Twist of Faith. The Irish potato famine in 1845 draws nigh and lives, loves and loyalties must battle for survival. Two boys are born in the same doctor's house at around the same time, one the son of an Irish Catholic peasant woman and one the protestant son of the Lady of the Manor. The lives of the boys, and then as young men, are intertwined as the peasant lads strong willed father, works as a groom for the rather self-centered Lord of the Manor. After a couple of extremely harsh years and a heart wrenching search, the mother of the catholic boy eventually agrees to place their son in a convent, with the hope that the sickly child will live through the famine. The other lad lives a privileged life and enjoys, much to the annoyance of his parents, mixing with the locals. He is eventually sent away to further his education, to Eton College in England. Whilst he is in England there is a romantic involvement, which springs an important surprise to him later in his life. A major turning point is the death of the Etonian's father, which demands the young man's return. Due to his Eton popularity, he has made close friendships with two influential characters; one the son of a Scottish horse stud owner, the other the son of a foreign office diplomat. There is an underlying conflict throughout the story with the Young Irish Defense, the Fenian movement and the control of English landlords. The two main protagonists are not ever in conflict, but there are several extremely important characters that are.