Guns of Thunder: Faith & Freedom, Book 1

As the title states, I don't think that this book is as good as the ones in the previous trilogy. There is too much talking about the war and the farm, and not enough real action. About the first five chapters are just an intro. Then it gets a little bit better when he goes to fight the French and Indian War in about the fifteenth chapter. What I find strange is that essentially the entire book is focused on the main character, Ian M'Kethe, trying to get enough money to but his cousin Roland a pair of glasses. There is no such theme in the previous books, where there really is not a "theme", so to speak, just a good story that will keep your attention. I would recommend this book for a teenager on up because younger kids might get bored with it too soon. However, if younger kids DO get past the "boring" part, there are some fairly graphics descriptions of battle that may not be appropriate for younger kids or overly sensitive types. If you have short attention span I wouldn't recommend this book because you really have to read about the first ten chapters to get a sense for where the book is going, and reading the first ten chapters may take a while. Douglas Bond presents good theology, simple enough for a new Christian to understand, but not so simple that a learned, mature believer would find it non-challenging. Overall a decent work that will engage your mind about what your priorities are, and befriending those who may be different than you.

Several generations have passed since the M'Kethes fled religious persecution in Scotland for the upper Connecticut valley, and Malcolm's bookish grandson Ian is dreaming of attending Yale. However, as the older son of his widowed mother, Ian doubts he will ever have such a chance, especially because of the war brewing with the French and Indians. Malcolm trusts Watookoog, an Indian who sometimes stays with the M'Kethes; but Ian and his sister Moira have their doubts. If war comes, whose side will Watookoog take? Douglas Bond has a wonderful grasp on colonial American society. Ian lives in the period when New England churches were transitioning from psalters to hymnals, and selections from both Isaac Watts and "The Bay Psalm Book" appear in "Guns of Thunder." Other details concerning planting, weapons, pleasure reading, colleges, etc., bring a very authentic flavor to the story. And, best of all, though Bond places the M'Kethes in Connecticut, an unusual place for Celtic immigrants to settle, he accurately pictures how Scots would have related socially to their Anglo-Saxon neighbors. (When one group of Ulster Scots moved to New England, they were so ill received, despite their Calvinist religion, that following Ulster Scots immigrants went to Pennsylvania and from there flooded into the South.) Most children's writers are not so knowledgeable. "Guns of Thunder" doesn't flow quite as well as most of Bond's previous novels; the complications added by the mini-plots made it very difficult for me to create a streamlined plot summary in the first paragraph. In addition to the issue of the war, Ian undergoes an almost unrelated spiritual struggle after hearing Jonathan Edwards preach "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God." He also concerns himself with buying spectacles for his extremely near-sighted cousin Roland (spectacles that probably save Roland's life) and reading "Robinson Crusoe"(out loud, which takes up much of one chapter). Whatever the slight flaws in his plot, however, Bond's writing is never boring, even though most of the adventure is postponed until the latter part of the book.

My family and I are big fans of Douglas Bond. This book continues the story from Bond's incredible Crown & Covenant series. The adventure is a bit less in this one, but we enjoyed it and as always Bond weaves in significant conversation about key truths. The family along the way goes to hear Jonathan Edwards preach and the sermon is described in the book. The family also experiences the beginning of the French & Indian War with teh main character being involved in the decisive battle in Canada. Thus, it is a fun way to learn soem history as well. We would recommend this book.