A Review of Hiding in the Light by Rifqa Bary
Every once in awhile a book comes along that is so phenomenal, so well written, perfectly constructed as a story and as a book, that the prospect of reviewing it is a terrifying one. What if people read my review, and then don't read the book? What if I fail to capture the depths of what I have just read? I am here to tell you that, Hiding in the Light, by Rifqa Bary is one such book. So please, for the sake of my fragile ego, read this book; and if not for my sake, than for yours!
What makes this book so worthwhile is not merely that it is an amazing story (it is!) but that it is an amazing true story! The woman who experienced the turmoil and joy of these pages is out there, bearing witness to God's amazing goodness no matter the storms or the darkness that we encounter in this life. Hiding in the Light is the story of Rifqa's brave separation from Islam and covert conversion (for fear of her Muslim community's backlash) to Christianity. It is a story that will give you goose bumps from page 1.
As Rifqa begins her story, I felt the incredible pain of this girl who grew up under the dictatorial hand of her harsh family. And yet Rifqa does a wonderful job of showing that while her family's harshness towards her was connected to their religion, Islam was not to blame. Abusers do not need nor get an excuse and not all Muslims are abusive. And yet the radical differences between Islam and Christianity are exposed when Rifqa encounters the joy and the freedom of following Jesus Christ...and then gives up literally everything to do so. This is the story of survival, it is a story of triumph and again while it is a true account, it reads like a thriller. A thriller with eternal stakes. I found myself constantly on the edge of my seat unable to wait and see what was going to happen next, unable to put the book down.
I hope that you will read this book, I hope that you will be encouraged and challenged as I was and I hope that when you finish you will join me in a prayer of gratitude for the life and ministry of Rifqa Bary. I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for this review.