In My Father's House : The Years Before the Hiding Place

Corrie ten Boom provides a detailed account of her family history and upbringing in Haarlem, Netherlands, prior to the Nazi occupation. She describes the daily operations of the Beje, the family watchmaking shop and home, centered on her father Casper’s strict devotion to Christian scripture and prayer. The narrative details childhood memories, the influence of her aunts, and her eventual training as the first licensed female watchmaker in Holland. She documents how decades of simple acts, such as feeding the hungry and hosting prayer meetings, established the spiritual discipline required for their later work in the Dutch resistance.

Readers interested in the intersection of Dutch history and evangelical faith use this book to understand the formative influences behind Corrie ten Boom’s later life. It serves as a study of how small-scale domestic habits and steady religious instruction build character. Readers walk away with a clear picture of nineteenth-century Dutch social life and the specific theological roots that motivated the family to risk their safety for others. It offers a practical look at how private devotion translates into public action during a crisis.