The Watchmaker’s Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie Ten Boom

Corrie ten Boom has been one of my biggest heroes for decades. When I learned there was a new(ish) book about her, The Watchmaker’s Daughter: The True Story of World War II Heroine Corrie Ten Boom, there was no question that it would be going to the top of my “to be read” pile.

The first licensed female watchmaker in the Netherlands, Corrie ten Boom also became one of the country’s biggest wartime heroes, as she was a leader in the Dutch resistance during WWII. She and her family hid Jews in their home for years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands before finally being caught and sent to a concentration camp. She was the only member of her household to come out of the war alive, and she made it her mission to share her story and the story of Jesus and his healing forgiveness in the years following WWII.

Ten Boom’s memoir, The Hiding Place, sold millions and remains a beloved classic to people across the world. In it, she writes of her experiences during the war, deeply intertwining her and her family’s Christian convictions and faith, which guided every decision they made and brought them hope and opened their eyes to miracles throughout.

The Hiding Place is one of my favorite books, and if you haven’t read it, you need to. So why do we need The Watchmaker’s Daughter?

This book tells the ten Booms’ story and so much more. Author Larry Loftis, in his author’s note, wrote about considering whether the ten Booms’ story should be the topic of his next book. He had become a bestselling author writing nonfiction WWII spy thrillers and had pinpointed Corrie ten Boom as his next possible subject.

“I had to answer the obvious question: Does The Hiding Place tell the whole story? Or is there much more?” he wrote. “To my surprise, The Hiding Place seemed to contain less than 10% of the overall story.”

In The Watchmaker’s Daughter, Loftis goes deeper than Corrie’s memories. Using historical documents from Anne Frank’s diary, Audrey Hepburn’s memories, the memoirs of other ten Boom family members, and what was going on in Hitler’s inner circle as well as across Europe, this book gives a deep dive into the Dutch occupation and the spy network the ten Booms helped create, grow, and support. It follows Corrie specifically from the beginning of World War II to the end of her life and the greater impact of her mission and ministry.

For Reformed Christians, especially, the ten Booms’ story is of great interest because they were members of the Dutch Reformed Church. They have been a shining example of how people of faith can (should?) live and act under extreme circumstances and pressure. Staying true to her trust and faith in God, Corrie ten Boom’s story is one that should be highlighted and emulated. The Watchmaker’s Daughter fleshes out her story and goes deep and wide to show how this woman of faith lived courageously, saved lives, and offered a message (that paired with action) of healing and hope to a post-war world.

This winner of the Florida Book Awards Gold Medal is a must-read.

(HarperCollins)