Review of Of All Faiths & None

[Fredrick Felix Mnjala Maneno]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Of All Faiths & None" by Andrew Tweeddale.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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In this epic tale of love and loss, pain and joy, life and death and the resilience needed to live through the uncertainty of war, the Lutyens and Drewe families seem to have inextricable destinies. Celia Lutyens, the eldest daughter of Edwin and Emily Lutyens, finds herself burdened with the task of running the household in the absence of her seemingly flighty mother who is more interested in Krishnamurti, the perceived messiah of the the Theosophists. Meanwhile, Adrian and Christian Drewe find themselves on the frontlines against the Germans during the First World War. With the war raging, the lives of countless people are torn asunder. How will the Lutyens and Drewe families deal with the vagaries of war and will they come out of it unscathed?

Of All Faiths & None by Andrew Tweeddale is an excellent historical fiction novel that portrays what life would have been like during the First World War. Tweeddale has done an excellent job building up to the outbreak of the war, easing the reader into the lives of the characters to build up the background to the plot. I must say the storyline flows excellently with the timelines being clear in their progression. He also uses humour which comes across quite naturally even if it is somewhat subdued. Even though Tweeddale touches on certain specific religions such as Christianity, I did not get the feeling that he was trying to tout for any religion in particular which to me was commendable. Due to the subject matter of war, one would probably expect gory details but the book somehow manages to portray the horrors of the war without being ghoulish. I really liked the stories which Edwin Lutyens told his children and especially the one about love being stranded on an island which profers a really profound lesson.

The characters were really well thought out and one can really relate to them and what they go through. However, there were some characters who I felt needed more background like Peter Hall and Sergeant Frasier. Even though one may not consider them as central characters, they were still quite important to the plot. I only came across very minor errors that did not detract from the enjoyment of the book and this led me to believe that the book was professionally edited. This made it an easy and enjoyable read.

In regard to the fact that the book was quite enjoyable, the plot well laid out and the fact that there were very few and negligible errors that I came across, I give Of All Faiths & None by Andrew Tweeddale a rating of 5 out of 5.

I would recommend the book to anyone who has an interest in historical fiction and history in general. One can pick some interesting trivia, such as how the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand went down. The simple writing style and the exciting plot makes it quite appealing to young adults who have an interest in the subject as well.

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Of All Faiths & None
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[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I also love the substory of love delivered by Edwin. It tells us that time heals all wounds. I hope that in the sequel, Celia forgives Adrian. Your review is wonderful!

[Francis Kapola]

It is admirable that Tweeddale explores other religions, including Christianity, without demonstrating preference for any one of them.

[Francis Kapola]

I also love the substory of love delivered by Edwin. It tells us that time heals all wounds. I hope that in the sequel, Celia forgives Adrian. Your review is wonderful!

Another reminder that patience pays.