*The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel adapted by Mario DeMatteo

The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel faithfully adapts Corrie Ten Boom’s story for graphic-novel fans.

*The Hiding Place: A Graphic Novel by Corrie Ten Boom, Adapted by Mario DeMatteo, illustrated by Ismael Castro. Chosen (Baker Publishing Group), 2024, 239 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, ages 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-15

Ever since Elizabeth and John Sherrill published Corrie Ten Boom’s story in 1971, The Hiding Place has been a film adaptation, stage plays, and a radio production by Focus on the Family. This is the first graphic novel version, and it will help introduce a new generation  of young readers to an unforgettable true tale of courage, survival, and reconciliation.

This version follows the original book closely, beginning in 1937 with a birthday celebration for the ten Boom watch shop. For 100 years, the shop had served its neighbors in the town of Haarlem, and Cornelia, her sister Betsie, and their elderly father Caspar were expecting dozens of appreciative visitors. Already ominous news from Germany was filtering into Holland, but few took it seriously. Today, however, Corrie’s pastor brother Willem arrived with a companion—a Jewish man from Germany whose face had been horribly burned by teenaged thugs in the Hitler Youth.

Three years later, the Nazis marched in and took over the Netherlands, and peaceful days at the watch shop were over for good. From Corrie getting drawn into the Resistance, to hiding Jewish refugees in a secret room, to the family’s inevitable capture, the murder of their father, and years in prison camps, Corrie and Betsie not only maintained their faith but passed it on to countless others.

The graphic novel is well-paced and comprehensive, though sometimes a bit text-heavy. Of course many details have to be left out, such as family history and the background of some of the Jewish refugees hidden by the ten Booms. The main plot is all here, including the sisters’ constant reliance on Jesus and Corrie’s struggles with forgiveness after the war. Depictions of violence (mostly slaps and blows) may be too much for sensitive readers. Also, the many times female prisoners were forced to strip and parade before male guards are tastefully handled but may make some readers uncomfortable. But the story remains as inspiring as ever.

Bottom Line: A worthwhile adaptation of a memoir to pass on to a new generation.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Review: Yet another version of The Hiding Place, in the Engaging Visual Journey series.
• Review: See our review of a graphic novel biography of another Christian hero, Eric’s Greatest Race.
• Reflection:  Which version of The Diary of Anne Frank is the best?

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