Synopsis from the book cover:

Truth is stranger than fiction. And nowhere in literature is it so apparent as in this classic work, The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest. This autobiography of a Jesuit priest in Elizbethan England is most remarkable document and John Gerard, its author,  a most remarkable priest in a time when to be a Catholic in England courted imprisonment and torture; to be a priest was treason by act of Parliament.

Smuggled into England after his ordination and dumped on a Norfolk beach at night, Fr. Gerard disguised himself as a country gentleman and traveled about the country saying Mass, preaching, and ministering to the faithful in secret – always in constant danger. The houses in which he found shelter were frequently raided by “priest hunters”; priest-holes, hide-outs, and hair-breadth escapes were part of daily life. He was finally caught and imprisoned, and later remove to the infamous Tower of London, where he was brutally tortured.

The stirring account of his escape, by means of a rope thrown across the moat, is a daring and magnificent climax to a true story which, for sheer narrative power and interest, far exceeds any fiction.

But more than the story of a single priest, The Autobiography of a Hunted Priest epitomizes the constant struggle of all human beings through the ages to maintain their freedom. It is a book of courage and conviction, whose message is most timely for our age.

Review:

In the comments section of my post on John Gerard in the Tower of London my friend Lisl recommended this book.

The story is a historical account of religious persecution in the Elizabethan era from a Jesuit perspective. The story of John is both inspiring and humbling in equal measures. His faith, determination and gentleness enabled him to overcome extreme and impossible situations.

The final paragraph of the synopsis sums up the essence of the book. I recommend you read the book and be inspired by John’s courage, gentleness and conviction.