Barbara Claassen Smucker (1915-2003) is the author of twelve children's books. Many of her books tell the stories of persecuted people looking for freedom, safety, and a better life. Intrigued by particular people groups, she has written about the Amish, Native Americans, Russian Mennonites, and escaped slaves. Runaway to Freedom: A Story of the Underground RailroadDays of Terror, a story during the 1920s, just before Lenin came to power.