Gunner's Run

Jim Yoder, a nineteen-year-old Air Force gunner from Indiana, falls out of his plane--literally--and parachutes down into Nazi Germany. Though he manages to escape from the clutches of the Germany army, Jim still must find a way off the occupied European continent if he is to reach safety. Secretly traveling west, Jim makes contact with members of the Resistance who are willing to smuggle him out of German-held territory. But Jim also runs into a Belgian traitor who will do anything to line his pockets--including handing Jim over to the Gestapo. Rick Barry's close attention to historical detail in writing "Gunner's Run" is nothing less than impressive. WWII planes and weapons; the Gestapo's actions against the Resistance; the geography of France and Belgium--Barry captures the atmosphere of occupied Europe quite well, and his carefulness in crafting Jim's background is another plus. His writing style is decent; one of his greater triumphs is in his characters, who are extremely believable. Barry does his best to avoid stereotyping any of the differing nationalities that appear in the story. Jim's conversion to Christianity near the book's beginning seems a little out of place, as there isn't much build-up of spiritual tension (along with the fact that Jim behaves like a mature Christian from his conversion onward). But Barry's description of that conversion isn't awkward; none of his writing is. As a historical novel, "Gunner's Run" clearly and accurately reveals its people and time.

In Gunner's Run by Rick Barry, Jim Yoder, a World War II B-26 gunner, falls from his plane and parachutes into Nazi Germany. He is quickly caught and thrown into prison. Having turned his back on God years ago, he makes his peace, knowing he may never get back home. But once he and God are communicating, Jim's prayers are answered. He manages to escape the prison, don a German soldier's uniform, and start the long trek towards France. He sleeps the days away and travels at night, steering clear of the roads, eating raw potatoes and anything he can find. He meets friends and enemies on his journey, assumes several identities to get past Nazi forces, and dreams of the day he can get back to Indiana and see Margo, the girl he hopes to make a future with. I enjoyed Jim's suspenseful journey to stay out of the Gestapo's clutches and how he depended on God to get him through. Having a grandfather who fought in WWII, it was fascinating to see stories of people trusting God and working together to help each other out of enemy territory. Gunner's Run put me smack in the middle of a side of WWII I never studied.

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.

Set during World War II, Gunner's Run is a novel for Christian young adults following nineteen-year-old Jim Yoder. The call of duty takes Jim far away from his home, his nation, and his attractive friend Margo, thrusting him into mortal peril in Nazi Europe. To survive, Jim must learn to trust the God that he used to disbelieve. Rife with historical detail, Gunner's Run brings both history and faith alive and is especially recommended for church reading lists for young members.

Great story, lots of suspense and I feel it would make a great movie. Sharing it with my friends, so far...they love it too!