Islands of Silence

“It's impossible not to be moved” by this “haunting” historical novel detailing the impact of love and war on a WWI medic (The Washington Post Book World).

Islands of Silence is the story of the young Alec Marquand, who in the summer of 1914 has just graduated from college with a degree in archaeology. He has been hired by the lord of a remote country estate in the Scottish Highlands to survey the ancient Stone Age brochs that lie on his property.

Once there Alec comes upon a small island which is called Eilean Tosdach—the Island of Silence. What Alec discovers on that island changes him forever. And just as Alec makes his amazing find, he is shipped off to war . . . a war he does not want to fight, but one in which he ends up as a medic aboard a ship ready to storm the beaches of Gallipoli.

A brilliantly crafted novel, Islands of Silence is a tour through one man’s hell in search of a path for redemption.

“The book's strength comes from a well-orchestrated sense of mystery that pulls us into the story and continually keeps us off balance. . . .Written with an admirably contained fury.” ―Newsday

“As emotionally stark as it is magnetic . . .Compelling and, ultimately, illuminating.” ―Denver Post

“Islands of Silence cuts to the quick. It is a powerful meditation on the sanctity of life and the devastation of war. . . . Read it and weep.” ―Seattle Post-Intelligencer