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Ah summer! Finally, a break from the responsibility and monotony of school and extracurriculars. A chance to hang out with your friends, relax, maybe go swimming… and read a book about the holocaust.

As odd as it sounds, I knew when thinking about books I would have every student read that this one is at the top of the list. The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom is the non-fiction story of Corrie and her family living in the Netherlands during World War 2. What starts out as a description of an idyllic childhood growing up in a dilapidated house where each day is bookended by scripture reading, quickly morphs into a spy novel as the Ten Booms and their home become the center for a major anti-Nazi operation, and then morphs again as horror comes to their doorstep and whisks them away.

My first experience with this book was when I was seven years old. My mom read it aloud to me before bed, and even then I recognized that this story showcased something special. It’s the story of a family whose dedication to God is completely unwavering through circumstances that are the stuff of nightmares. I knew I couldn’t live without that hope. 

It was after one of these nights of weeping with my mom about what God allowed to happen to Corrie and her sister and how faithful He was in all of it, that I asked Jesus to forgive my sins and become my savior. If there has been a book (besides the bible) that has been more influential on my Christian walk I don’t know what it is. I encourage you to add a level of gravity to your summer by taking on this book. Let God show you that He is everything. In Corrie’s words, “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.”

Love,

Sami