Young Will Wallace (not to be confused with the Scottish hero William Wallace) is first seen as the book opens as a dragoon under the command of Claverhouse. Appalled by the atrocities he has seen, he feels very uncomfortable with their mission to find and persecute the Covenanters. Will, however, considers that this wanton cruelty is done by the wish of evil men, and that surely the commanders would also be horrified. He is soon enlightened. On a mission to locate one of the Covenanting preachers, he attacks his companion when the man attempts to insult one of the Christian girls they meet. After realizing the way his commanders would view this act, Will deserts the king's employ.
While Will is considering his next course of action, as an unemployed and soon-to-be wanted man, he captured as a spy by the very man he had been hunting. His defense of the man's daughter is soon made known, and he joins the Covenanters.
Over the next few years, we live alongside Will, as he believes in Christ, attends meetings, aids in the escape of others, and witnesses the martyrdom of his friends. We are given a picture of the Covenanters' lives, perpetually hunted from place to place, not knowing whom to trust, and seeing their dear ones killed. For what? For the lordship of Christ. For declaring that He alone, and not the king, is the head of the church.
This is learning history the easy way, through an engaging story. We are drawn in the very lives of these people who suffered so long ago. This book makes a great story by itself, but for studying Scotland and the Covenanters, it should be on every educator's history shelf. |
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