Saving My Assassin

Religious persecution is so foreign to us in America that this book was quite shocking to me. The people of Romania endured such hardship and even death from the Communist leaders that it is unimaginable. Virginia Prodan endured abuse and hatred from her mother all her life and then she received a true gift from God. She was finally allowed to visit her Aunt Cassandra and then admitted to college and law school. She used her gifts and talents to defend the victims of religious persecution in the homeland she loves. She is incredibly good at saving her clients from jail time or even execution. But she puts her own life and the lives of her husband and two young daughters in danger with her defense of the enemies of the government. Even though she has the American Embassy watching and attempting to help her, she is followed, watched, threatened and put on house arrest with her two young daughters while her husband is away. Read her story to find out how God works in her life and the citizens of Romania. I think you will be as compelled as I was to read her story. I rated this memoir 5 stars. I wish all Christians would read this book. I received a copy of this book from netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I should be dead. Buried in an unmarked grave in Romania. Obviously, I am not. God had other plans. —Virginia Prodan That quote from Saving My Assassin really grabs your attention as we journey through Virginia’s memoir during Nicolae Ceausescu’s savage communist regime. We first step into her childhood in Romania, which is heartbreaking and lonely, yet she doesn’t give up but becomes inspired through a a paper she wrote about her hero Mircea cel Batran. “What would it be like to live in a society where people told and valued the truth? What would it be like to experience true freedom?” Virginia determined to coming an attorney and pursue truth and freedom. After she became an attorney, she became disillusioned that truth might not exist anymore. Later Virginia was meeting with a client, Nestor, who was trying to get his parents home and land back from the Communist Romanian government. It was a slow, expensive, frustrating process yet he was continually contented and joyful. She expressed a desire to have what he had and he invited her to his church. “I want Nestor’s peace, his optimistic outlook on life, his sense of confidence even in the worst of circumstances. If all of that comes from his church, then I will go and visit.” Virginia Prodan became a Christian, giving Jesus her life, and then requested started coming in to defend in court churches and Christians who were being persecuted. Ceausescu was a shrewd and untrustworthy leader—trying to gain America’s favor by promising to respect human and religious rights, yet building his own brutal and oppressive regime where people where fired, jailed or ended up missing because of their faith. As Virginia began defending churches’ rights to repair their buildings and people’s rights to move Bibles from one church to another for their Vacation Bible Study and more, she became a target to hostility and intimidation. She knew God had called her to this time for this purpose, but fear began to overwhelm her. “I understand the outer battle. I can face adversaries in the courtroom and even the Securitate [Communist government agents]. But I cannot win this inner battle between my own heart and mind. Lord, you have to win this victory for me. Take away my fear and replace it with a peace that surpasses all understanding. I need your peace, Lord. I need your victory.” --Well, my summary to this memoir has taken over this review, but I can’t keep going! There is so much more I want to share but I need to stop so you can read the book!! Virginia Prodan’s story, her trust in God, and commitment to fellow Christians is amazing and inspiring, and I would recommend it to everyone!! To conclude, I want to share a bit more from Virginia… “*Freedom is precious to those who don’t have it. *If the truth lives within me, lies cannot overpower me. *If my soul is free, no power on earth can enslave me. *If God gives me the victory, defeat is impossible. …My desire is that through reading my book and seeing how God used me to accomplish amazing things, you will realize God has a grand plan to use you as well, and I pray you will not put off doing what God is calling you to do.” Disclosure: Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for my honest review.

Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for the book of Saving My Assassin by Virginia Prodan. This memoir introduces Virginia Prodan in immediate danger in 1984, when her life was threatened. Chapter one takes us back to 1961, during Virginia's childhood. Virginia grew up with abuse from her mother and taunting from her siblings. She is a real life Cinderella. Her upbringing was not to be the end of her struggles, though. With tremendous strength, Virginia shows us what she went through for her individual freedom and what she is willing to do for other's freedom also. Learning about different cultures and symbolism is always interesting to me, even if I don't agree or completely understand them. Communism feels confining, nerve-wracking and demoralizing. I appreciate the notes at the end of the book that clarify several questions that arose while I was reading Saving My Assassin. Courageous and inspiring - 4 stars!