Book Review: God's Hostage by Andrew Brunson

About the Book:

When God called, he answered.

In 1993, Andrew Brunson was asked to move to Turkey, the largest unevangelized country in the world, to serve as a missionary. Though reluctant at first because of the daunting task that lay ahead, Andrew and his wife, Norine, became convinced this was God's plan for them.

What followed was a string of difficulties and threats, but there were also successes in starting new churches in a place where many people had never met a Christian. As their work with refugees from Syria, including Kurds, gained attention and suspicion, Andrew and Norine acknowledged the threat but accepted the risk, confident that this work was part of their assignment.

In 2016, they were arrested. Though the state quickly released Norine, who remained in Turkey, Andrew was imprisoned. Accused of being a spy and being among the plotters of an attempted coup, he became a political pawn whose name was soon known around the world.

God's Hostage is the incredible true story of his imprisonment, his brokenness, his faithfulness . . . and his freedom.


My Thoughts:

God’s Hostage: A True Story of Persecution, Imprisonment, and Perseverance by Andrew Brunson, with Craig Borlase, is not light reading. The subtitle perfectly relays the contents of this autobiography: persecution, imprisonment, and perseverance. Andrew Brunson underwent intense hardship as he spent 735 days in Turkish prisons. As the majority of this book takes place during his imprisonment, frequently the focus is on his mental, emotional, and spiritual struggles. I appreciated the deep honesty he shared. He tells about his fears, deep depression, suicidal thoughts, the well-intentioned (but not helpful) advice of others, and much more.

Although the subject matter in God’s Hostage is weighty, I found the plot fascinating. At times, I wanted to keep turning pages to follow along his journey, but had to stop for the night and space it out to avoid absorbing too much of the emotional turmoil. I could relate to his feelings of being abandoned by God in his hardship. In a way it was refreshing to read about as it reminds me that I’m not the only one who faces certain struggles.

God’s Hostage by Andrew Brunson, with Craig Borlase, will appeal both to readers who enjoy autobiographies and to those who followed Andrew Brunson’s imprisonment as it happened. 4.5 Stars!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. All opinions in this review are my own.