The inspiring true story of Corrie ten Boom, a Dutch watchmaker whose heroic efforts saved the lives of hundreds of Jews during World War II-- at a tremendous cost to herself and her family. The ten Booms, who had recently celebrated the one-hundred-year anniversary of their Haarlem watch shop, lived a quiet life. That changed in 1940 when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands and Jewish citizens began to disappear. Corrie and her family, devout Christians, joined the Dutch Resistance and built a secret room in their house to hide Jews and refugees. The Gestapo applied unrelenting pressure on Haarlem, continually raiding homes to snatch Jews and Resistance members. When Corrie and her family were ultimately arrested in the winter of 1944, they faced interrogation, beatings, and possible execution. Before long, she and her sister Betsie were sent to the notorious Ravensbrück camp. In the face of the horrors around her, Corrie found solace in her faith, and she ministered to other prisoners, providing comfort and hope. Miraculously, she survived, though by the time she returned home, she had lost many loved ones, including her father and Betsie. For Corrie, though, her journey was only beginning. Eschewing bitterness and embracing forgiveness, she provided free housing to hundreds of survivors who had been wounded by war, physically or emotionally. For the rest of her life, she traveled the globe as an evangelist, sharing her story of faith, hope, and love at churches, clubs, and prisons-- even a leper colony.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-354) and index.

Dramatis personae -- Prologue -- The watchmakers -- Hitler youth -- Persecution -- Razzias -- Diving under -- The angels' den -- The babies -- Terror -- Resistance -- The chief -- The mission -- Six hundred guilders -- Trapped -- Privileged -- Prison -- Lieutenant Rahms -- Bones -- Mrs. Hendriks -- Summary justice -- Ravensbrück -- Murder -- The skeleton -- The list -- Edema -- Déjà vu -- The factory -- Loving the enemy -- Epilogue -- The rest of the story -- Appendix-- Author's note.