Virginia Prodan

I received this book in a goodreads giveaway. This book was an amazing memoir. I was immediately captivated by the authors story. This story was very interesting to me especially because I have traveled to Romania on three occasions since the fall of the Ceausescu regime. I am familiar with many of the Parks and villages mentioned. I have heard similar stories from people I have met in Romania about the difficulties they all faced living under communism. Virginia's story is incredibly inspiring. I could not put it down. I found it an extremely encouraging read. Highest recommend.… (más)

This was hard to put down--although it is a memoir, it reads like gripping fiction.

The author had a terrible childhood in Romania partly due to communist oppression but also due to the home that she grew up in. The cruelty and marginalisation she experienced was shocking and sad, not least because there didn't seem to be any reason for it. Also, because she was singled out for this treatment by her care-givers who responded very differently to her "siblings." I could feel the pain and confusion in the mind of the young child.

Growing up she married and had two daughters. At some point she experienced a dramatic conversion to Christianity having previously been captive to communist ideology and beliefs. The Gospel resonated within her soul as the Truth that had been revealed to set her free. From the moment of conversion she dedicated her life to helping her fellow believers of the underground church in Romania. She did this without regard for personal safety or other factors.

She became a lawyer. The story reads as if she was personally responsible for single-handedly taking on the establishment in Romania. She won all of her cases against the regime due to their paranoia about the outside world finding out about human rights abuses. She obviously built a reputation for being willing to represent persecuted Christians. She found herself the target of the Securitate who hounded her and followed her everywhere she went. The American embassy seems to have come to her aid and began offering her protection eventually enabling the family to leave the country for America.

Honestly, I found some of the details of this story slightly unbelievable. It reads at times like a superhero novel. Courageous woman takes on the system, defends the people when no-one else is willing, defies threats etc....I also found the conversion of the "assassin" which the book is named after very difficult to comprehend--it just seemed so easy. I know that there are times when God has prepared a person's heart in advance, indeed, that is what we pray for before we witness to someone, but I found this particular case miraculous. His short testimony is also contained in the book and I noticed that he copied some of the phraseology used by the author in her version of his story. I don't want to be cynical but if true it is an incredible work of grace.

So often when people throw themselves whole-heartedly into causes or missions, their family is neglected. In this case, the author's husband seems to have been working away for significant periods of time, she mentions that they had serious struggles. He didn't accept what she was doing and the risks she was taking for her new-found faith, not being a believer himself. He also felt that she was placing the children at unnecessary risk. They divorced shortly after arriving in America.

The author went on to juggle her responsibilities as a single parent with her career as an attorney in America having gone to law school and learned English. Ironically, having seen America as a country of the free, she ended up representing American Christians who were being persecuted for their faith in a similar manner to communist Romania.....

As this is a memoir and the events date back some 30 or more years, it might not be possible to verify everything documented. Let's assume the events are true and that this book is therefore extremely readable. It is also clean--there is no bad language or sexual content and the violence is not graphic. I recommend it.… (más)

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.… (más)