I am new to this series of books by Douglas Bond. The Faith & Freedom Triology (published by P&R Publishing) is the sequel to Bond’s Crown and Covenant Triology. This series of books follows the M’Kethe clan from Scotland to America in the pre-Revolutionary War Days. Book one in this trilogy tells the story of young Ian M’Kethe and his involvement with the French and Indian War.
I am on the hunt for quality reading material for boys and young men. (If you have some suggestions, feel free to leave them in a comment below!) This particular series of books by Douglas Bond sounded adventurous and wholesome, as well as educational. They sounded like books that would challenge a young male reader to think more about other people instead of themselves. These books looked to promote honor, courage and bravery in the face of adversity. That is exactly what I found in these books so I was not disappointed.
Douglas Bond is an engaging writer. He tells his story well and takes the time to develop his characters instead of just throwing you in their midst without explanation or build up. Even though I have not read the Crown and Covenant Trilogy, I didn’t feel lost in the first two books of the Faith & Freedom set. (I didn’t even realize they were a sequel until I got to the end of the first book!) From all that I can remember from my own history studies, Bond has made great efforts to weave a historically accurate work of fiction that is engaging and suspenseful while being respectful in his approach to war and killing involved therein. These books are set during the French and Indian war so there is a lot of talk about the French and the Indians (no surprise) and the way that the English felt towards both peoples. In today’s day it’s hard to hear about prejudices against people who are different from ourselves but given the time period this book was set in, I thought Bond handled the subject matter appropriately. There is definitely room for parents to have a good discussion about history and the facts of it with their children while reading this book.
As the title of the series suggests, these books are faith based. Simply put: if you are not a Christian you are not going to like these books. Christianity is heavily played out within the M’Kethe family and it’s unavoidable. For those of you looking for a more neutral adventure story, this one is not it. However, if you are looking for something clean, educational and engaging, this series is a good one to consider.
I really did enjoy it on the whole and would be curious to read more of Bond’s fiction. These books are intriguing on many levels and they raise good points and observations for discussion and contemplation. Has anyone else out there read them and, if so, what was your opinion? Also, do you have any other recommendations for good books for boys? I’d love to hear them!
In the meantime, check out Guns of Thunder
Carrie comes by her book obsession honestly, having descended from a long line of bibliophiles. She blogs about books regularly at Reading to Know.
We enjoyed the Crown & Covenant series. My kids also liked the “Mr. Pipes” books by the same author. They are not nearly as exciting, but if you are interested in hymns and hymn writers, they are worth a look.