Customer Reviews

Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom of Afghanistan

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

Having followed the story of their arrest on the news, I eagerly snatched up this book. Once I got into its pages, I could see that many will be offended by this story. Why? Because they will not understand it. You can understand what drove these women only if you have experienced similar faith and have lived a similar ministry.

I can understand where Dayna and Heather are coming from. We get their religious background, how they came to know and love God. We see how they felt drawn to Afghanistan to help the downtrodden. I was touched by their ministry to the poor. So much of it was practical, such as giving clothing and food. But the two also realized how these people, living under so hard a regime, needed hope. So the two walked a fine line, giving hope without actively converting.

Maybe some will see Dayna's and Heather's weaknesses, as when they were imprisoned and discouraged. But I saw their strengths, how they never stopped loving, how they continued to minister--giving food, clothing, etc., to fellow prisoners. I saw how they continued to give hope, teaching songs, telling stories,... Even cold, ill, or hungry, they still put others before themselves. And I was touched at the goodness of the Afghani people, their hospitality.

Dayna and Heather displayed no bitterness or resentment in their story. We see this story as part of their personal spiritual growth. I feel those who know them are lucky.

Some people may have a problem with the fact that Heather Mercer and Dana Curry are Christians, but I don't think anyone can doubt that they are dedicated and courageous souls. My daughter, whose a big admirer of these girls, gave me this book for father's day and I wasn't sure I would really like it, but I have to say that I found it really interesting. It almost felt like an adventure story at times, kind of exciting with their arrest and with US troops coming in to Afhganistan. And through it all they just held themselves together with prayer and their faith in God. I hope my daughter doesn't take off like they did, but I do really think they're brave for putting their lives in danger like they did for what they believe.

This story is our story, the story of the privileged people of the United States who followed the unfolding news events surrounding these two captives with prayer mingled with confusion. Why were they in Afghanistan to begin with? What had they done to warrant imprisonment? This book reveals the answers through Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer's heartfelt sincerity and honest story of fear and faith--and it challenges Americans to examine what they truly believe about freedom, including the freedom to worship.

Though every reader will of course know the ending of this story before they begin, I can't imagine anyone not being moved by the compassion of these two women who simply wanted to demonstrate Christ's love in tangible ways to people who've been ignored by most of the world. Their desire to serve, to create opportunities, to care for the neglected people of Afghanistan reveals a selflessness to which we should all aspire. This is not a story of missionaries bent on converting the masses; it's a tale of two who longed to give their lives in meaningful service to meet the needs of others--and along the way share a glimpse of the faith that has given them hearts full of love.

This is a moving story - thank you Dayna & Heather.
Ultimately this is not about Afghanistan, 9/11 or events in history but about two young individuals hearing God's voice and heading the words, "Go!" A very compelling story that will lead you to ponder how you would respond to the same. Pardon the pun, but it is indeed a captivating read.

The vicious attacks by some of these reviewers is truly frightening. No matter what someone may think of the particular beliefs of these two young woman, who can doubt that they are especially virtuous people? They are attractive, educated, talented women who freely chose to live in a hostile and poor country to minister to the people's phsyical and spiritual needs.

The writing is fair. Their story is pretty interesting. They give us a decent window into a world that all Americans need to better understand. But the best part of the book to me is their deep love and respect for the Afghani people. These are pretty rough people that very few Westerners would dare visit, never mind live among. But these two women clearly fell in love with the Afghanis. Really interesting to see how this happens.

I see the reviews of this book are quite varied, from the obvious non-Christians to the staunch Christian supporters. On one hand, from a Christian perspective, here are two women who gave up their worldly lives to move to Afghanistan. How can most of us comprehand that? I can't, and I have traveled on mission trips all over E. Europe. On top of that, they were imprisoned by a known terrorist group, and became a nationwide story. They most definitely have an amazing story to tell, although I doubt they could ever truly convey their true thoughts and feelings. Given the subject, I think this is a very good read and inspirational. However, there is a down side. This is by no means a literary work of art. It is poorly edited, rushed, and in many places includes just plain uninteresting (relatively speaking) "day in the life" tales of what they ate, etc. It was written in diary form and definitely had a lot of fluff. As much as I hate to say it, and without going into detail, I am also not quite sure that the book accurately reflected the personalities of these two people who sacraficed so much. The bottom line is that what they were doing was Biblical, a great sacrafice, and made the world a better place. This is a great book to read simply because of what they experienced, hence the 4 stars. However, don't expect great writing, or editing.

I am surprised at some of the negative reviews this book has received. I found it so interesting I couldn't put it down. I didn't find that their mission was about forcing religion on anybody. These courageous young women chose to go into a war torn country run by terrorists to help what they considered to be the poorest of the poor. They did not force religion on anybody, they only shared when asked, and always made it clear that it was very risky. They did a lot of charitable work, and a lot of their work was not focused on religion at all. They helped handicapped children, helped widows get pension, even helped a family start a business. They volunteered at a hospital, even learned to speak in the common used language. They donated food, read to children, and prayed for others when asked. This book was not about two women forcing Christianity on Muslims, it is about two courageous women, going to help opressed and starving people in a war torn country with the risk of their lives. I am sure not many U.S. citizens are willing to do that.

I also am speaking objectively when I say I don't believe they were forcing their religious beliefs on the Muslim community because I do not share the same religious beliefs that these women do. I still found it a fascinating book, and commend their courage.

One poor choice was their faces on the cover. They are so darned pretty and middle class looking that you find it hard to believe the suffering they went through in a Taliban prison. Just a thought!!

Dayna and Heather are two incredible women and I was so moved by following their story in the news last year that I eagerly bought and read this book in just a few days (it usually takes me weeks!). I was impressed with the way their different (sometimes really different) personalities came across in the way they told their stories. The book alternates between one of them telling their story and then the other one picks up. But even though they are different, it is beautiful how they share an amazing devotion to their Christian faith. They are quite forthright about being Christians, which I find refreshing since it often seems like some people just want you to keep it to yourself. This was fun to read and I hope they get to go back to Afghanistan some day like they say they do.

I've read and re-read this book several times. I've read the reviews here and most simply missed the point of the book. The heart of the story is about the love these women have for Jesus and their compassion and desire to help people in need. I've re-read this book at times when I feel my life and circumstances are too difficult to bear and it also encourages me. I LOVE the fact that Heather struggled with fear while in prison because that is how I picture myself reacting! You can relate to how she feels. I was encouraged and uplifted to read about these women who gave so much to the people and never expected anything in return. Get it from the library if you want but give it a read. It's worth it.

This was an interesting story about two Christian, foreign aid workers in Kabul, Afghanistan. I appreciated the background on what got them to Kabul and also the descriptions of their trials and frustrations while in captivity. Too often I've read bios or diarires that depict everything as "pie in the sky". Few people live that kind of life, so I appreciate it when people can be true, even if it means not being portrayed in a positive light. My biggest complaint about the book is its stilted language. For example, the use of "I was not" instead of "I wasn't" or "I did not" instead of "I didn't". This book was written in a conversational tone, though every time a contraction wasn't used when it should have been, it jumped off the page at me. It was distracting. Also, it would have been nice to have gotten more about their interactions with their fellow captives. This isn't a page turner. But it is an interesting story of faith put to the test and lived out in extreme circumstances.