Gunner's Run by Rick Barry

About the Novel

When Jim Yoder, a waist gunner aboard a B-26 during World War II, accidentally tumbles out of his plane and parachutes into Nazi Germany, he quickly realizes the gravity of his situation. Though fluent in French, he doesn't know German, so how will he communicate? Worse, he doesn't have any money or even a weapon to protect himself. Trapped in a German cell and realizing he'll need a miracle to survive and escape, he turns to the God he rejected after his mother's untimely death and begins a suspenseful and adventure-filled trek across enemy territory.

After his initial escape, which is amazing in itself, Jim begins a cross-country journey not for the fainthearted. Wearing a German soldier's uniform, he avoids roads, sleeps in barns, and catches rides on empty train boxcars. He stumbles across Jews hiding in the woods and crosses paths with both friends and foes. All the while, he wonders if he'll ever escape and fondly remembers life back in Indiana and a certain young lady who captured his fancy. A new worry surfaces: will Margo wait for him or date other Christian men (and perhaps get married) before he returns to the United States? This anxiety makes his escape even more urgent. It also compels him to depend more on God to keep him safe and to show him the way home.

I especially like how Barry wove in a clear picture of God-dependence throughout Jim's journey. Add to that a suspenseful, action-packed, and meticulously researched tale that never lags in pace or tension, and Gunner's Run is a powerful Christian novel not to be missed. I was intrigued when the plot progressed from tense and sometimes humorous episodic predicaments to Jim's sobering discovery that the Gestapo is hot on his trail. This ratcheting up of tension and suspense kept the pages turning as I wondered how Jim was going to escape, especially when his situation only becomes more dire. Don't miss this action-packed story of faith and survival.

About Rick

Rick Barry is a Christian writer who has participated in more than 25 mission trips to Russia and Ukraine. In part, his writing helps to fund his missionary activities.

Although writing is basically an "in-doors" activity, Rick appreciates opportunities to get outside and try new experiences, which have included skydiving, mountain climbing, rappelling, canoeing, kayaking, wilderness hiking, white-water rafting, and a high-ropes course through tree tops. All experiences in life provide fuel for this writer's imagination.

Publishers who have purchased Rick's work include Focus on the Family, Regular Baptist Press, the Salvation Army, Writer's Journal magazine, In Touch, Power for Living, and others.

Rick and his wife Pam currently live in Plainfield, Indiana. They have two adult children, Jessica and Josh.

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