Wow what a super encouraging book! In this memoir Ester tells of how she became a follower of Jesus and the miracles she and her family experienced. My faith walk has been shaky recently and this book reminded me of what an awesome, living God we serve.

This book was really an eye opener for those, like me, who have only heard about what happens in Middle Eastern countries when it comes to religion. I always tell people over here, in America, that we shouldn't complain about small things, when there are people who have literally experienced indescribable things.

The only reason I didn't finish this book in one sitting was because I had some praying of my own to do.

This book begins with Zakhira Ahmad being dragged out into the street of her hometown in Pakistan in front of an angry crowd that wants to kill her because she has converted to Christianity. The person leading the angry crowd? Her own father.

The narrative stops there and switches to the beginning of her story, how she grew up a faithful Muslim, indeed better educated by far than most Muslims—a fact that will come to play in her story. How her father is radicalized by radical Muslims and becomes devout himself, and how Zakhira decides to dedicate her life to Allah by becoming a suicide bomber.

Amazing story. Easy read. Would love to see Esther speak live someday.

There are so many things I could say about Defying Jihad. I finished it just yesterday, and I’m still pondering over so much of it. This book has challenged me deeply, and also encouraged me. Esther’s story is one of intense sorrow, but also one of extreme hope. She knows the One she speaks of in a deep way, and her heart for encouraging others with her story shines from the pages.

Growing up in a Muslim home, Esther always had a heart for doing the right thing and getting recognition for it. Since her father rejected her at birth for being a girl, she always felt like she had to work extra hard to gain his approval. She also needed to gain Allah’s approval—and perhaps help to protect her own family somehow. She was a sincere girl, and when something came to shake her world, she didn’t know where to turn.

One of my most favorite things about this book is the fact that Esther is giving a voice to many of her fellow Pakistani believers, the ones that could never speak up because they would be in danger. Perhaps she, too, is in danger because of her story as well; I don’t know. However the case stands, she is sharing a story that I haven’t heard often, but one that I know is becoming more and more common in the world today: The one of turning from a life of darkness in Islam to the light of Christ. Seeing that journey is precious.

And, of course, my second favorite thing about this book is just how the Lord worked in her life to bring her to be His child. She was in such a dark, dark place and He reached down to help her in a special way. The journey after that, of course, has not been easy as she had to live the life of a secret believer and eventually flee because she would have been killed otherwise. But God was faithful, and helped her and her husband with each need.

In all, this was a great book. Highly recommended if you are interested in hearing a little about what God is doing in the Muslim world, want encouragement in your own faith, or want to live for the Lord even more.

(There are a few scenes that younger people shouldn’t read—she is threatened with death at different places, beaten others, and several people are mentioned as dying different ways. It’s still pretty clean, but with the subject matter, some of this is inevitable. I appreciated the way it was all handled.)

I requested a free advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest opinion of it.

My new favorite book, I couldn't put it down. It was recommended to me at Christian women's retreat. Thank you for your story and testimony, Esther. I see you have some negative reviews, but most are positive. You telling your story has helped countless others, including myself. You've really revived my love for Christ and I loved the entire story; it kept my attention the entire time. God bless you & your family.