Folio 001
Iona: An Island of Books, Relics, and Dangerous Memory
7 minute read↗
Some languages are lost.
One was silenced.
Daniel, a graduate student at Trinity College Dublin, spends his days deciphering old languages under the mentorship of the enigmatic Professor Ashcroft. Then a letter arrives from a long-lost friend.
What begins as a scholarly pursuit draws Daniel from Dublin into the heart of Catholic power—and toward Iona, where a secret about language, faith, and human pride has waited in silence.
“Not a language that evolved—but one shattered by divine will.”
Open the full case file →Advance testimony
Early praise for
The First Silence.
Archbishop Aquila led the Archdiocese of Denver from 2012 to 2026. Dr. Brodeur is a medieval historian and chairs Liberal Arts & Education at Catholic International University.
Testimony · No. 01
Michael Morris has written an engaging novel that beautifully unites faith, history, and the search for truth. The First Silence reminds us that authentic faith welcomes honest inquiry and that history, rightly understood, points beyond itself to the God who reveals Himself in Jesus Christ, the fullness of truth.
Most Reverend Samuel J. Aquila, S.T.L.
Archbishop Emeritus of Denver
Bishop of Fargo from 2002 to 2012 and first rector of St. John Vianney Theological Seminary.
Testimony · No. 02
Michael Morris has woven together a gripping mystery that pulls you in and pulls you along, from the cobblestones and academic halls of Dublin, to the lights and shadows of Rome, and the cold salt spray of Iona. The First Silence is a novel that forces questions about the pursuit of Truth over the mere pursuit of knowledge, the search for meaning and purpose, and the movements of grace. Morris' years of careful research and deep study make places and people come alive and leap off the page, and once you start reading, it's hard to put down.
Ann Brodeur, Ph.D.
Medieval historian and Chair of Liberal Arts & Education
Chair of the Academic Senate and Associate Professor at Catholic International University.
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