THE PELEG CHRONICLES

The unique strength of this book is its faithful, biblical contextualization, combined
with powerfully fun creativity. The stout faith of men and women who, through
great adventures, endure hardship for the sake of their God will inspire you and
your children.

Quite possibly the best contribution this book makes to our libraries is that it will
raise the bar for those we call heroes. Combining the powerful fictional characters
who have become somewhat iconic within our culture with real-life Christianity,
you'll see men and women like you and me with challenges and believable victories
that come only from faithful obedience and the grace of Almighty God.

Harding wonderfully avoids the temptation to make the story a sugary sweet,
happily ever after tale, while not giving in to the postmodern view that there is no
true victory or resolution.

The book is a great family read-aloud that you will not want to put down - our
family didn't. In fact, my children continutally reminded me to get back to the story
so we could find out what happened to Lord McDougal, Fergus Leatherhead, and
the foundlings.

Matthew Christian Harding is a man who's boldly treading into new territory in the
young adult fiction marketplace. His debut novel is nearly impossible to pigeon-hold
into conventionally established genres ... Harding blends a thriving feudal society
complete with knights, counts, and princesses with the dragons (think dinosaurs),
giants, and a cave-dwelling group of men called dwarves with the ongoing attempts
of darkness to smother the light. Perhaps the fastest way I can describe it is to say
that Foundlings is something akin to Lord of the Rings meets biblical fiction, with no
magic, evolution, or humanism thrown into the mix.

If that idea excites you - you're not alone. As a devoted Christian father, his four
young children no doubt inspire Harding; wanting them to have access to noble,
God-honoring literature that supports a biblical worldview, he put his own pen to the
task. As I share his goals I was almost jumping up and down with excitement when I
learned of this new series. Unfortunately, it was some time until I could read it - my
husband made off with my copy and wouldn't relinquish it until he was finished.
Then it was passed on to me to read with my little ones at bedtimes.

Lord McDougal is certainly the centerpiece of the series. He's such a curious
character, rather eccentric really, and his shenanigans have left my six-year-old
laughing on many occasions. Honorable, God-loving, and noble of character,
McDougal is always eager to share his faith with seekers, and lives out a walk with
God that will be familiar to many New Testament believers despite its Old Testament
setting.

Accompanied by his faithful shield-bearer Fergus Leatherhead, McDougal - a cursed
Lord - is swept into one adventure after another. Unable to resist the call to aid
those who are in distress, he plunges willy-nilly into the fray, collecting a rag-tag
band of followers who have thrown their stakes in with his. Together they rescue
maidens, defeat giants, and more - all with McDougal's seemingly contrary blend of
savvy and naivete ...

I must applaud Harding's work. It's rare to find an author so dedicated to folding
biblical truth within the pages of a good, clean story that honors God and promotes
Godly character. Harding left us with a dramatic cliffhanger at Foundling's end, and
our entire family is now eagerly awaiting a new set of adventures for Lord McDougal
and his band of motley, faithful comrades. As soon as we turned the last page my
daughter asked me when we can find out what happens next. Good question!