Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Freedom in Afghanistan (Hardcover)

~ (Author), Heather Mercer (Author), Stacy Mattingly (Author) "Much has been written about the road from Peshawar, Pakistan, to Kabul-Afghanistan's capital city..." (more)
Key Phrases: women jailers, intelligence prison, street kids project, Northern Alliance, Big Eyes, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This is the eagerly anticipated story of the two Christian aid workers from Waco, Tex., who were imprisoned by the Taliban in Afghanistan shortly before the September 11 attacks on America. Because so many Americans followed their plight in the press, the behind-the-scenes details of their 105-day ordeal will inevitably be riveting. Unfortunately, the narrative is told in a weaving fashion that shuttles back and forth between Curry's voice, Mercer's voice and their joint perspective. Moreover, much of their story of monotonous prison life does not lend itself well to straightforward chronological narrative. Instead, the book is organized loosely by themes, places and people, and often leaps ahead of itself in confusing ways. Despite these frustrations and a surprisingly weak fade-to-black ending that barely mentions God or the faith that has sustained the missionaries throughout, the book is compelling. Readers will learn of the individual paths that led Curry and Mercer first to Christ and then to Kabul. Especially heartbreaking are the stories of all the Afghan families who were relying on the women for life-saving support and who were abruptly cut off at the time of their arrest. Perhaps most powerful is the honesty with which Mercer discusses her spiritual difficulties in captivity. This is not the story of larger-than-life heroines whose faith never wavers in the face of persecution; readers are allowed glimpses into Mercer's very real despair and the rift it caused in the group of prisoners. This gritty sense of the real life of ordinary, believing Americans keeps the pages turning.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Heather Mercer and Dayna Curry decided to go to help people who needed help. Their faith led them to Afghanistan. One woman who knows them best put it this way: they had a calling to serve the poorest of the poor, and Afghanistan is where that calling took them. And Heather and Dayna's faith in God sustained them throughout their ordeal. It's a wonderful story about prayer, about a faith that can sustain people in good times and in bad times. Their faith was a source of hope that kept them from becoming discouraged. I talked to them right after their release, their freedom, and I sensed no bitterness in their voice, no fatigue, just joy. It was an uplifting experience for me to talk to these courageous souls." ?President George W. Bush -- Review

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition (stated) edition (June 11, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385507836
• ISBN-13: 978-0385507837
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (66 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #954,174 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A story of compassion, April 2, 2003

By	Gloria Piper (Northern California) - See all my reviews

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.

22 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An amazing story of faith, June 27, 2002

By	Susan Morris (Beautiful Chicago!) - See all my reviews

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.

18 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings, November 7, 2002

By	SBR "SBR" (Atlanta, GA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prisoners of Hope: The Story of Our Captivity and Escape in Afghanistan (Paperback)

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.