Silence of the Living
Powerful new novel takes on war and its consequences
Special to The Ellsworth American
To say William Carpenter’s third novel, “Silence,” is a 9/11 book would be correct, but would sell it short in scope and intent. Yes, the chief protagonist Nick Colonna enlisted because of the attack on the Twin Towers, and his subsequent traumatization and hearing loss from an ambush in Iraq are the result of that patriotic act. But “Silence” (Islandport Press, 2021, $17.95) also is about a Maine island, Thoreau, the Red Paint People and Mohamed Atta, who flew one of the planes into the World Trade Center.