Darlene Deibler Rose (–2004)

This came highly recommended, it was worth reading but not outstanding.

The author, newly married, sets off for the jungles of New Guinea as a missionary. However, she and her husband find themselves in the middle of World War 2 and at the mercy of the ruthless Japanese. The bulk of the story is about her imprisonment in a prison camp--she and her husband were placed in separate camps for the duration.

This book will challenge many people as it is a testimony to facing our struggles with the show more right attitude. The author somehow manages to find hope and joy in the midst of terrible conditions and treatment whilst incarcerated. She also manages to witness to some individuals directly and was a definite witness through her perseverance under great pressure. She clings to her faith at the times of greatest trial.

Personally, I struggled with the depth and length of some of the emotional recall especially in relation to spiritual matters. Maybe it is just a reading preference, but I found some of her emotions difficult to relate to and there are just some things which are too personal to include in a book.

I recommend this book for those who struggle in life or who think they have been "dealt a bad hand" by God. Maybe this story will give some perspective to people. There is no bad language or sexual content. There are some violent scenes, nasty injuries and death which are to be expected in a book about a war. show less

*takes a deep breath* Wow! Review to come when I am not an emotional wreck and can digest everything I just read!

UPDATED REVIEW:

Wow wow wow! What an amazing story!! Mrs. Rose's writing style is pretty much all description and almost no dialogue (rather normal for an autobiography, I guess), which was somewhat hard to wade through, but I am so glad I didn't put this down! The raw bravery and true courage of Darlene Diebler so humbly portrayed throughout was so incredibly inspiring. That was show more one thing I really liked about this book; Mrs. Rose was clearly a very humble, self effacing woman, and that was depicted in the writing. I loved how she put the focus on God and others, and not herself. Filled with lovely, heart wrenchingly encouraging nuggets throughout, this is a book that went straight to my heart, and I will not forget it easily! Definitely a must read! show less

Very inspiring story of a missionary in WWII Papa New Guinea. Darlene Deibler Rose describes her ordeal as she is imprisoned in a Japanese camp, deep in the jungle. Deprivation, starvation, bombings and beatings are just some of the tortures she survives, by God's grace. I find I like reading books like this, seeing people's faith in action, and God's provision for them in the midst of horrific circumstances. And unlike characters in similar books I've seen, Rose is no Pollyanna, sitting show more pretty and spouting platitudes... no.. she shares her real life -doubts, fears and sufferings .. I hope to read more books like this one. show less

This true story of a missionary wife who was captured by the Japanese in their sweep of the Dutch Indies and the privations they suffered as prisoners of war is agonizingly graphic. But her faith, even as it was being tested, is the true story of the book. Almost humerous is her description of coming home to America after 8 years of little or no knowledge of what was transpiring in society -- a Rip Van Winkle moment!