Although I've known of Brother Andrew for years, I had never read anything he's written. Secret Believers popped up on my Amazon "recommended for you" list because I had ordered Joel Rosenburg's Epicenter and Journey into the Mind of an Islamic Terrorist by Mark Gabriel. Impulsively, I hit my Amazon Prime one click, and the book promptly arrived at my door.
I was interested by the fact that the authors state upfront they've fictionalized the lives of many people in the Islamic world, weaving their stories and personalities together to create a true-to-life picture that shelters the real subjects from harm. Secret Believers starts slowly; it takes a while to explain all this and to establish characters. Nonetheless, I found myself unable to put it down and literally finished it the day it arrived.
I had never thought much about the Christians who are born into Islamic societies. Additionally, it had not occurred to me that there would exist a major chasm between these Christians and Muslims who convert to Christianity--people whom the book terms "Muslim background believers." Because of Brother Andrew's reputation and because of stories I've heard coming from Islamic countries, I believe this book is based fully in truth, and I was deeply moved by the characters' struggles and triumphs.