Rating: 
Summary: Empty story of Christian hubris.
Review: After reading this book, you'll be left scratching your head at the authors' apparent belief that they actually did some good in Afghanistan. Where is the evidence that anyone was helped by their presence? Other than put a lot of people in grave danger, damage the efforts of real aid workers, and generate a lot of media attention and a book deal, Curry & Mercer seem to have done precious little to help anyone other than themselves. Perhaps that's not surprising, because it becomes clear that these two young women were uniquely ill-prepared for their journey. They had no professional medical or logistics training; no experience in humanitarian aid; didn't speak the language; did not appear to possess - or show any interest in developing -- any cultural understanding of Afghanistan. They appear to have spent most of their time wandering the streets looking for people to hear their Christian testimony - a stealth attempt at religious conversion that was a crime under Afghan law. Far from inspiring or courageous, this is an innocents-abroad story about two naïve twenty-somethings who -- in their simple-minded zeal to spread Jesus no matter how many people they endangered -- flew off on an evangelism adventure that inevitably went very wrong. It's a true tale of missionary hubris that should be instructive to other Bible-bangers, but is frequently whitewashed over as a tale of "heroism" by those who define "heroes" as earnest ignoramuses who get themselves, and others, into trouble.
Rating: 
Summary: I should of give it 1 star , but ...
Review: But I gave it 2 stars . Why ? Because I think that books , written by sereal killers or rapists are worse than this one .
Now they making quick bucks on thear own stupidity and criminal behavier , for which they was arrested in Afghanistan . They knew , that they going to break the law ( advertising Christianity is illigal in Afghanistan ) and lied to get in . I call it premeditated criminal . It also shows me level of thear intelligence - no respect to other country culture and laws . By thear actions they put other people in danger and , from my point of view , did opposite job .
This book is so boring and badly written , that for the first time in my life , I couldn't finish it and gave up in the middle of it .
Rating:
Summary: Dangerous and mind-boggling naivete.
Review: Since when is dumb, dangerous, arrogant and criminal behavior worthy of praise?
Apparently, only when this behavior is conducted by Christian evangelists peddling Jesus in foreign countries. Under the guise of "aid workers", Curry and Mercer went to Afghanistan to convert Muslims to their Christian religion. Real humanitarians provide the necessities of life - food, shelter, medicine - without any religious strings attached. Yet all Curry and Mercer could provide were copies of The Jesus Film and heartfelt sentiments about their relationship with Christ. That doesn't qualify as aid in my book and it doesn't make them aid workers, it simply makes them evangelists looking for easy prey among a desperate and destitute people. Of course, since religious proselytizing was against the law in Afghanistan, Curry and Mercer simply lied about their real activities and motivations. That not only makes them dishonest, it makes them criminals. It also makes them a danger to others. They put Afghanis in danger, they put real aid workers in danger, and since they required rescuing, they put the anti-Taliban forces who sprung them from prison at risk. And, perhaps worst of all, they damaged the efforts of real humanitarians who, as a result of Curry and Mercer's dishonesty, are unjustly tainted by the evangelism brush. Yet despite the fact that they had broken the law and their own government was bombing the Taliban, Curry and Mercer were treated respectfully by the Taliban. They were fed well, were protected during their captivity, and were allowed to conduct their religious practices freely (and, ironically, free of the very proselytization that they subjected Afghanis to).
The Taliban, despite their other crimes, comes off as being much more humane and sensible than these two dangerously naïve young women. One fact emerges clearly from this book: Mercer and Curry went to Afghanistan to meet their own needs, not to meet the needs of Afghanis, who didn't invite them and whom they provided precious little aid to. They went to satisfy their own evangelistic impulses, to gain brownie points with a god who demands evangelization, and to flirt with their own fantasies about martyrdom and self-sacrifice.
Engaged in the relentless Christian battle of "spiritual warfare" against non-Christians, Curry and Mercer were nothing more than enemy combatants in a foreign land. Curry and Mercer are lucky that their captors showed them much more respect than these women showed anyone else. This book does a great - if unintended - job of showing just how dangerous, foolish and self-serving the actions and motivations of Curry and Mercer were. It proves the point made by Charles Dickens over a hundred years ago: "Missionaries are perfect nuisances and leave every place worse than they found it."
Rating:
Summary: Criminals legally making money in America
Review: I was appalled to read that these two "Prisoners of Hope" were actually missionaries in Afghanistan under the disguise of aid workers. They lied about who they were and what they were doing, not something that you would expect from "god fearin' folks". Their actions jeopardized actual aid work, and their presence in Afghanistan did more harm then good, and what is even more appalling is that they are now making money of their crimes. If you are really bored and what to see how xtians break the law in gods name then read this book, if not, just use it for an extra leg on that old chair.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing Grace
Review: This story of Dayna Curry and Heather Mercer's imprisonment in Afghanistan is one that opens the eyes of the reader to the horrible conditions of their captivity as well as the lives of the Afghan people. This was two young women who went to Afghanistan not as Christian missionaries but as aid workers for Shelter Now International who just happened to be Christians. Their ordeal was very frightening and miserable for them both. Their rescue in the end was truly an answer to prayers from around the world. I must say that the book is not well written and at times it is boring. It is written in a fashion that is, at times, difficult to read. It gets a bit mundane at times with the description of their daily lives with the reader finding out every little detail of life in prision, right down to, practically, which sock they put on first. I also disagree with those who say that "poor theology, bad religion and their naivety" is causing trouble for other people. Neither were they spy's for President Bush. Heather and Dayna, again, went as aid workers. Not missionaries. If someone wanted to know about Jesus, they would tell them. They never once offered to tell people about Jesus. They even warned those who asked about Jesus what might happen if they engaged in discussion about Jesus. I am very thankful to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob that they touched the lives of so many and were brought back home by a loving God!
Rating:
Summary: Nothing Special
Review: What these girls did is nothing special. There are thousands of people like them (who weren't foolish enough to risk their lives and the lives of their national staff by trying to spread their version of religion in a culturallyl sensitive place like Afghanistan) all over the world working to try to help the poor. The 15 minutes of fame that these girls received is long over (thankfully). The book itself is fluff and poorly written. Let's look for other heroes. These girls certainly are not heroic; just a couple of simpletons who got themselves into a fix and got media coverage.
Rating:
Summary: Well worth reading
Review: Prisoners of Hope is a great adventure story and well worth the reading. It is the account of two of a handful of westerners in Afganistan during the Taliban regime and is worth the reading for that reason alone. I was surprised to read so many passionately negative reviews of this book by Amazon[.com] readers. I myself did not approach the book with feelings of sympathy for these ladies, but I walked away from it with a greater understanding and acceptance of their point of view, a point of view which is by no means evil as the other Amazon[.com] reviewers seem to imply.
Rating:
Summary: Even the mislead can do good
Review: This book is classic example of how people motivated by poor theology and bad religion can still do some good. I know Dayna and Heather. I went to the church that Jimmy Seibert started. They not only believe all muslims goto hell, which is par for evangelicals, but they were part of the same discipling movement I was. That church stunted the lives and growth of many. But if you read this book, you do see the simplicty of Dayna's heart. She really does love the people she went to be a missionary to. I am sure more than one person was touched by god DESPITE their poor theology and the controlling discipleship style. Dayna, for all her misquidedness, is at least DOING SOMETHING. most people just live the quiet life of suburbia, and then read these books to titillate themselves. I am so glad she never sold out and stopped being a radical. But like Che Guevara, just because you are a radical, does not make your brand of christianity (or in che's case, marxism) true. I respect not her head but her heart.
Rating:
Summary: Self-serving
Review: A lot of people sling mud at Christians just because it's an easy and safe thing to do, but I don't see how the actions of these two undercover missionaries live up to their professed faith, whether in Afghanistan or after their return home. The book is a little too self-serving for my taste.
Rating:
Summary: God will Punish These Girls
Review: These are the kind of people that should lock themselves in their bedroom closets and never come out. They (and others like them) are naive to believe that they know how to help the world. In their spiritual and cultural ignorance, they do more harm than good. They have brought darkness to the world.
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