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Sebastian Faulks’s new historical novel A Farewell to Eden is a timely addition to the slew of stories coming out of the Middle East. But it is so much more than that.
Set as it is from 1946 in Palestine, to the England of the 1950s and beyond, through to the 80s, the tensions of the time and places are seen through the eyes of ex-Army officer Philip Deval. This is an unspooling of a life whose soul is touched and influenced by what he experiences; a life with emotional scars that take him on an unexpected path. Masterfully written, Faulks takes you on a journey that asks questions of morality and humanity.
Philip is an ordinary man, steadfast, calm, philosophical, respected, not a risk taker. Deployed as a peacekeeper to Palestine after his Army service, when the British Mandate was about to expire; when the drawing of state lines would have far reaching consequences. In the Holy Land he makes solid friends, such as padre Matthew Kilvert who challenges his faith; he participates in undercover operations; contemplates the question of coexistence and politics; experiences terrorism in the King David Hotel attack; and contemplates the future he sees for this country. His belief in justice and moral obligation sees him become an unlikely player in a deadly game.
1951 and Philip is in Britain as he becomes a teacher at a girls’ school. He meets and befriends the enigmatic, quiet, controlled music teacher Frances Darwood whose story has also shaped her, but it is their enduring friendship that threads and supports through the years ahead.
Faulks is the master of the slow reveal, hiding events within his words. Unfurling them. Shocking the reader, making you backtrack in case you missed anything. His research brings people and environments to sparkling life, enriching the reader with facts and characters, interlinking stories. It is a reflection of a time of huge upheaval, when everything was questioned. He crafts a tension that ebbs and flows. Written in 50s-style vernacular, it is a picture of a fractured generation. Above all, it is a beautifully told story of a man’s battle with his conscience and his humanity.
Sebastian Charles Faulks is a British novelist, journalist and broadcaster. He is most notable for his historical novels set in France – The Girl at the Lion d’Or, Birdsong and Charlotte Gray.
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