The Hiding Place, book and movie

I reread The Hiding Place, then rented the movie on my Netflix. I first read the book when I was quite young, maybe junior high, and did not remember a lot about it, so I wanted to reread it before I watched the movie. It was a good book, as I remembered, and what a testament to faith in God! The example that Betsie gave to her sister Corrie throughout their ordeal in prison really stuck out to me in this reading of the book. She constantly found God in everything. One example is when she tells Corrie to thank God for the fleas and lice that they are living with in the barracks. Corrie, who usually does everything that Betsie asks, balks at that, but finally does say the prayer, even though it is half-hearted. After some grueling weeks at hard labor, Betsie gets moved to the knitting room for her work due to her poor health. The knitting room is much less supervised than the other jobs and Betsie is able to read to the other women from their smuggled Bible, have prayer meetings, and share her faith in Christ. Later they find out that the guards do not supervise this room as much because they are staying away from the fleas and lice! Corrie remembers that Betsie told her to thank God in everything and that she did not have enough faith to thank Him for the fleas and lice.

The movie was good also. There were some differences between the book and movie, but nothing too drastic, other than the Katya character. Eileen Heckhart did a wonderful job with that role and, even though it was not very true to the book, it was true to the historical period. I really did not mind that the Katya storyline was added to the movie.

I like the fact that Corrie Ten Boom herself came on after the movie and briefly spoke to the audience. She reminds us that she and Betsie had constantly talked about telling their story when they were released from prison, and that she had kept her promise by writing the book. I did not know until I reread this book (this later edition had a postscript at the end) that Corrie found out in 1953 that her release was a clerical error. One week after her release in 1944 all of the women her age were shot.

I went to hear her speak when I was in high school. I do not remember a lot about what she said--her strong Dutch accent was hard to grasp--but I do remember that I sat there enthralled and would have listened to her all day.

The Hiding Place, along with The Diary of Anne Frank, were the pivotal books that started my lifelong interest in learning more about the Holocaust. I highly recommend this book.

A Mile in my Flip Flops

I enjoy all of Melody Carlson's books, and this one is no exception. Recovering from an unexpected broken engagement, Gretchen hides her sorrow in HGTV and Ben and Jerry's. Realizing that she needs to move on with her life, she purchases a "fixer upper," planning on flipping it for a profit after she uses her knowledge gained from watching tv to remodel it. Gretchen does not take into account that tv knowledge is not the same as practical knowledge. Other stumbling blocks, including her retired contractor father's heart attack and a know-it-all, divorced, albeit handsome, handyman, promise to make Gretchen's flip a flop. When Gretchen reluctantly admits her failings, accepts help, and turns it over to the Lord, she begins to finally see changes in her house--and in her life.

I highly recommend A Mile in my Flip Flops, another winner from MelodyCarlson.