Hearts of Fire - The Voice of the Martyrs

[goodreads]

Title: Hearts of Fire: Eight Women in the Underground Church and Their Stories of Costley Faith
Author: Compiled by The Voice of the Martyrs
Genre: Non-fiction, Christian, memoir
Rating: 5/5
# pages: 333
Date read: September, 2010

Eight women from eight very different backgrounds. Yet the struggles they each faced rang with eerie similarity. These courageous women from across the globe-Pakistan, India, Romania, Former Soviet Union, China, Vietnam, Nepal, Indonesia-shared similar experiences of hardship, subjugation, and persecution, all because of their faith in Christ. Yet all of these women have emerged from adversity as leaders and heroines.

A difficult book to review, because how on earth do I put into words the feelings this book woke in me? From Russia in 1945 to Indonesia in 2000 Christians have been persecuted for their faith, imprisoned, fired, tortured, abused, even martyred. I read about these people and marvel at their strength and dedication... and then I look at myself, and almost feel embarrassed for being so comfortable and safe in little old Denmark.

I'll try to make this a review rather than a testimony though, even though it's turning out to be more difficult than I thought. I've never felt called to be a missionary, but I've always been fascinated by their works, and by the fates of Christians in other countries.

These 8 accounts were especially incredible in their intensity and I very much appreciated the afterword following each chapter, as it brought us up to present day, and explained what had happened to the main character since the events of the chapter, and where she was now.