TOW #17 - Hearts of Fire (Part One)

Richard and Sabina Wurmbrand, the leads of the fourth story and the founders of VOM

     If asked why I love reading and writing, I would generally respond with two things: the capacity of words to be crafted into something intricately beautiful, and its capacity to be an escape from the world and its realities. Hearts of Fire doesn't quite fit either of those things - the writing is clunky at times and it forces the reader to acknowledge the harsh realities of this world - yet it surpasses all conditions of telling a good story. Published by The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), an organization "dedicated to assisting the persecuted church worldwide," it shares the testimonies of eight courageous women of the underground church. And it was written with this purpose in mind: "It is our prayer that you come away… with a deeper conviction and steadier direction for handling life's difficulties. If you are only amazed at these incredible testimonies, we have failed… if you can gain strength from these examples of extraordinary courage, we have succeeded." To put it simply, VOM succeeded.

     I read four stories, from Adel of Indonesia, Purnima of Bhutan, Aida of Russia, and Sabina of Romania. The compilation was an effort to tell contemporary stories from different nations and backgrounds. It was published in 2003 and many events happened in the late 1900s, so it could be considered outdated, but the messages are powerful regardless of each story's exact setting.

     One major success of the stories was the balance between keeping it honest and making it a captivating read. That can often be a weak point for books like this, as testimonies from memory are filled in with details and end up sounding terribly fake or awkward, but VOM did a good job. One misfire would be with the dialogue, as it was sometimes odd between the use of English and likely paraphrased quotes.

     VOM was also successful in terms of structural choices. Each story began with an intense scene from the climax, before zooming out to the start of the woman's story and then continuing through the rest of the events. It was very effective, as with each new story the reader would be immediately drawn in.
     To be completely honest, I chose this book because I needed an IRB and it seemed to be an adequate choice. I also expected the clunky language to get in the way, as I've seen so many other faith-centered productions and publications sacrifice technical prowess for spiritual idealization. But I was pleasantly surprised by the powerful storytelling, and emotionally impacted by the pages of struggle and sacrifice, as I curled up in a blanket in a warm home, my most imminent worry getting this TOW done tonight.