Across the world strong women have shaped the course of history. The following list features women who fight for the oppressed, speak out against injustice and offer hope for all of us. Be inspired by their incredible stories! This is the second installment of this series. To see the original 11 Books by Amazing Women, click here.
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Breaking Cover by Michele Rigby Assad
As a CIA agent and a counterterrorism expert, Michele Rigby Assad found that working undercover was an all-encompassing job. The threats were real; the assignments perilous. Michele spent over a decade in the agency—a woman leading some of the most highly skilled operatives on the planet, secretly serving in some of the most treacherous areas of the Middle East, and at risk as a target for ISIS. But deep inside, Michele wondered: Could she really do this job? Had she misunderstood what she thought was God’s calling on her life? Did she have what it would take to survive?
Fire Road by Kim Phuc Phan Thi
More than four decades ago, her excruciating pain was exposed in a photo that made headlines around the world. Only now is she fully revealing the depth of her scarring—to both body and soul. It’s a moment forever captured, an iconic image that has come to define the horror and violence of the Vietnam War: Nine-year-old Kim Phuc running in agony moments after napalm bombs fell from the sky, bringing hellish fire that burned away her clothing and seared deep into her skin.
He Holds My Hand by Carol Kent
When Carol Kent’s son was sentenced to life in prison without parole, Carol was consumed with grief, sadness, and despair. She was distraught wondering why God permitted this to happen. She had prayed for her son since he was a small child. He had been raised with biblical principles and daily prayer. As Carol tried to make sense of everything, she couldn’t help asking, Where’s God when it hurts so much? In the middle of her sorrow, Carol turned to the place where she had always gone for comfort—the Bible.
Still Waiting by Ann Swindell
In Still Waiting, Ann Swindell explores the depths of why God wants us to wait by chronicling her own compelling story of waiting for healing from an incurable condition. She offers a vibrant retelling of the biblical account of the Bleeding Woman that parallels her story—and yours, too. Let Ann help you see the promise that is hidden in the ache of waiting and the hope of what God can—and will—do as you wait on him.
The Polygamist’s Daughter by Anna LeBaron
This is the haunting memoir of Anna LeBaron, daughter of the notorious polygamist and murderer Ervil LeBaron. Ervil’s criminal activity kept Anna and her siblings constantly on the run from the FBI. Often starving, the children lived in a perpetual state of fear—and despite their numbers, Anna always felt alone. Would she ever find a place she truly belonged? Would she ever be anything other than the polygamist’s daughter?
All the Pretty Things by Edie Wadsworth
For a long time, Edie thought she had escaped. It started in an Appalachian trailer park, where a young girl dreamed of becoming a doctor. But every day, Edie woke up to her reality: a poverty-stricken world where getting out seemed impossible. Where, at twelve years old, she taught herself to drive a truck so she could get her drunk daddy home from the bar. Where the grownups ate while the children went hungry. Where, when the family trailer burned down, she couldn’t be caught squawlin’ over losing her things—she just had to be grateful anyone had remembered to save her at all.
We Died Before We Came Here by Emily Foreman
Stephen Foreman and his wife, Emily, traded in their American white picket fence for a giant, dusty sandbox as missionaries in the deserts of North Africa. Stephen had given Emily a well-read copy of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs on their first date, a telling foreshadowing of the ultimate cost he would pay when, at 39, he was shot and killed by al-Qaeda operatives. In this memoir, Emily, left with four kids and an undying calling to reach the Muslim world, recounts their heartrending yet uplifting story of sacrifice and love for a people held captive by the ultimate Enemy.
Ruined by Ruth Everhart
One brisk November evening during her senior year at a small Midwestern Christian college, two armed intruders broke into the house Ruth Everhart shared with her roommates, held all five girls hostage, and took turns raping them at gunpoint. Reeling with fear, insecurity, and guilt, Ruth believed she was ruined, both physically and in the eyes of God. Told with candor and unflinching honesty, Ruined is an extraordinary emotional and spiritual journey that begins with an unspeakable act of violence but ends with tremendous healing and profound spiritual insights about faith, forgiveness, and the will of God.
In the Presence of My Enemies by Gracia Burnham
Soon after September 11, the news media stepped up its coverage of Martin and Gracia Burnham, the missionary couple held hostage in the Philippine jungle by terrorists with ties to Osama bin Laden. After a year of captivity and a violent rescue that resulted in Martin’s death, the world watched Gracia Burnham return home in June 2002. In this riveting personal account, Burnham tells for the very first time the real story behind the news—about their harrowing ordeal, about how it affected their relationship with each other and with God, about the terrorists who held them, about the actions of the U.S. and Philippine governments, and about how they were affected by the prayers of thousands of Christians throughout the world.
Gianna by Jessica Shaver Renshaw
At the tender age of 17, Tina was frightened and pregnant. Feeling abandoned and desperate, she stepped into the clinic to have an abortion. But something unexpected happened . . . something wonderful. Instead of snuffing out the growing life within, the procedure failed. And with defiance and courage, a baby girl made her way into the world. Gianna is the incredible true story of one girl’s remarkable journey from abortion survivor to steadfast defender and lover of life.
Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot
In January 1956, a tragic story flooded headlines around the world. Five men, spurred by a passion to share the good news of Jesus Christ, ventured deep into the jungles of Ecuador. Their goal: to make contact with an isolated tribe whose previous response to the outside world had been to attack all strangers. At an agreed-upon time, their five young wives sat by their radios, waiting for a message that never came. . . .”
Through Gates of Splendor, ” the story of Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Jim Elliot, was first recorded in 1956 by Jim’s widow, Elisabeth. Decades later, its story of unconditional love and complete obedience to God still inspires new readers.
