Synopses & Reviews
"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 in the tradition of "All's Quiet on the Western Front and "The Ghost Road, Islands of Silence is a tour through one man's hell in search of a path for redemption.
Review
"Haunting...quickly sucks the reader in....It's impossible not to be moved." --
The Washington Post Book World"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
"[A] haunting new novel....Islands of Silence cuts to the quick. It is a powerful meditation on the sanctity of life and the devastation of war. Particularly at this juncture in world affairs, its resonance is profound. Read it and weep." --Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Synopsis
Takes place in 1914, as a recent college graduate is hired to survey an estate in the Scottish Highlands. Later, as he experiences the hell of combat in World War I, the young protagonist never forgets his discovery of a Scottish island steeped in secrets.
Synopsis
In the summer of 1914 Alec Marquand has just graduated from college and has been hired by the lord of a remote country estate in the Scottish Highlands to survey the ancient Iron Age brochs that lie on his property. Once there Alec comes upon a small island which is called Eileen Tosdach--the Island of Silence. Just as Alec makes his amazing find, he is shipped off to war, sent to storm the beaches of Gallipoli. From the author of the Booker shortlisted
The Industry of Souls, this is a gripping tour through one man's hell in search of a path for redemption.
About the Author
Martin Booth is a critically acclaimed novelist, children's writer, and a documentary and feature film writer. He is the author of thirteen novels, including
A Very Private Gentleman,
The Industry of Souls, and
Hiroshima Joe. He lives in Devon, England.