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. As a result he’s been looking for a descriptive term for his work. Leviathan literature, behemoth books, young earth dragon fiction, creation literature, and speculative historical fiction are some of the labels you’ll find tentatively attached to Foundlings, the first installment in The Peleg Chronicles.
Set at an unspecified date during the biblical days of Peleg — sometime after Noah’s flood, the tower of Babel and the dispersion — Foundlings has little in common with the small selection of historical fiction written that focuses on this time period from a young earth, Bible-believing perspective. 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 go 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 McDougall 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, McDougall 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, McDougall — 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 McDougall’s seemingly contrary blend of savvy and naiveté.
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Article comments
1 - Karen Newell
I agree that the Foundling is a great book and enjoyed reading it myself, then out loud twice to kids. The worse part was the fact that it ends at an exciting part - and we had to wait for the sequel. Many of us are relieved to see that the sequel is out!