Preacher on the Run

Preacher on the Run book cover

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For Liberty & Conscience #1

Preacher on the Run: A Novel of Early America

He preaches truth. The Crown calls it treason.

It’s 1771, and tensions run high in colonial North Carolina. Frontier preacher Robert Boothe has spent the last four years standing against unlawful taxes and government corruption.

To his close-knit congregation, Robert is a courageous man of God who defends the truth. To his wife and young daughter, he’s a devoted protector who longs to shield them from the growing unrest. To the governor’s men, he’s a rebel who preaches a dangerous gospel of God-given freedom.

No one sees the doubts he wrestles in his own heart.

Then the governor’s ambitious new agent arrives to make an example of Robert’s resistance. Robert refuses to back down, even when he’s arrested in front of his church on a Sunday morning. But when his family and church are caught in the crossfire, what price will Robert pay to keep them safe?

The historical drama of Johnny Tremain meets the courageous faith of Pilgrim’s Progress in this engaging Christian historical novel. Read a sample here and step into a nation on the verge of the American Revolution, where faith and freedom are both at stake.

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First edition 2020, revised 2024

Paperback: ISBN 978-1-7347175-0-1

Praise for Preacher on the Run

An entertaining, inspiring, and worthwhile read.
The Old Schoolhouse Magazine 

Wonderful characterizations and dialogue, a snapshot of a forgotten time.
—LYNNE BASHAM TAGAWA, Selah Awards finalist and author of The Shenandoah Road

Intense, delightful, raw, and emotional, Preacher on the Run is definitely on my TRA (to read again) list.
—MADISYN CARLIN, author and blogger

 

More Resources for Preacher on the Run

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Printable Discussion Questions

Download a PDF of discussion questions for your book club or family discussion time.
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Who were the Regulators?

Download Turning Rebel, a short ebook about the history featured in Preacher on the Run

Purchase Guide for Preacher on the Run

Who will enjoy Preacher on the Run?

Preacher on the Run is a great choice for

 

  • Christian readers who want real faith to play a prominent role in the fiction they read,
  • Readers who prefer less emphasis on romance and more emphasis on family and friendship bonds,
  • Readers who enjoy fictional stories that feature a traditional, conservative view of American history,
  • Homeschooled teens who can’t get enough good, clean books about courageous heroes,
  • Homeschool families who are looking for historically rich, biblically sound family read-alouds,
  • Anyone who loves a good story with lots of historical detail, true-to-life faith themes, and characters worth rooting for.

What is Preacher on the Run about?

Preacher on the Run is a Christian historical novel set just prior to the American Revolution. It features the Regulator Uprising, a less-familiar resistance movement on the eve of the American Revolution. The story centers on Robert Boothe, a Baptist preacher whose dissent from the Church of England and choice to preach without a license from the British government make him a target.

As Robert faces the difficult choices of protecting his church and family while following his conscience, his adventures draw readers deep into this period of early American unrest, providing a front-row seat to the first sparks of the American Revolution and displaying the religious freedom America’s founders fought for.

    Themes and tropes in Preacher on the Run

    Themes:

    • Trusting God no matter what
    • Courage and sacrifice
    • Protecting loved ones
    • Redemption and forgiveness
    • Religious freedom
    • Authority of Scripture
    • Resistance to tyranny
    • Truth vs. deception 

    Tropes:

    • American Revolution
    • “War without the gore”
    • Good vs. evil
    • Outlaw hero
    • Supportive heroine
    • Reluctant leader
    • Loyal sidekicks
    • Family bonds
    • Grassroots resistance
    • Corrupt government
    • Exodus and pursuit
    • Search for safe haven
    • Hero’s sacrifice
    • Band of brothers

    About the Author of Preacher on the Run

    Jayna Baas
    Jayna Baas (pronounced as in “baa, baa, black sheep”) is an award-winning author and editor and is the director of The Christian PEN: Proofreaders and Editors Network. She writes and edits from beautiful northern Michigan, where she strives to give readers faith-filled adventures bursting with courageous characters and biblical truth.
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