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Women Who Risk: Secret Agents for Jesus in the Muslim World
For the first time ever Tom Doyle, popular author and pastor to the unreached, is joined by his wife and ministry partner, JoAnn, to explore the incredible work of God in the hearts and lives of women in the Muslim world.
Despite enormous risks to themselves and their families, former Muslim women are now influencing their husbands and their children and bringing others to faith in Jesus Christ. No matter where they live, these women are the God-ordained spiritual gatekeepers of their families.
Tom and JoAnn Doyle have worked for twenty-five years in the Middle East and are master storytellers of the miraculous works of God happening in the Muslim world. With a clear call to action, they "sound the alarm" to the body of Christ, using inspirational stories straight out of the underground church—stories you don’t get on the news.
The level of oppression that women face under Islam is unfathomable to many in non-Muslim nations. Life is often a string of abuses and near-enslavement under cultural norms that are anything but “normal” to the Western mind-set.
The Doyles believe that women are a major reason why more Muslims than ever before are coming to faith in Christ. Over the years they have discovered that once God sets a Muslim woman free, she becomes an unstoppable force for God. Women Who Risk takes readers into the intimacy of Muslim homes in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and other hot spots to see the drama of Christ at work.
The stories of these women are both breathtaking and heart-rending. Living on the edge, these women spread the gospel without fear, and the victory of the gospel is thrilling for all to see. They are the new heroes of the Middle East.
Despite enormous risks to themselves and their families, former Muslim women are now influencing their husbands and their children and bringing others to faith in Jesus Christ. No matter where they live, these women are the God-ordained spiritual gatekeepers of their families.
Tom and JoAnn Doyle have worked for twenty-five years in the Middle East and are master storytellers of the miraculous works of God happening in the Muslim world. With a clear call to action, they "sound the alarm" to the body of Christ, using inspirational stories straight out of the underground church—stories you don’t get on the news.
The level of oppression that women face under Islam is unfathomable to many in non-Muslim nations. Life is often a string of abuses and near-enslavement under cultural norms that are anything but “normal” to the Western mind-set.
The Doyles believe that women are a major reason why more Muslims than ever before are coming to faith in Christ. Over the years they have discovered that once God sets a Muslim woman free, she becomes an unstoppable force for God. Women Who Risk takes readers into the intimacy of Muslim homes in Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, and other hot spots to see the drama of Christ at work.
The stories of these women are both breathtaking and heart-rending. Living on the edge, these women spread the gospel without fear, and the victory of the gospel is thrilling for all to see. They are the new heroes of the Middle East.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2021
258 people are currently reading
3943 people want to read
About the author
Tom Doyle
7 books65 followersTom Doyle pastored for 20 years in CO, TX & NM before launching into missions in the volatile Middle East. Tom and his wife JoAnn of 28 years have an overflowing heart for the nation of Israel. As a pastor, Tom began leading tours there in 1995 and eventually he became a tour guide for the State of Israel. He speaks frequently at churches and para-church ministries about Israel, the Middle East, the global threat of Islam, and the incredible growth of the Middle East Church since Sept 11, '01."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 392 reviews
February 16, 2022
Breath-taking and inspiring, Women Who Risk is a fast-paced adventure packed full of almost unbelievable stories of women who found Jesus through miracles and dreams and then shared the light of Christ with their community.
Each chapter starts with a brief narrative from the perspective of each woman about her experiences leading up to her conversion, and ends with a brief interview about that woman’s present life and ministry. The stories mostly take place in the Middle East, from Lebanon to Syria to Saudi Arabia.
Some of the stories seemed almost unbelievable, like straight from a spy novel. My favorite story was about Kady, a Muslim woman in Mecca who accepted Christ and then had to flee her country in a daring escape when her brothers plotted to kill her for her faith.
Wow. All of these stories were so inspiring, captivating, and convicting! The power of God is clearly evident in each of them, and I was brought to tears reading how God met each of these women where they were–in their pain, their grief, and their unbelief–and drew them to Himself, giving them beautiful hope and light.
These stories are full of incredible miracles, from dreams and visions of Jesus, to miraculous healing from demon possession, to a mysterious stranger providing food and water for a Muslim terrorist so he could survive to find the truth.
These stories demonstrate the power of daily, sacrificial love. Although Nori’s mother screamed at her every day after she accepted Christ, Nori’s quiet, persistent love eventually led to her mother’s salvation. These stories also show the power of God over Islam. The fact that thousands of secret Christians could gather to pray around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine of Islam, is clear evidence of that.
God’s power is real. He really does hear our prayers, and He answers them! His power is at work even in the heart of Islam. There are fifteen underground churches in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca. How ironic is that? Nothing can stop the light of Christ from spreading, not false religions, not government, not even death.
And most of all, these stories demonstrate what we as women can do for Christ. Women are still marginalized and mistreated in many parts of the world. They often don’t have as many opportunities as men. But Jesus came to set women free. He has come to make us His ambassadors to the world.
These women are bold agents for Jesus in some of the most dangerous, volatile areas in the world. Their courageous example causes me to step back and ask, will I follow their example? Will I step out into my community and reach the unlovable? Will I do that scary, uncomfortable thing Jesus is asking me to do? Will I be an example of Christ’s unconditional love, as they are?
Each chapter starts with a brief narrative from the perspective of each woman about her experiences leading up to her conversion, and ends with a brief interview about that woman’s present life and ministry. The stories mostly take place in the Middle East, from Lebanon to Syria to Saudi Arabia.
Some of the stories seemed almost unbelievable, like straight from a spy novel. My favorite story was about Kady, a Muslim woman in Mecca who accepted Christ and then had to flee her country in a daring escape when her brothers plotted to kill her for her faith.
Wow. All of these stories were so inspiring, captivating, and convicting! The power of God is clearly evident in each of them, and I was brought to tears reading how God met each of these women where they were–in their pain, their grief, and their unbelief–and drew them to Himself, giving them beautiful hope and light.
These stories are full of incredible miracles, from dreams and visions of Jesus, to miraculous healing from demon possession, to a mysterious stranger providing food and water for a Muslim terrorist so he could survive to find the truth.
These stories demonstrate the power of daily, sacrificial love. Although Nori’s mother screamed at her every day after she accepted Christ, Nori’s quiet, persistent love eventually led to her mother’s salvation. These stories also show the power of God over Islam. The fact that thousands of secret Christians could gather to pray around the Kaaba, the holiest shrine of Islam, is clear evidence of that.
God’s power is real. He really does hear our prayers, and He answers them! His power is at work even in the heart of Islam. There are fifteen underground churches in Islam’s holiest city, Mecca. How ironic is that? Nothing can stop the light of Christ from spreading, not false religions, not government, not even death.
And most of all, these stories demonstrate what we as women can do for Christ. Women are still marginalized and mistreated in many parts of the world. They often don’t have as many opportunities as men. But Jesus came to set women free. He has come to make us His ambassadors to the world.
These women are bold agents for Jesus in some of the most dangerous, volatile areas in the world. Their courageous example causes me to step back and ask, will I follow their example? Will I step out into my community and reach the unlovable? Will I do that scary, uncomfortable thing Jesus is asking me to do? Will I be an example of Christ’s unconditional love, as they are?
March 12, 2023
This broke my box of what it means to live for Christ. Deserving of all the respect in the world.
November 22, 2023
Beautiful stories that break your heart and open your eyes to the power of Jesus Christ. I don’t normally prefer audiobooks to the real physical copy, but hearing the author’s voices crack as they cried while reading some parts of these real, raw, and incredible stories only added to the depth of this book.
April 9, 2021
I just loved this book!! What an amazing encouragement to women who are truly dedicated to Christ and his mission for their life. A great reminder that god still does miracles and to pray in expectation of them!! This makes me soo grateful For our freedoms to follow Jesus and meeting corporately!
March 20, 2023
The stories in this book were incredible and so full of hope, but I struggled to get past how badly written it was. The tone of voice was very Western and at times pro-Israel, and I felt uncomfortable with some of the sensationalist language and superlatives used.
November 21, 2023
Amazing content. The women they discussed in this book are truly incredible. I think the only reason I took one star off is I just didn’t really like the way the readers read the audiobook (probs a bad reason to take a star off but that’s how I feel🤷🏼♀️)
October 18, 2024
As someone who once lived and worked in a Muslim country, these were things I appreciated about the book:
- it did help me to understand the context of Christians in refugee camps more (I didn’t work directly in those settings)
- this book would be helpful for someone with little to no experience with Muslims, especially someone who was fearful/angry.
- I appreciated that even though dreams/visions were heavily emphasized, they always served to direct seekers to actual Christians and the Bible.
- the various forms of suffering and persecution definitely lined up with what I witnessed firsthand among the MBB’s I know.
- it was a very encouraging book and did remind me to be more faithful in prayer for that part of the world.
A few critiques:
- it gives the impression that the only way a Muslim can come to faith is through a dream/vision. A MBB pastor friend of mine once told me that this view is so prevalent that MBB’s who come to faith without a dream are sometimes made to feel like inferior, second-class Christians compared to those who had a more “miraculous” conversion story. It seemed like throughout the book the miracle was valued almost more than the Source.
- it definitely had a very western, triumphant tone- it seemed as though the authors had spent only a few hours or days with each woman, enough to hear the exciting, dramatic story but not long enough to know the ongoing challenges- the doctrinal clashes between different groups of believers, the power imbalances caused by gifts from western workers, church discipline cases among new believers, etc. I wish the book had been a bit more balanced in showing some of the harder aspects of everyday life (beyond external persecution). Everything seemed a bit too polished.
- it did help me to understand the context of Christians in refugee camps more (I didn’t work directly in those settings)
- this book would be helpful for someone with little to no experience with Muslims, especially someone who was fearful/angry.
- I appreciated that even though dreams/visions were heavily emphasized, they always served to direct seekers to actual Christians and the Bible.
- the various forms of suffering and persecution definitely lined up with what I witnessed firsthand among the MBB’s I know.
- it was a very encouraging book and did remind me to be more faithful in prayer for that part of the world.
A few critiques:
- it gives the impression that the only way a Muslim can come to faith is through a dream/vision. A MBB pastor friend of mine once told me that this view is so prevalent that MBB’s who come to faith without a dream are sometimes made to feel like inferior, second-class Christians compared to those who had a more “miraculous” conversion story. It seemed like throughout the book the miracle was valued almost more than the Source.
- it definitely had a very western, triumphant tone- it seemed as though the authors had spent only a few hours or days with each woman, enough to hear the exciting, dramatic story but not long enough to know the ongoing challenges- the doctrinal clashes between different groups of believers, the power imbalances caused by gifts from western workers, church discipline cases among new believers, etc. I wish the book had been a bit more balanced in showing some of the harder aspects of everyday life (beyond external persecution). Everything seemed a bit too polished.
October 16, 2025
Truly incredible and inspiring stories. It was very eye opening for me!
May 8, 2024
This book is a treasure!
I am so thankful that books like this exist. The stories are so important and I’m so glad they are all in this little book!
Whether in audiobook or physical form, the impact is still great.
All of these stories are so intense, but it was so great to hear about how these women have a sacrificed it all just to know Jesus! Their stories of what they have experienced, and the ways that God has come to them through their dreams was just encouraging, amazing and truly there are no other words for it.
It’s encouraged me, to pray for Christians all around the world, especially those who are in the trenches with their own families.
I recommend this book to everybody! Including older teenagers, I think they would love it!
I am so thankful that books like this exist. The stories are so important and I’m so glad they are all in this little book!
Whether in audiobook or physical form, the impact is still great.
All of these stories are so intense, but it was so great to hear about how these women have a sacrificed it all just to know Jesus! Their stories of what they have experienced, and the ways that God has come to them through their dreams was just encouraging, amazing and truly there are no other words for it.
It’s encouraged me, to pray for Christians all around the world, especially those who are in the trenches with their own families.
I recommend this book to everybody! Including older teenagers, I think they would love it!
April 13, 2025
This book is truly incredible. I recommend everyone read this book, your eyes will be opened to more than you could imagine. The harvest is ripe! It’s so inspiring to see how the Lord is making himself known to all these women and more and they are finally being seen and loved by someone. He is radically changing hearts and opening up doors for His name to be spread all over the Middle East and beyond. It is evident the Lord is after Muslim background women and calling them to play apart in his plan!
July 18, 2024
So, so good and insightful! I cried through every chapter when I heard of the persecution, danger, and abuse Muslim women face in the Middle East. But Jesus is working amazing miracles in their lives for them to spread the Gospel to those around them, including their abusers. Highly recommend!
April 29, 2022
This book was so moving and encouraging... nearly every single story brought me to tears. I cannot recommend this enough!!
March 5, 2024
Each chapter is a new story of how God is moving and revealing himself.
January 12, 2023
This is one of the most impactful and powerful books I have ever read. You cannot read this and remain the same. The Lord has pressed many things upon my heart to remember about who He is and how I can be praying for the women who risk it all.
February 23, 2024
Easy 5 stars. You will get chills reading these stories of women risking their lives to spread the gospel
May 26, 2021
This book isn't hard to finish. An incredible window into the lives of Muslim women who meet Jesus and the transformation this brings to their lives! Important lessons I needed from these true stories: danger is temporary, expect miracles, and pray for the long haul. A reminder to me that because I have Jesus, I have the most valuable thing.
March 10, 2024
The stories are moving. The writing is not great. There is definitely a white American / Western undercurrent to the story telling - since that is the background of the authors - which, in my opinion, doesn’t do justice to these women’s stories.
January 6, 2024
This was an especially interesting read for me because I had just finished
In the Land of Blue Burqas
. While that one was fascinating in its own way—it really gave an inside look at Middle Eastern culture and helped me understand why Christ used parables, for instance—that book focuses on a Christian aid worker and how, in the course of her humanitarian work, she attempted to teach Muslim women to apply Christian concepts and principles whether or not they became believers in Christ as Savior. This book was much more focused on the radical, life-changing power of Christ when Muslim women put their faith in him—not just having a better life, but truly being changed from the inside out.
It was challenging and inspiring to see the change that happened in these women. Some of my favorite stories included a mother who came to Christ because of the change in her daughter, even though she was outwardly abusing and raging at her daughter for her faith, and a woman who became interested in Christianity because our Bible honors Hagar by saying God truly saw her (the Quran barely mentions Hagar even though she’s the mother of Ishmael, the father of Muslim nations). I would never have looked at the story of Hagar in Genesis and thought God would use that part of the Bible to bring someone to faith in Christ, so that really caught my attention.
I don’t believe dreams or visions are God’s chosen method of revelation as a rule; his Word fills that role and fills it well. However, it’s common for Muslims to experience vivid dreams that make them want to find out who Jesus is. This book reflects that well—in every case where a dream got someone’s attention, it was faith in Christ that ultimately saved him or her. The results of the dreams were in line with biblical teaching, and I find it so encouraging and awe-inspiring to see how God shows himself real in places his Word might otherwise never gain access.
The boldness and faith of these women is a challenge to me, especially when I pause to realize that most if not all of them are still alive and in these very situations today. The interviews between chapters reinforce that truth. It was only a few years ago that thousands of secret believers gathered in Mecca. The conflicts some of these women lived in, such as the attacks of Hamas on Israel, are ongoing. It’s a front-row view of what’s happening in the Middle East, but it’s also a front-row view of what Christian women are experiencing in other countries right now. I want to be more aware of that and quicker to pray.
The messages of this book are outstanding. My only quibble is with the presentation. A lot of the stories feel as if they’re written in a sensationalized style, and the “feel” is very American. The situations are certainly very Middle Eastern, but the narrative didn’t give me the sense of being immersed in another culture the way In the Land of Blue Burqas did. These stories are gripping enough on their own. They don’t need sensationalism to make them more so.
Some of the situations are difficult to read, so I recommend this for mature readers, but it’s a wonderful book to be challenged and encouraged by if you want to know how Christ can transform lives in hard places.
Content warnings: abuse, death threats, violence, demon possession
Bible versions used: NIV, ESV, KJV
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It was challenging and inspiring to see the change that happened in these women. Some of my favorite stories included a mother who came to Christ because of the change in her daughter, even though she was outwardly abusing and raging at her daughter for her faith, and a woman who became interested in Christianity because our Bible honors Hagar by saying God truly saw her (the Quran barely mentions Hagar even though she’s the mother of Ishmael, the father of Muslim nations). I would never have looked at the story of Hagar in Genesis and thought God would use that part of the Bible to bring someone to faith in Christ, so that really caught my attention.
I don’t believe dreams or visions are God’s chosen method of revelation as a rule; his Word fills that role and fills it well. However, it’s common for Muslims to experience vivid dreams that make them want to find out who Jesus is. This book reflects that well—in every case where a dream got someone’s attention, it was faith in Christ that ultimately saved him or her. The results of the dreams were in line with biblical teaching, and I find it so encouraging and awe-inspiring to see how God shows himself real in places his Word might otherwise never gain access.
The boldness and faith of these women is a challenge to me, especially when I pause to realize that most if not all of them are still alive and in these very situations today. The interviews between chapters reinforce that truth. It was only a few years ago that thousands of secret believers gathered in Mecca. The conflicts some of these women lived in, such as the attacks of Hamas on Israel, are ongoing. It’s a front-row view of what’s happening in the Middle East, but it’s also a front-row view of what Christian women are experiencing in other countries right now. I want to be more aware of that and quicker to pray.
The messages of this book are outstanding. My only quibble is with the presentation. A lot of the stories feel as if they’re written in a sensationalized style, and the “feel” is very American. The situations are certainly very Middle Eastern, but the narrative didn’t give me the sense of being immersed in another culture the way In the Land of Blue Burqas did. These stories are gripping enough on their own. They don’t need sensationalism to make them more so.
Some of the situations are difficult to read, so I recommend this for mature readers, but it’s a wonderful book to be challenged and encouraged by if you want to know how Christ can transform lives in hard places.
Content warnings: abuse, death threats, violence, demon possession
Bible versions used: NIV, ESV, KJV
Join my newsletter list for monthly reading roundups and author updates, plus a free short story.
October 27, 2021
How can someone deny that Jesus is the living, powerful, Son of God after hearing the stories of these brothers and sisters? How else can you explain it? A women demon possessed since being molested by her father at the age of 4, being healed by Jesus, forgiving her father, and leading her abusing mother to Christ. How does someone change so much? Or a man who beats his wife daily and has over 60 other women under the laws of Islam, and his wife letting hatred consume every part of her so that she is planning to murder him. But Jesus appears to them, speaks scripture to them from a Bible they’ve never heard read from before. And boom! They are ready to die for this Jesus and are literally skipping with joy and now love each other like school crushes. How do you explain? Behold the risen, powerful Jesus Christ, on his white horse returning, with the keys of Death and Hades in his hands and he is setting those in long bondage to sin FREE! Praise His name forever and forever!!! You are worthy of our whole lives!!!
June 5, 2023
Wow! I am so inspired by these women who saw Jesus’s love for them and risked their lives to receive it. Stunning!
As I was reading this book, I began to feel like the stories were rather charismatic. I wondered, who actually experiences Jesus in this dramatic fashion? It seemed like every character had a vision or a dream of Jesus, and this type of encounter can be rather rare. I started to feel like the stories were unrealistic
But that’s when I realized that Jesus had to appear to these women in dramatic fashion in order to convert their hearts. Jesus is calling Muslims to be missionaries, and he cannot be subtle. I learned that many Muslim women grow up with a hurt image of their fathers, so it would be hard to convince them to trust a Father image like God. So Jesus must show his persistence in loving them by being bold.
Overall, I’m very happy I read this novel. I give this four stars because the women blurred together because their stories were similar. Dina stands out the most to me, but it’s hard for me to distinguish the stories of the other women, and I think the authors could have demonstrated their differences better.
As I was reading this book, I began to feel like the stories were rather charismatic. I wondered, who actually experiences Jesus in this dramatic fashion? It seemed like every character had a vision or a dream of Jesus, and this type of encounter can be rather rare. I started to feel like the stories were unrealistic
But that’s when I realized that Jesus had to appear to these women in dramatic fashion in order to convert their hearts. Jesus is calling Muslims to be missionaries, and he cannot be subtle. I learned that many Muslim women grow up with a hurt image of their fathers, so it would be hard to convince them to trust a Father image like God. So Jesus must show his persistence in loving them by being bold.
Overall, I’m very happy I read this novel. I give this four stars because the women blurred together because their stories were similar. Dina stands out the most to me, but it’s hard for me to distinguish the stories of the other women, and I think the authors could have demonstrated their differences better.
September 20, 2021
I read this book in one day! And I feel so encouraged to persevere in my own troubles knowing that my sisters in Christ are enduring far worse than I, yet are standing and remaining faithful to the Lord. Their walk with the Lord can be described as “committed”. We can learn so much from their stories. And I love how the women feel called to be ambassadors of Christ to their own families. I highly recommend this book to all!
October 20, 2022
Very moving. Incredible to read how God is moving in the hearts and lives of people in the Middle East. It was also a challenging read, putting into perspective how easy we have it in the western world.
September 1, 2023
This book was incredibly inspiring and heart wrenching. It’s just a peak into the lives of women that lived lives of repentance, courage, and sacrifice. It’s also even more real when you are living among Muslims. I can’t even fathom or understand the sacrifice that it takes for them to follow Jesus. But also seeing the joy that overcomes those hard things. Such an incredible read.
March 3, 2024
Listened to this on audio while running - which is to say that I may have encountered the book differently, and more accurately, had I read it. I was primarily delighted with the ways in which Jesus showed up in each woman’s story. Their lives are songs of praise to our Beautiful Savior!
June 12, 2025
What an encouragement to continue to press on in gospel ministry, especially in situations that appear hopeless. Jesus is making Himself known to people in the most dangerous and oppressive countries, and not only that, but the faith produced in the midst of suffering and hardship is absolutely unshakeable.
June 12, 2025
5⭐️s!!
truly an amazing and eye opening book! the faith of these women is incredible. these women are radical with their faith and share the love of Jesus everywhere they can, even if that means risking their life. could not recommend this book every single believer to learn what is happening amongst muslim believers!
truly an amazing and eye opening book! the faith of these women is incredible. these women are radical with their faith and share the love of Jesus everywhere they can, even if that means risking their life. could not recommend this book every single believer to learn what is happening amongst muslim believers!
August 16, 2025
Wow. God is so powerful and worthy of all praise! It’s easy for me to forget that God is a miracle worker and that He can and has used dreams and visions to reach His people. I am convicted of my comfortable life and my hesitance to share the gospel sometimes. Prayer is definitely a weapon that the enemy cannot stop.
June 5, 2022
Informative, inspiring, and a challenge to pray for sisters in difficult places. Didn't expect to be so moved by this book. Wouldn't have given the writing style 5 stars, but the overall effect of the stories on my heart outweighed any literary snobbery. Would highly recommend for a realistic picture of what it looks like to follow Christ in places where it is forbidden.
July 24, 2023
God is doing an amazing work in the Muslim world! The testimonies in this book were both a blessing and a rebuke to me.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 392 reviews