I don't recall any memorable, significant scenes from the memoir being left out OR being changed or altered. All the highlights, if you will, of the original can be found in the graphic novel adaptation. Memories not being perfect, however, I haven't examined the two close enough to say with absolute certainty that the two are essentially telling the exact same story.

I do recommend reading the original OR reading the graphic novel--or both. I do recommend watching the movie.

[Darla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know that the experiences of our lives, when we let God use them, become the mysterious and perfect preparation for the work He will give us to do. ~ Corrie ten Boom

Love "The Hiding Place" and want to experience it in a new way? Share it with a graphic novel lover you know? Here is your chance!

We had a trip to Holland planned for this August so I saved a copy of this book to take with me on the trip. We were not able to tour the Corrie ten Boom house as the reservations book out months in advance, but we did get to walk around Harlem. My grandson reading buddy has really enjoyed thumbing through the pages. After starting to read together, we decided it was a bit over his head at the age of 7. I will leave a copy with my son (his dad) and they will dig in when he is older.

The creators of this book did such a great job sticking to the most integral pieces of the story. I loved the chance to reread the story in this format. Such an inspiring story!

May Corrie ten Boom's journey be our guiding star, leading us closer to Jesus and lighting the path of kindness, courage, and forgiveness for each of us.

[Enthusiastic Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I like the art style - it's crisp and evocative - I don't think it effectively conveys the authorial voice for the story. I strongly disagree with other reviewers who don't mind the cuts. For example, in the section where the architect comes to the Beje, the narrative observation that Corrie's father can't understand why someone would go by a name other than his own helps to emphasize the depth of his honesty, whereas otherwise it comes across as him being just kind of silly and perhaps a little senile.

Gone, too, is Corrie's harrowing walk out of the camp, her feet throbbing with every step as she waits to hear someone yell "STOP! EDEMA! SEND HER BACK!" I don't think it's more than a page, and like... you know she gets out! So it shouldn't be all that suspenseful! And yet somehow it IS.

Throughout the original memoir, the text conveys her feelings, and more importantly, her personality, in a way that the graphic novel unfortunately doesn't. It's well-produced, but lacking.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t read a lot of graphic novels, but I jumped when this became available at the library.

I already know the story of Corrie Ten Boom, her sister Betsy and the watchmaking shop. But I was intrigued to see how this story would work since it's target audience is children. There are some mature things that take place and I was curious.

The illustrations were nicely done, the layout of the house along with the hiding places was illustrated with accuracy. The story stayed true to history with sensitivity without shying away from what took place.

I think it’s a story that all ages should read, to know what took place in the Netherlands during the war. A story that will open up opportunities for discussions.

Coming in at 240 pages it is condensed from the original but doesn’t shy away from the true events. A book I recommend for all ages.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You could say we could lose our lives for this child, pastor. I would consider that the GREATEST honor that would come to my family." - Mr. Ten Boom

What a powerful book. It really moved me. I got chills while reading it, I got teary-eyed, overwhelmed, just what an amazing graphic novel. Illustrations are great, honestly sometimes too great and I felt like wow this for children? I was traumatized with the holocaust in middle school with the book, Night, and I feel like this book would have also traumatized me. The horrors of the holocaust and the war were just too great for me at such a young age. High school would have been better. Nonetheless, I love that this graphic novel was made. Highly recommend it.

[Serena Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read portions of this story back in high school, so I was ecstatic to read it as a graphic novel. This book had so many miracles described in it and I cried as if I was physically there witnessing, the good, the bad, and the ugly. But the ending (which I won’t disclose) truly brought me peace. And to know it was all true stories makes it more chilling and beautiful. I also was curious about the creators and the author’s final days… the back of the book’s summaries were also inspiring. A definite read for children and adults, 5th grade and up to start conversations about faith, resilience, struggle, history, and the like.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars (I liked it)

So I went into this with no prior knowledge about the book. I am on a committee that picks graphic novels for grade 3-5 students but I just put graphic novels on hold at my library and don't always know the age for it. I had no clue this was an adaptation of a book that's been around a while.

I appreciate that this is a different view of WWII (political prisoner) than I'm used to (Jew). I found the Jesus/Bible stuff to be very over the top and heavy-handed but that is also personal bias. It was a decent graphic novel.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love seeing such a quality and faith-filled book made more accessible through a graphic novel. Great job! Like the original, it depicts the horrors of the holocaust, so use discretion on what age of children you give this to.
I read the original many years ago as a teenager. I never forgot the clever things Corrie did to keep secrets from the Nazis. It was fun to read this version and remember what I learned years ago.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Public library copy

This was always one of my favorite Holocaust books in middle school, a long with I AM ROSEMARIE, and the graphic novel follows the story fairly closely. The cover looks somehow young, but the interior is packed with images and text, so might do better with older readers. Our 8th grade used to study the Holocaust (this has moved to the high school and we now cover Civil Rights), and this would be a good addition to a collection where books on WWII circulate frequently.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My kids enjoy comics and graphic novels, so I gave this book as an Easter gift to my 11yo daughter. I wasn’t quite sure if it would be too intense or not, but after reading it I feel like it’s suitable for mature middle schoolers and up. The illustrations of horrifying scenes are not too graphic. It has been a long time since I’ve read “The Hiding Place,” but as far as I can remember this adaptation is true to the original book.

[Season Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This heroic story of faith is perfect for kids and adults alike. I had heard of The Hiding Place but didn’t really want to read the novel. A friend recommended it recently and I saw the graphic novel that same week and ordered it. I’m so glad I read it. It’s very inspiring as a Christian but I also enjoyed learning things about that period in history—things that happened to Ms. Ten Boom and her family—that I didn’t know. 100% recommend!

[Christen DiGerlando · Rating 5 out of 5]

The illustrations in this novel were lovely. This is great for a young teenager . It didn’t avoid the hard things that Corrie lived through but was still presented in a gentler way. I also love how they incorporated some of her early life and threaded the things she had learned throughout the book.

[Ladynthestamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

The graphic novel version of Corrie Ten Boom's "The Hiding Place" is a great way to share her amazing story of courage, faith, and unconditional love! I was encouraged, and my faith was challenged by this book. It is an excellent and easy to read format for all ages. If you are new to graphic novels, it is easy to follow. I 100% recommend this book!