The Watchmaker’s Daughter: Corrie Ten Boom

Title: The Watchmaker’s Daughter: Corrie Ten Boom
Author: Jean Watson
Series: Focus Trailblazers
Major Themes: Corrie Ten Boom, Germany, Holland, World War II
Synopsis: The story of Corrie Ten Boom’s life is told in a very interesting manner.

Corrie Ten Boom’s life story is amazing. Until she was around 50, her life was very quiet and normal. She lived with her family in their home in Holland, where she learned the watchmaker’s trade from her father. After her mother’s death, she and her older sister Betsy ran the house and helped their father, but when World War II began and the Nazis invaded Holland, they found themselves in the middle of working with the Resistance. Their home became a haven for a number of Jews—until the family was betrayed to the Gestapo. Father soon died in prison, and Corrie and Betsy were taken to a series of concentration camps, where Betsy died and Corrie was eventually freed—a week before she was to be killed. After the war, she traveled around the world talking to groups about forgiveness.

The Watchmaker’s Daughter presents Corrie’s life story in a very readable way. We thoroughly enjoyed it. It arrived in the mail one morning just as we were heading to the city for a long day of appointments, and reading this book aloud helped get us through a 2-hour wait to see a doctor! The boys were riveted to the story.

And here’s a funny little bit: We finished the book a few days ago. This afternoon, my 6-year-old asked, “What’s a Cornelia?” I told him it was a girl’s name, and then I heard him chanting, “Ten Boom, Cornelia!” in the tone of voice with which I read it when Corrie was in the concentration camps! That made the 3-year-old unhappy; he thought his brother was calling him names.

Interested in more about Corrie? See also The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom—that is an excellent story as well!

WARNING: Some of the atrocities of the Nazis are mentioned; this may not be a good choice for young children.