Captive In Iran


Captive in Iran: A Remarkable True Story of Hope and Triumph Amid the Horror of Tehran's Brutal Evin Prison by Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh is a captivating account (no pun intended) of Maryam and Marziyeh's arrest and imprisonment for converting from Islam to Christianity and advertising and promoting Christianity (a crime punishable by the death pentalty in Iran). This book walks us through the day of their arrest to the time of their release and briefly describes their immigration to the US. They hold nothing back in telling their story - the horrifying conditions in Evin prison, the other inmates and their stories, the interrogations, the torture, lack of medical care, and more.

This isn't a light and fun story, but I definitely enjoyed reading it. I couldn't believe just how people are living and treated in Iran, and it really opened my eyes to the situation and how desperate and horrifying it truly is. I believe this is an important book for every Christian to read. We have it so easy here compared to how people there are living. What more can we do to help them? This is an important question to ask ourselves. The courage, faith, and strength shown by Maryam and Marziyeh are commendable and truly helped strengthen my own faith. I feel even more blessed to have the opportunities to witness here in the US that I do have, and it compels me to act on them more than I have been.

My only complaint about this book is that I wish that we could've heard more of their story - more about their actions to witness before their arrests (we do hear some, but the story opens on the day of their arrest so they're "flashbacks"), and more about what has happened since their release. The conclusion sums up in just 2 or 3 pages how they fled Iran and fought for their immigration to the US. I do understand that had they explained all this in detail, the size of the book would've doubled - but I would've gladly read it! Also, the typeface was uncomfortably small. Again, I'm sure this is to preserve the length of the book. However, minor complaints, and I hope we hear from both ladies again soon in another book. Highly recommended.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Surviving Death

Image
Surviving Death by Leslie Kean is an investigative journalist's deep dive into the afterlife and all of the current scientific studies and evidence we can examine. The back cover says: "“While exploring the evidence for an afterlife, I witnessed some unbelievable things that are not supposed to be possible in our material world. Yet they were unavoidably and undeniably real. Despite my initial doubt, I came to realize that there are still aspects of Nature which are neither understood or accepted, even though their reality has profound implications for understanding the true breadth of the human psyche and its possible continuity after death.” So begins Leslie Kean’s impeccably researched, page-turning investigation, revealing stunning and wide-ranging evidence suggesting that consciousness survives death. In her groundbreaking second book, she continues her examination of unexplained phenomena that began with her provocative New York Times bestseller UFOs: Generals, Pi
Read more

Can I Just Hide In Bed 'Til Jesus Comes Back?

Image
I'll admit - I wanted to read Can I Just Hide In Bed 'Til Jesus Comes Back?: Facing Life With Courage, Not Comforters by Martha Bolton and Christin Ditchfield mainly because of the cute cover (I mean, just look at it!) and the fun title. I often just want to hide in my bed with junk food, books, and Netflix and retreat from the world and responsibilities. However, I know that hiding in bed really isn't the answer to life's problems. I figured I'd pick up this book and see what Martha and Christin have to say about facing life head on. The back cover says: "Depression, fear, a sense of unworthiness, and unfulfilled dreams can make women retreat to their beds—figuratively and literally—and refuse to face life. Yet most of the time, hiding in bed makes matters worse. Who needs emotional bedsores? Authors Martha Bolton and Christin Ditchfield gently show women how to climb out from under their emotional bedcovers, face their fears and doubts, and step into the l
Read more
Forgiving Our Fathers And Mothers by Leslie Leyland Fields (with Dr. Jill Hubbard) is one of the best books on forgiveness I've read in a long time. Each chapter details a different aspect to the parent/child relationship and need for forgiveness, followed by a word from Dr. Jill and study questions. I really enjoyed this format. It was like getting to the heart of the matter with Leslie, and then visiting a professional psychologist (Dr. Jill) to process your emotions afterward. Leslie uses her own real life story, plus the stories of others who have had difficult relationships with their parents, plus plenty of Scripture, to trace the path to forgiveness and healing. This book really hit home for me. Warning: it will probably make you cry! Leslie's story, as well as all of the others, were alternately emotional, touching, sad, horrifying, and redeeming. I liked how Leslie brought practical tips to questions such as, "Do I have to forgive?", "How do I forgive?
Read more